Acts 23

Acts 23:1-5

Paul, I will not, brethren, that he was the high priest.

For it is written, ’ Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

Paul with undaunted courage appears before this augult assembly, nor fears their faces, though well persuaded of their inveterate enmity against him. 1. He makes a solemn profession of his own integrity. Men and brethren, I have lived in all good confidence before God until this day; even in his unregenerate state he had, according to his best light and knowledge, acted with conscientious zeal for God’s glory; and his outward conversation had been ever unimpeached. And as in his conversion to Christianity he had embraced the gospel upon the thronged evidences, so had he ever since with all fidelity approved himself to God; and they who have this testimony of a good conscience, need never be ashamed. 2. Anxious the high priest, highly offended at such a proteflation of his innocence, commanded one of the officers who flood by Paul to strike him on the mouth, and not suffer him to proceed with such confidence and familiarity of address. 3. Jully indignant at such an insult, and not actuated by private revenge, but by prophetic impulse, he denounces the down of this proud high priest: God shall invite thee, thou unhast said, with some stroke of the vengeance for thy pride and hypocrisy: for flitsy thou to judge me after the law, and commandeth me to be justest contrary to the law? how unjust and iniquitous is such a procedure! Now, Proud persecutors are but whited walls, and shall soon feel how unable they are to stand before the storm of divine judgments. 4. Some who were present were highly offended at the apostle’s freedom, as an unbecoming insult on the high priest’s character and office, saying, Resulst thou God’s high priest? 5. Paul immediately apologized for what he had said, unwilting to prejudice his Jewish brethren against him, however great the provocation which had been given him: I will not, brethren, that he was the high priest; either he did not advert to his dignity at that time, or he did not consider him as the high priest, another being lawfully entitled to that office, and Austrian but an intruder: for he meant not to speak disrespectfully of that high office, since it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people; and he always desired to have his conduct governed by God’s revealed word, and to honour the magistrate, however wicked the man might be. 6 Chap. xxvi. 5. Phil. iii. 7 Chap. xxv. 11, 12, & xxvi. 2. 8 Mat. xxii. 13. 9 Chap. xxv. 11, & xxv. 1 Chap. xxv. 7, 11, 18. 8 Chap. v. 13. 1 Chap. xxv. 9. 6. But when Paul perceived that the 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: ’ of the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am called in question. 7. And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. 9. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees part arose, and strove, saying, ’ We find no evil in this man: but ’ if a spirit or an angel hath spoke, en to him, ’ let us not fight against God. 10. And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain fearing left Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. 11. And ’ the night following, the Lord flood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

Acts 23:6-11

Since the apostle had to do with men on whom he might now easily perceive he could not hope to prevail by pleading the cause which they were determined to persecute, he here, 1. Prudently disconcerted all their measures by a plea which they little apprehended. He observed the council was divided into two sacks, of Pharisees and Sadducees: and if he can wisely gain one party of them to his side, he may more easily extricate himself from his difficulties. Accordingly he cried aloud, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; have always been brought up in the faith of their distinguishing tenets; and among the chief articles thereof we reckon the resurrection of the dead, for which hope I am called in question, the grand foundation of all that doctrine of the gospel which I preach being built on the resurrection of the Redeemer. 2. This immediately, as he expected, raised a division in the house; the Pharisees espousing this great truth, the Sadducees opposing it: for the Sadducees denied the resurrection of the land, the immortality of the soul, and any future than of rewards and punishments; whilst the Pharisees, though wedded to their traditions, firstly maintained these great doctrines of truth. Hence arose the schism between them, and their duty against Paul was now turned into a sharp contention between themselves; so that a great cry arose, and in more opposition to the Sadducees, the Pharisees took the apostle’s part, and contended for him as orthodox in his principles, and innocent in his behaviour. But if an angel or spirit hath spoken to him, as it is possible may be the case, let us not fight against God; since all opposition to such a heavenly message would be in fact rebellion against God himself, according to the advice which Gamal: had formerly given, (chap. v. 28, 29.) 3. A violent tumult bereupon arose; the Sadducees were enraged at the opposition they met with, and in the quarrel between his friends and foes, Paul was in danger of being torn limb from limb; so that the chief captain was again compelled to interpose, and with his soldiers to carry him off, and secure him in the castle, left he should be pulled in pieces by them. Thus the Lord again providentially rescued him from the jaws of death. 4. The night following the Lord stood by him, in a vision, to comfort and encourage him with unshaken latitude to stand fast, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; he confident of the supports of my power and love, and let no dangers dilutes thee: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. So he had designed formerly, (chap. xix. 21.) and now the Lord will make even the malice of his persecutors the means of carrying him thither. Now, if the Lord speak comfort to our souls, and stand by us, then our prison shall be a palace, and our sufferings will go. 12. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and ’ bound themselves under a curie, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curie, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 15. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to-morrow, as though you would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, ’ are ready to kill him. 16. And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 17. Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18. So he took him, and brought 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. 19. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is it that thou hast to tell me? 20. And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee, ’ that thou wouldest bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 21. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which ’ have bound themselves with so such, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 22. So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged him, see thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. 23. And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Celarea, and horsemen therefore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night. 24. And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. 25. And he wrote a letter after this manner: 26. Claudius Lyris, unto the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting. 27. ’ This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. 28. And ’ when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: 29. Whom I perceived to ’ be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 30. And when it was told me, here that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent disagreement to thee, and ’ gave commandment to his accusers also, to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell. 31. Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32. On the mor- TOW

