Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Acts Chapter 23 mean?

In Acts 23, Paul is between two difficult situations, where the solution to the first leads him into something even more dangerous. In English, this is referred to using the expression “out of the frying pan and into the fire.” While Paul had been working to prove that devotion to Jesus did not eliminate his Jewish-ness, Jews from the province of Asia wrongly accused him of bringing a Gentile into the temple. Some of the crowd heard the accusations and started beating Paul while the rest of the crowd heard nothing and joined in the melee for no reason. The Roman tribune tried to uncover why the Jews have suddenly rioted by letting their victim speak. This made the mob even angrier, and the tribune had to arrest Paul to keep him safe. Once Paul was officially in custody, the tribune ordered the centurion to beat the truth out of him, not realizing Paul was a Roman citizen. Even tying Paul’s hands was against the Roman law. Paul told the centurion, who informed the tribune, about his citizenship, and Paul was not examined by flogging. Instead, the tribune decided to take Paul to the Sanhedrin; maybe the Jewish leaders could explain (Acts 21:27—22:30).

Acts 23:1–11 records the fiasco that is the meeting with the Sanhedrin. Paul begins as he usually does by sincerely trying to bring Jews to understand Jesus is their Messiah. He seems to underestimate their hostility, however. He tries to defend his honor and they strike him. Incredulous, he accuses them of breaking the Mosaic law but, possibly because of his poor eyesight, he winds up deriding the high priest. He quickly realizes they’re not going to listen to him, so he sets them against each other. He identifies himself as a Pharisee who believes in the resurrection of the dead. Most of the Sanhedrin are Sadducees who do not believe in a physical resurrection. The two factions turn violent, and the tribune takes Paul away for his safety. That night, Jesus tells Paul he will go to Rome.

In Acts 23:12–22, the Sanhedrin show just how unwelcome Paul is in Jerusalem. Paul’s nephew overhears a murder plot made by devout Jews and supported by the chief priests and elders. He reports to Paul who tells him to speak with the tribune. The tribune swears the boy to secrecy.

Acts 23:23–35 begins Paul’s two-year stay in Caesarea Maritima. Needing to protect Paul from the assassination plot, the tribune sends him with two centurions, two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to the governor’s capital. He includes a letter saying the Jews attacked Paul—but he can’t figure out why. Governor Felix tells Paul he will hold him until his accusers arrive and the trial begins.

In Acts 24, Felix proves to be both intelligent and corrupt. He hears the Sanhedrin’s accusations and Paul’s defense and, knowing about Christianity, realizes there’s no charge against Paul that will stick. Even so, he decides he will profit more if he keeps Paul under house arrest. First, it will please the Jewish leaders; second, Paul may offer him a bribe. He tells Paul he will hold him until the tribune arrives with his evidence, but the tribune never comes. Two years later, when Porcius Festus is made governor, Paul is still under house arrest.

Chapter Context
Jews from near Ephesus accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple and incited a crowd to attack him. The tribune saved Paul but couldn’t uncover the reason for the violence; most of the mob didn’t know, and Paul was a Roman citizen, so the tribune couldn’t beat the truth out of him (Acts 21—22). When the Sanhedrin would rather murder Paul than talk to him, the tribune sends Paul to the governor. The governor holds Paul without charges for so long he invokes his right to a trial before Caesar. The governor agrees, and Paul finally gets to Rome (Acts 24—28).

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”

To Paul, truth is always more important than politics. He is standing in front of the Sanhedrin—the Jewish council that regulates and enforces the Jewish religion. He’s there because the tribune, a Roman army officer, wants to know why a mob attacked him in the temple (Acts 21:27–31). Paul isn’t concerned about the tribune. He’s much more interested in the fact that, perhaps for the first time since before he was saved, he can make his case before the ruling council of his people.

The last recorded time Paul met with members of the Sanhedrin was when he received permission to track down Jewish Christians outside Judea and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial (Acts 9:1–2). These were once his people and so he calls them “brothers.” He is a Pharisee, trained by the famous rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). It has been a while, but they know him.

That is, they used to know him. During that trip to arrest Jesus-followers, Paul met Jesus and dedicated his life to Him (Acts 9:1–19). Paul loves Jews and wants all Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah (Romans 9:1–5). That’s why whenever he enters a new city he goes to the synagogue first (Acts 9:20; 13:1414:1; 17:1, 10; 18:4; 19:8). He will not waste this opportunity to speak to the Jewish leaders and, if possible, bring them to Christ.

First, he wants to affirm his integrity. Though he’s been accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple and is in Roman custody (Acts 21:27–36), that doesn’t mean he’s broken the Jewish law. He will affirm his blamelessness both to Governors Felix (Acts 24:16) and Festus (Acts 25:8). He has already told the Corinthians, “For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me” (1 Corinthians 4:4).

