Paul's Two-Year Time in Caesarea
Paul and
the Roman Tribune
22Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said,
“Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23And as they were shouting and throwing off their
cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24the tribune ordered him to be brought into
the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find
out why they were shouting against him like
this. 25But when they had stretched him out for the whips,d Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it
lawful for you to flog a man who is a
Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this
man is a Roman citizen.” 27So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me,
are you a Roman citizen?” And he
said, “Yes.” 28The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29So those who were about to examine him withdrew
from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that
Paul was a Roman citizen and that he
had bound him.
Paul
Before the Council
30But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was
being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the
chief priests and all the council to meet,
and he brought Paul down and
set him before them.
Chapter 23
1And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in
all good conscience up to this day.” 2And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “God is
going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be
struck?” 4Those who
stood by said, “Would you revile God’s
high priest?” 5And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high
priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not
speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6Now when Paul
perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is
with respect to the hope and the
resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7And when
he had said this, a dissension arose
between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8For the Sadducees say that there is no
resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9Then a great clamor arose, and some
of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up
and contended sharply, “We find nothing
wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10And when
the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by
them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take
him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11The
following night the Lord stood by
him and said, “Take
courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
By Mark Scott & Mark E. Moore
I.
Ananias, the
High Priest:
1.
Held office
48–59 A.D.
2.
He was insolent
and quick-tempered.
3.
He was hated by
the Jews for his pro-Roman leanings.
4.
Known for
liberal use of violence.
5.
Confiscated
temple tithes.
6.
Rebelled in 66 A.D., was sought
and assassinated by the Jews.
II.
Antonius Felix
(cf. Josephus, Wars, 2.12.8–18.7; Antiquities, 20.7.1–8.9):
1.
Born and raised
as a slave in Caesar's house. Freed by
Antonia, mother of Claudius.
2.
His brother,
Pallas, became a favorite advisor the Emperor Claudius. Thus Felix became the
"corrupt favorite" of Claudius.
3.
Through Pallas'
influence, Felix became the governor of the land extending from Jerusalem up to
Cilicia, including Tarsus and Antioch.
i.
Appointed to
rule Samaria in 48 A.D.
ii.
Appointed to
govern Judea in 52 A.D.
4.
Insurrections
and anarchy increased during his rule.
5.
Tacitus
described him as, "A master of cruelty and lust who exercised the powers
of a king with the spirit of a slave" (Annals,
XII. 54; History, V. 9).
6.
Nero recalled
him in A.D. 59.
7.
He married two
women named Drusilla and in between these he married a princess:
i.
Drusilla #1:
Granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra.
ii.
Drusilla #2:
Daughter of Herod Agrippa I.
(1)
At 15 she
married King Azizus of Emesa, a petty state of Syria.
(2)
At 16 she
married Felix, influenced by a Cypriot magician named Atmos.
(3)
During Paul's
trial she is about 20. III. Drusilla:
1.
Daughter of
Herod Agrippa I and sister of Agrippa II.
2.
As a teenager
she married Azizus.
3.
She was captivated
by Felix' ruthlessness and power.
4.
She wanted
power and saw marriage to Felix as a way to climb the political ladder.
5.
Perhaps her
conscience got the best of her—Acts 24:25.
IV. Festus:
1. Began rule in
60 A.D. Died in
62 A.D.
2. While he seems
antagonistic towards Paul in Acts, the sources are kind to this ruler.
3. He desires to
be a more just ruler than Felix. This is
evident in how swiftly he goes to Jerusalem. V. Herod Agrippa II:
1.
The son of
Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12); he was 17 when is father died.
2.
Ruled with the
status of a king for about 30 years; also controlled the temple.
3.
Did have Jewish
blood, which could prove to be an advantage.
4.
His sister,
Bernice, lived with him. Some accused
them of being incestuously involved (Tacitus, Hist. 2.2; Suetonius, Titus 7;
Dio Cassius, 65.15; 66:18).
VI. Bernice:
1.
Sister of Herod
Agrippa II.
2.
Was known as a
bed-hopper.
She
was the Jewish Cleopatra and the mistress of Titus, the Roman general.
Paul vs. the High Priest (Acts 23:5)
Paul replied, Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‗Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.‘
1.
Irony—"I did
not know that the high priest acted in such a manner.‖
2.
Apology—"I'm
sorry. I spoke in haste."
3.
Change in
Priests—There were 28 high priests between 37 – 70 A.D. Perhaps
because he had been away for so long he was not aware of the most recent change
in the high priest.
4.
Wrong
Setting—Because Lysias had called this meeting, perhaps the Ananias
did not have time to put on the proper robes of the high priest or was not
sitting in the proper position.
5.
Vision—some have
suggested that the room was dark and/or Paul's poor eyesight hindered him from
seeing who it was who commanded the beating.
