Chap. XXIII. ver. 1.—I have lived in all good conscience] According to the best light of my conscience towards God, first as a Pharisee, Phil. iii. 6, and now as a Christian. Grotius.

St. Paul begins by endeavouring to remove the bad impressions occasioned by his appearing before the council as a malefactor. Abp. Newcome.

—thou whited wall:] The great men among the Jews were used to wear a white robe, and probably Ananias was so clothed at this time. St. Paul compares him to one of the Jewish sepulchres, the outside of which was made white for ornament, while the inside contained nothing but rottenness. Bp. Pearce.

This is the only instance in which an indignant reproach was drawn from St. Paul, against Ananias, who offered to him a wanton and unmerited insult: and even here the testimony of the history seems to render it probable that Ananias was not high priest, but that, in a period of anarchy, when the office was unfilled, he rashly assumed that character, which by his insolence he disgraced. This single instance excepted, (if indeed it constitutes an exception,) the language and conduct of the Apostle were uniformly temperate and decorous, as they were firm and dignified, naturally resulting from piety and sobriety of mind, utterly inconsistent with folly and fanaticism. Dr. Graves.

— a certain orator named Tertullus.] It is probable, from the name, that this was a Roman advocate, whom the Jews engaged on this occasion, as being more conversant in the Roman language, and the forms of justice. Beausobre.

Acts 23:2

2.—the high priest Ananias] All that is here mentioned, relating to Ananias, is fully explained by circumstances stated by the Jewish historian Josephus, who was living at the time. Ananias was high priest at the time when the Jews were supplied with corn from Egypt, during the famine which took place in the fourth year of Claudius, Acts xi. St. Paul therefore, who took a journey to Jerusalem at that period, (Acts xv.) could not have been ignorant of the elevation of Ananias to that dignity. Soon after the holding of the first council, as it is called, at Jerusalem, Ananias was dispossessed of his office, in consequence of certain acts of violence between the Samaritans and the Jews, and sent prisoner to Rome, whence he was afterwards released, and returned to Jerusalem. From that period he could not be called high priest, in the proper sense of the word; and Jonathan, in the mean time, was raised to that office. Between the death of Jonathan, who was murdered by order of Felix, and the appointment of a successor, elapsed an interval of a vacancy in the dignity. Precisely in this interval it happened that this event occurred of St. Paul’s apprehension at Jerusalem; and, the Sanhedrim being destitute of a president, Ananias undertook, of his own authority, the discharge of that office, which he executed with the greatest tyranny. It is possible, therefore, that St. Paul, who had been only a few days at Jerusalem, might be ignorant that Ananias, who had been dispossessed of the priesthood, had taken upon himself a trust to which he was not entitled; he might therefore very naturally exclaim, “I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest.” On the other hand, if he was acquainted with the fact, his expression must be considered as an indirect reproof, and a tacit refusal to recognize usurped authority. Michaelis.

—to smite him on the mouth.] This command seems not so much to have proceeded from St. Paul’s assertion of his innocence, as from the rancour entertained against him for preaching to the Gentiles, or from the imperious disposition of Ananias. Abp. Newcome.

2. — and that very worthy deeds are done &c.] There was much flattery in this preamble, mixed with some truth. Felix had been of service in clearing the country of banditti, with which it had abounded; among others, he had put to death a chief of robbers, named Eleazar, and an Egyptian impostor. Still he was a cruel and tyrannical governor; inasmuch that, within two years after this, the Jews preferred a publick accusation against him before the Roman emperor. Bp. Pearce, Beausobre.

Acts 23:3

3.—God shall smite thee, &c.] ‘God is about to smite thee,’ ‘will shortly smite thee.’ About five years

the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, b I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: c of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

Acts 23:5

5.—for it is written, &c.] Exod. xxii. 28. His answer is, in substance, I did not consider his high station; if I had, I should not have spoken so sharply to him; for I am sensible, it is contrary to the law of God to treat persons in authority with disrespect. Bp. Mann.

