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Thursday, July 13, 2023

Acts 22:22-23:11 Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship = July 13

Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship
Acts 22:22-23:11

Intro Questions

#God                                    #People    #Time         #Place        #Obedient faith            #Sin             #Key Idea


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.”

 


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#Paul
#the tribune
#centurion
#the Jews
# Ananias – high priest
#Sadducees
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Places
#barracks
#Jerusalem
#Rome

Topics
#Citizenship
#Dissension between Pharisees and Sadducees
God standing by Paul
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CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTHORITIES ACTS 23–26

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.


Usurpation of High Priest—Still others have suggested that Ananias usurped the position of High Priest and Paul suggested that he did not actually belong.






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