The Acts of the Apostles: Chapter 23a
Author: Steve Amato
Description: Paul's Trial before the Sanhedrin
Keywords: bible study,acts,paul,jerusalem,trial,sanhedrin

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# Acts 23:12-35 (web)
## Paul's Rescue 23:12 When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy. 23:14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. 23:15 Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near." 23:16 But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul. 23:17 Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him." 23:18 So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you." 23:19 The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?" 23:20 He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him. 23:21 Therefore don't yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you." 23:22 So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me." 23:23 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night {about 9:00 PM}." 23:24 He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. 23:25 He wrote a letter like this: 23:26 "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. 23:27 "This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 23:28 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council. 23:29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 23:30 When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell." 23:31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 23:32 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks. 23:33 When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 23:34 When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, 23:35 "I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive." He commanded that he be kept in Herod's palace.
# Comments vs 12-13 I wonder if these guys starved themselves to death after Paul was rescued! (Not likely) For they bound themselves with an oath. But anyone willing to commit murder would probably think little of swearing falsely. Here we see also that Paul certainly would not have gotten a fair trial. For the Jewish officials already condemned him without a trial. vs 16-22 By God's sovereignty, Paul's nephew got word of the plan. Obviously he didn't take a hostile view towards his uncle, but may in fact have become a Christian. It may have not been purely by chance that he heard, but rather he was keep his eye out for such conspiracies, knowing the devious nature of the Jewish leadership in their hostility against Christians. vs 23-35 The need of so many troups indicates the countryside was in virtual anarchy, which eventually would lead to the destruction of Jerusalem. Felix was the Roman governor in charge of Judea, though his wife was Jewish. But Paul was from Cilicia outside of Judea.

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