5. — a mover of sedition] One who stirreth up tumults. He plainly means that the Jews could no where be quiet for the tumults, which he caused against them by means of his converts, the sect of the Nazarenes. Bp. Pearce.

— of the sect of the Nazarenes:] This is the only passage in Scripture where Christians are called by this name, although the name had often been applied to Christ Himself. See chap. ii. 22; iii. 6; iv. 10, &c. Beausobre.

Acts 23:6

6. But when Paul perceived &c.] On this occasion St. Paul availed himself of ’the wisdom of the serpent’ to extricate himself from the hands of his enemies, thus shewing that he was no rash enthusiast, who courted persecution; and, that the Lord himself approved of his conduct, appears from ver. 11. Dr. Hales.

—that the one part were Sadducees.] Of this sect, probably, were the high priest and his relations. Bp. Pearce. See note at chap. iv. 1.

—of the hope and resurrection of the dead] “Of the hope, and the resurrection, of the dead.” Abp. Newcome.

6. — and would have judged according to our law.] It appears from chap. xxi. 31, that they were going to do more than seize and judge him; they were about to kill him when Lysias interposed. Bp. Pearce.

Paul answereth for his life and doctrine. Anno DOMINI 60. came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

Acts 23:8

8.—angel, nor spirit:] See the account of the Sadducees at Matt. iii. 7. When the Sadducees are said to deny any spirits, this is not to be understood as if they denied God to be a spirit, or the existence of any spirit in man; but they denied the continuance of the soul after death, and the subsistence of the spirit of man in a separate state. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 23:9

9.—if a spirit or an angel] The scribes of the sect of the Pharisees say this against the Sadducees, who

The Jews’ lying wait for Paul is declared unto the chief captain. Aub DOMINI 60. hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

Acts 23:10

10. Then Paul,—answered.] Tertullus had brought charges against St. Paul for sedition, for heresy, as a ringleader of the Nazarenes, and for profanation of the temple. St. Paul in his defence answered to each of these charges. 1st, He denied the charge of sedition, because it was only twelve days since he came to Jerusalem to keep the feast of Pentecost, during which time he had neither debated with any one in the temple, nor excited sedition among the people, ver. 10—13. 2d, He confessed himself a Christian, but denied that Christianity was a heresy; on the contrary, he maintained that it was conformable to the Law and the Prophets; that he held the hope which they did, of a general resurrection from the dead, and that his practice was conformable to his profession, for he endeavoured always to maintain an unoffending conscience, ver. 14—16. 3d, He denied the charge of profaning the temple, ver. 17—19; and, 4thly, he challenged the chief priests themselves to bring forward any misdemeanour which he had committed, before the Sanhedrim, ver. 20, 21. Dr. Hales.

— thou hast been of many years a judge] Felix had been governour between five and seven years, as is pretty generally agreed. St. Paul, on this account, addresses him with the greater confidence, as a judge qualified to know the Jewish opinions, customs, and laws; without frequent reference to which the Apostle could not make his defence. Abp. Newcome.

Acts 23:11

11.—the Lord stood by him.] The Lord Jesus. Dr. Whitby, Pyle.

— so must thou bear witness also at Rome.] It was by Divine appointment that St. Paul was to go to Rome, but without any constraint being laid upon his will. His appeal to Cesar was used by him as an expedient to deliver himself from the rage of the Jews, chap. xxv. 11, &c. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 23:12

12.—certain of the Jews banded together.] It was a practice too common among the zealots of the Jews at that period, to cut off, without any judicial process, those whom they considered as transgressors of the law, and enemies of the people. That the chief priests and Sanhedrim approved of such practices, appears too plainly from the confident address of these Jews to them, ver. 14, 15, and their consent to the fact at ver. 20: thus plainly proving, by their lying and murderous dis-

him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

Acts 23:14

14.— worship I the God of my fathers.] The Roman law forbade the introduction of new objects of worship. This therefore was a very proper defence before a Roman governour. Abp. Newcome.