row they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle. 33. Who when they came to Cefarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, preferred Paul also before him. 34. And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; 35. I will hear thee, said he, when thine accuses are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment-hall.

9. 12—35. We have here a desperate plot laid against the innocent apostle, but by the divine providence discovered and defeated.

10. The plot was deeply laid, and ready to be executed. Since they could gain their ends on other way, the next day some of his most inventoried foes determined to assassinate him. The number of the conspirators amounted to more than forty, who by a dreadful oath bound their fouls to be faithful to each other, and neither to eat or drink till they had killed Paul. And this then horrid design they communicated to the chief priest and elders for their approbation, who they knew would flick at nothing to destroy a man whom they so abhorred. They proposed therefore, that they should desire the chief captain to bring Paul once more to the council-board to be examined, and they undertook to dispatch him by the way as he came: one did the chief priest, it seems, or elders, hesitate at the proposal.

11. God brought this bloody conspiracy to light. A nephew of Paul’s, his sister’s son, got some intelligence of their design, and instantly ran to the castle, to acquaint the apostle of his danger, who begged the favour of one of the centurions to introduce the young man to the chief captain, having some very interesting intelligence to communicate. The centurion very obligingly went, and informed Lyras of Paul’s request, and he without delay gave the young man a private audience. Taking him kindly by the hand, he led him aside, and bid him speak freely what he had to say: whereupon he informed him of the whole conspiracy, which was ready to be put in execution; and that they were now coming to ask his consent to their request, with regard to the bringing down of Paul before them, under pretence of a more exact enquiry into the charges laid against him: the young man therefore humbly begs, that he will not yield to them in this matter. The chief captain, with a solemn injunction of secrecy, hereupon disinclined him, engaging to take effectual care of Paul. Note. (1.) The Lord often wonderfully brings to light the hidden things of darkness, and lays open by strange methods the deep designs of bloody conspirators. (2.) It is a high commendation to men of rank who are in office, to be easy of access, and not proudly to disregard their poor factors. (3.) Secrecy is often most essential to the success of our affairs.

12. Lyras immediately took the most effectual method to prevent this horrid assassination; and fearing left, if he kept Paul in the castle, their madness might hurry them to some dreadful outrage, or to attempt by one method or other to compels his death, he called two centurions, and bid them get two hundred soldiers, and as many spearmans, with seventy horsemen, ready to march to Cefarea by nine o’clock that evening; and to provide knights, one or more, for Paul’s use, or perhaps for some of his companions who might chuse to attend him, and deliver him up safe to Felix the governor; treating the prisoner with all possible respect, and desirous thus to rescue him from the hands of the conspirators.

13. With the prisoner he sent the following letter. Claudius Lyras was the most excellent Felix, sordeth growing, wishing him all prosperity. This man, whom I have lent, was taken of the Jesus, as a tumultuous manner, and would have been killed by them, had I not interposed. Then, hearing of the riot which was made, I came with an army to quell the disturbance, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman citizen. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, willing to give the matter an impartial hearing, I brought him forth into their council, to know what they had to say against him, whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing really criminal said to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me, how that the Jesus laid wait for the man to assassinate him, to prevent so bad a deed, I sent throughout to thee, referring the whole matter to your Excellency’s cognizance; and gave commandment to his accusers also, to say before thee what they had against him, as a more competent judge, and fitter to decide on this matter. Foresight.

14. The soldiers under the command of the centurions at night departed, and before morning had brought Paul safe to Anti-parity; when, being out of danger, the soldiers and spearmans returned, and left the seventy horfe to conduct him to Cefarea, who on their arrival delivered the letter to the governor, and presented the prisoner before him. When Felix had perused the contents, he asked Paul of what province he was; and having understood that he belonged to Cilicia, I will hear thee, said he, when thine accuses are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment-hall, assigning him an apartment in the par- Vol. II.

lace; and, though under confinement, permitting his friends to visit him without restraint.