Acts 23-24

Acts 23-25
1/18/09

I. Last time, Paul had been saved from the crowd who was out to kill him, by the commander of the Roman garrison there in Jerusalem.
A. Actually he had to be delivered twice because having been granted permission to address the crowd the riot broke out again when he put the gentiles on equal footing as the Jews.
B. And as we left off the commander was going to have Paul scourged in order to determine what Paul had done to upset the Jews so badly, and so Paul revealed his Roman citizenship in order to get a hearing first.
II. Now we move on and see Paul the prisoner.
Acts 22:30 - Acts 23:1-10 (NKJV)
30 The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.
1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.”
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
4 And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”
5 Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6 But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
9 Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, “We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”
10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
A. The commander moving slower and more justly gives the opportunity for Paul to hear the accusations of his accusers the Jewish Sanhedrin, and to give a defense to the charges.
1. Paul states he had lived in such a way as to have a clean conscience before God.
2. Conscience
a) One of Paul’s favorite words or themes.
(1) Used 2x in Acts, 20x in his epistles
b) Conscience is an inner judge or witness that approves when we do right or disapproves when we do wrong.
c) Conscience does not set the standard it only makes application of the standard.
(1) A criminal may feel bad about telling the truth about a fellow criminal as much as a Christian would in telling a lie about a friend.
d) We might think of our conscience like a window that lets light in.
e) Light is God’s word which is the true standard.
(1) Our sense of right and wrong is calibrated correctly by God’s word; it is the standard.
Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

(2) Vertigo (Spatial disorientation)
f) Windows get dirty and that dirt can block light out, and when we harden our hearts to the truth refusing to do what’s right we sear or damage our conscience (and block out the light).
1 Timothy 4:2 (NKJV)
2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,

Ephesians 4:19 (NKJV)
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Hebrews 3:7-11 (NKJV)
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
3. Paul could say he had a clean conscience before God.
4. This infuriated the high priest who commands that he be struck by one of the other council members.
a) So Paul calls him a hypocrite, not knowing he is the high priest. (Why a hypocrite?)
b) When pointed out to him Paul then expresses respect for the man’s office, but does not apologize to the man.
5. Paul recognizing that there is no way he will get a just hearing before this council divides his enemy by stating that the issue is that he believes in the resurrection.
a) The council begins to fight among them selves… and the commander again has his men escort Paul under their protection back to the barracks.
Acts 23:11-22 (NKJV)
11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy.
14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.
15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.”
18 So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.”
19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him.
21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”
22 So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
III. God appears to Paul and brings him comfort (not rebuke).
A. What wonderful comfort and confirmation to have from God at this time.
1. This is the fourth vision the Lord gave Paul (9:4-6, 16:9, 18:9-10).
B. What a contrast between the love of God pictured here, and the intense hatred of these 40 fanatical Jews who take this oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
1. We also see man’s tendency to take matters into his own hands.
a) What a contrast to David their greatest and most revered king.
1 Samuel 24:4-6 (NKJV)
4 Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
5 Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.
6 And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”
b) The ways of man are so much different from the ways of God – how does this translate into what I do as an ambassador, and minister (servant) of Jesus.
2. Conspiracy to commit murder the religious leaders also plotted to kill Jesus. (By supposedly holy men!)
3. The plot is revealed; nothing can be hid from God, and we see the direct hand of God at work here to protect his servant Paul…
Acts 23:23-35 (NKJV)
23 And he called for two centurions, saying, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night;
24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote a letter in the following manner:
26 Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
28 And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council.
29 I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains.
30 And when it was told me that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to state before you the charges against him. Farewell.
31 Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
32 The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks.
33 When they came to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
34 And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia,
35 he said, “I will hear you when your accusers also have come.” And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.
C. The commander puts together a plan to get Paul out of there and to a place where he won’t be responsible if something happens to Paul (it was a bad thing to lose a prisoner and he was not about to lose Paul).
1. What an escort he arranges for Paul, 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearman.

a) Protection fit for a king.
(1) Think about the parallel spiritually, if God is sending us, who can breach His protection w/o His permission?
2 Kings 6:11-17 (NKJV)
11 Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?”
12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.”
13 So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.”
14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(2) The key is being led by God and not doing our own thing.
b) We also see that the commander understood the zeal and threat of these 40 men, because they were ready to kill and to die for their cause…
D. The journey from Jerusalem to Antipatris was a little over 35 miles which they covered in a day so this was probably a forced march…
1. The remaining 27 miles to Caesarea only required the escort of the horseman as it was now assumed to be safer.
2. The governor after reading the letter and determining that Paul was from the province of Cilicia agrees to hear the case when Paul’s accusers arrive, which they do five days later.

IV. The charges.
Acts 24:1-9 (NKJV)
1 Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence to the governor against Paul.
2 And when he was called upon, Tertullus began his accusation, saying: “Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight,
3 we accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us.
5 For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
6 He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law.
7 But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands,
8 commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.”
9 And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.
A. The High priest himself comes and they bring an attorney (an orator) to present their case.
1. Note that he spends almost as much time in his introduction with flattery as he does in presenting the charges against Paul.
a) Felix was a slave who had won his freedom.
b) He was known for his use of repressive force and corrupt self-exaltation. (Flattery…)
c) Tacitus a Roman historian summed up the character of Felix with these words “He exercised royal power with the mind of a slave.”
d) The accusations were three:
(1) Paul was a worldwide troublemaker, stirring up riots everywhere.
(2) He was a leader of the Nazarene sect.
(3) He attempted to desecrate the temple.
V. Paul’s defense before Felix.
Acts 24:10-21 (NKJV)
10 Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself,
11 because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.
12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city.
13 Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.
14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
17 “Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation,
18 in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult.
19 They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me.
20 Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council,
21 unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day.’ ”
A. Paul makes several points in his defense.
1. He was in Jerusalem for the purpose of worship (at the feast of Pentecost) and had not been in Jerusalem long enough to incite a riot.
2. His (accusers could not even cite one instance where he had incited a riot.
3. He worshipped the God of Israel in full conformance to the Law and the Prophets.
4. He states that his faith was in God as a Christian which His accusers called a sect known as “the Way” (but it was not a sect).
5. And that his hope of the resurrection was the same as that of the Pharisees. That he did not instigate the riot, his accusers did.

6. And that his real accusers the Jews from Asia who had made the original false accusations were not even present.
Acts 24:22-27 (NKJV)
22 But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.”
23 So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.
24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”
26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
VI. Felix was somewhat knowledgeable about Christianity, probably through his wife Drusilla a Jewess.
A. He stalls the trial not wanting to offend the religious authorities with a wrong decision.
1. No evidence that the commander Claudius Lysias ever came to Caesarea.
2. But evidently being aware of Paul’s innocence he gives him a limited amount of freedom.
B. Returning from an apparent trip with his wife he calls upon Paul to hear about his faith: and Paul speaking of righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment strikes fear in the heart of Felix, but he does not respond to the conviction, we also see that he was a greedy man hoping for a bribe from Paul.
1. And to placate the Jews he leaves Paul in prison, ultimately Felix is removed from office and Paul is left in prison.