In St. Paul we have here a great instance of true Christian magnanimity. He abhorred that mean and base-spirited principle which makes it lawful for men to deny their religion when it brings them into danger; he

studied no secret arts of compliance with his adversaries to secure himself; he valued his religion beyond his own safety, and regarded not all the calumnies and reproaches of his enemies, as long as he made it his constant exercise to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men. He was sensible how great was the malice of his adversaries; he knew that he was to answer before a judge who regarded neither justice nor religion; yet he neither flatters his judge, nor betrays any distrust of him; he neither inveighs against his enemies nor betrays any fear of them; but with a modest freedom and a manly courage owns the main part of their accusation, and effectually vindicates at once both his religion and his own innocence. Bp. Stillingfleet.

— believing all things which are written &c.] In making his own defence, St. Paul makes also the defence of his religion, which consisted, he implies, in believing all that the law had prefigured, and the Prophets foretold, concerning the Messiah, and the calling of the Gentiles. Beausole.

Acts 23:15

15.— which they themselves also allow.] That is, the Pharisees and the bulk of the nation.

— both of the just and unjust.] The Pharisees, according to Josephus, restrained the resurrection to the just, condemning the unjust to perpetual torment without resurrection. Hence these words, marking the difference between the resurrection expected by St. Paul and that expected by the Pharisees. Dr. Whitby.

Acts 23:17

17. Then Paul called one of the centurions] Observe, that St. Paul avails himself of all possible means of securing himself from danger, notwithstanding the intimation that had been made to him at ver. 11. Abp. Newcome.

18. Now after many years] After many years of absence from Jerusalem, probably about six. Bp. Pearce.

— I came to bring alms] It appears from Philo, that it was customary for the Jews, however dispersed, to send offerings to Jerusalem. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 23:23

23.—to go to Cesarea.] Cesarea was at this time the ordinary residence of the governor of Judea. Beausobre.

— at the third hour of the night:] About nine o’clock at night. He chose the night, the better to preclude any attempt on the part of the Jews to kill St. Paul on the road. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 23:24

24.—provide them beasts.] Provide beasts for St. Paul and those who guarded him. Bp. Pearce.

— unto Felix the governor.] Felix was the brother of Pallas, the favourite of the Roman emperor Claudius; and it was through this influence that he was made governor of Judea. History describes him as a

Paul is sent to Felix the governor. CHAP. XXIII, XXIV. He is accused by Tertullus. Anno DOMINI 60. and should have been killed of them:

then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

Acts 23:27

27. — with an army.] Rather, ‘with the soldiers.’ Bp. Pearce.

— having understood that he was a Roman.] It appears (chap. xxii. 24, 25.) that he did not know St. Paul to be a Roman citizen till after he had rescued him; so that he seems to have been desirous of representing his conduct in a favourable light to the Roman governor. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 23:31

31. — to Antipatris.] A town anciently called Capharasalama, i Mac. vii. 31, which was rebuilt by Herod, and named after his father Antipater. It was about thirty-eight miles from Jerusalem, and about twenty-seven from Cesarea. Calmet.

Acts 23:35

35. — Herod’s judgment hall.] The word, rendered “judgment hall,” signifies the house of the pretor, where causes were sometimes heard. This at Cesarea was called “Herod’s,” because it was built by Herod the Great, for his own palace; but, afterwards, it was converted into a residence for the Roman governor; one part being made a place of confinement for particular prisoners. Dr. Stack.

Chap. XXIV. ver. 1. — descended with the elders.] Came down with the elders of Cesarea. To go from the capital city, Jerusalem, to any place, is called going down; and to go to Jerusalem is called going up, chap. xxv. 1. Bp. Mann.

CHAP. XXIV. Anno DOMINI 60.