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OPEN BOOK – HINTS FROM THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS: THE PLOT

Caesarea

BRUCE C WEARNE, in his examination of Acts, looks at how Luke exposed the plot against Paul amid a background of corruption…

That evening the Lord Himself stood by him saying, “Take courage. Just as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome.”
     When it was day, Jews came together and plotted, binding themselves by an oath to neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. This involved more than 40 conspirators. They consulted with the chief priests and elders saying, “We have strictly bound ourselves by oath [by which to fail is to be cursed] and we are to taste no food till we have killed Paul. We want you, along with the council, to petition the tribune and bring him down to you, to make it look as though you are going to determine his case more exactly. We are ready and will kill him before he gets near.”
     Now the son of Paul’s sister heard about their ambush plans. That’s why he went to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander. He has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” The commander took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, to make it look as though they are holding a more detailed inquiry. But do not grant their request; 40 of their men lie in ambush, having bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the signal that you are coming.”
     So the commander let the young man go with this strict instruction, “Tell no one that you have informed me of this”. Then he called two of the centurions and said, “At nine o’clock I want you to have two hundred soldiers ready with 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen to head off for Caesarea. Provide a mount for Paul to ride, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” And this is the letter he wrote: “Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the Governor Felix: Greeting. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with my soldiers to rescue him, putting him in safe custody having learned of his Roman status. And desiring to know the charge on which they accused him, I brought him down to their council. I have ascertained that he is accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was disclosed to me that a plot had been hatched against this fellow, I have forthwith sent him on to you, ordering his accusers to state before you what they have against him.”
     So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. And on the morrow they returned to the barracks, leaving the horsemen to go on with him. It was when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the Governor, that they presented Paul before him. On reading the letter he asked to what province he belonged. When he learned he was from Cilicia he said, “I will hear you when your accusers arrive.” And he ordered that he be guarded in Herod’s praetorium. – Acts 23:11-35/transilteration by Bruce C Wearne

Caesarea 

OFF TO CAESAREA: Paul was taken from Jerusalem to Caesarea (part of the ruins of which are pictured) where he was presented to the Governor Antonius Felix. PICTURE: DerHexer, Wikimedia CommonsCC-by-sa 4.0

IN A NUTSHELL
A plot to murder Paul is uncovered and he is then sent “priority paid” to Felix in Caesarea. 

In this account Luke tells us that Paul’s life, once again, was spared. The danger was mitigated. Paul had already exercised considerable leverage as a Roman citizen, but now his nephew was busy exposing the murderous plot.

The tribune was informed and an executive decree transferred Paul to Caesarea. We are not told what happened, if anything, to the plotters. But Luke  tells us that Paul had been given Jesus’ personal encouragement once more. He also tells us that the tribune’s report to Felix avoided mentioning the initial contact with Paul when Paul, the citizen, had been improperly bound and prepared for scourging. The tribune claims to have rescued Paul because he was a Roman!

Luke tells us that this is a selective reporting of events. It coincides with an exposé of how the Sanhedrin were manipulated by behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing which would have made it captive to the treachery of the Zealot faction. That was political corruption. The chief priest had violated the Old Testament by cursing one who was a leader of the people. The Sanhedrin had conspired with the Zealots and the tribune cooked the books in his letter to Felix. In the midst of this corruption, Luke’s reference to Paul’s nephew is full of intrigue. Who was this lad? How did he come by this information? Was he a student in the school of the Pharisees? 

 

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