That’s not how the Sanhedrin sees things. The last time they saw Paul, he was zealously fighting the upstart sect that threatened the purity of their religion. Now, he’s a major evangelist of that sect. They’re offended that he claims to have a good conscience before God.

Paul’s words end the meeting before it begins. The high priest has him struck. In response, Paul accidentally insults the high priest and then gets sarcastic with him. Realizing they’re not going to listen to him and that he needs to get the attention off himself, Paul sets the Pharisees and Sadducees against each other (Acts 23:9).

The tribune takes him back to the barracks, no better informed than when they came (Acts 23:10).

Context Summary
Acts 23:1–11 records a Roman military tribune’s last effort to uncover why a mob attacked Paul. The crowd dragged him out of the temple and beat him mercilessly (Acts 21:27–33). The tribune asks the Sanhedrin for help, but there are too many divisions. The Sanhedrin can’t abide Christians. Paul can’t fathom their rejection of Jesus. The Sadducees and Pharisees quickly fall into an old fight about the resurrection of the dead. The tribune takes Paul back to the barracks where, that night, Jesus tells Paul he’s on his way to Rome.

Verse 2. And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

The Roman tribune has brought Paul before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, to ask them why a mob attacked Paul in the temple. Unfortunately, the tribune loses control of the situation the moment Paul opens his mouth.

Paul will welcome any opportunity to tell fellow Jews about Jesus; and he’s going to take advantage of this meeting with the rulers of his people. He starts by insisting on his innocence before God (Acts 23:1). The Sanhedrin knows who he is: a devout Jew with great zeal for the Law who converted to Christianity (Acts 9:1–2). So, the high priest has Paul struck for his impudence.

Paul responds by calling the man who gave the order a “whitewashed wall.” Either because he doesn’t know who is currently serving as high priest, or because his vision is poor, Paul doesn’t realize the man behind the attack is the high priest (Acts 23:3–4). When he finds out, he sarcastically apologizes, saying, “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people” (Acts 23:5).

It’s possible Paul is being sarcastic because of Ananias’ reputation as a particularly corrupt high priest. He steals tithes meant for lower-ranking priests and uses violence, including assassinations, to get what he wants. Here, as yet another example, he has Paul struck before convicting him of a crime.

The priest Ananias, who served from AD 47 to 58, is the son of Nedebaeus. He is not the husband of Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11) nor the disciple in Damascus who brought Paul to Christ (Acts 9:10–19).

Verse 3. Then 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?”

The Sanhedrin is interrogating Paul, because the Roman tribune wants to know why he was attacked in the temple. The Roman official hopes the Jewish religious leaders can lend some insight. It isn’t going well. Paul’s not interested in the mob attack. He’s focused on bringing the members of the Sanhedrin to accept Jesus as their Messiah. He starts by insisting on his innocence. The Sanhedrin considers him a heretic, however, and the high priest has him struck (Acts 23:1–2).

Paul is startled, insulted, and indignant. This is not a criminal trial and he has not been convicted; they have no right to punish him. Deuteronomy 25:1–3 says a person may be beaten only if they are convicted of a crime. The comparison to a “whitewashed wall” is probably related to Jesus’ description of the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27). Both metaphors refer to someone who looks respectable on the outside but is corrupt and rotten on the inside.

Apparently, Paul doesn’t know that the authority behind the blow is the high priest Ananias. Some scholars posit it has been so long since Paul was in Jerusalem he didn’t know which of the men before him is the high priest. Others think the “thorn” in his flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7) is continued eyesight problems from when he first saw Jesus (Acts 9:3–9). When he is told, he semi-apologizes, inferring he didn’t know because Ananias wasn’t acting like a high priest (Acts 23:5).

Verse 4. Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God ‘s high priest?”

Everywhere Paul goes, he starts at the synagogue and explains how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures. After a few weeks, invariably several Gentiles and a few Jews will believe him, but the leadership won’t. Sometimes the leadership beats him (Acts 14:19), but usually they drive him out of the synagogue, and he and the new believers start a new church (Acts 18:4–7).

Here in Jerusalem, Paul has an opportunity to present Jesus to the Sanhedrin, the religious leaders of Judaism, but he doesn’t get past his initial opening remark before his audience orders him struck (Acts 23:1–3).

Years before, Paul and the Sanhedrin enjoyed a more comfortable relationship. Paul had been trained by the famous Pharisee rabbi Gamaliel, one of the most respected members of the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:34; 22:3). Paul voluntarily became the Sanhedrin’s enforcer, arresting Jesus-following Jews first in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and then farther north into Syria (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2).

During one such trip, however, Jesus appeared to Paul (Acts 9:3–5). Paul now understands that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and the Son of God, and that worshiping Him is the fulfillment of Judaism. Because of this, he can claim a clear conscience before God (Acts 23:1). The council, however, considers this heresy.

The high priest Ananias has Paul struck (Acts 23:2). Paul responds by calling him a “whitewashed wall:” appearing respectable but filled with mold on the inside (Acts 23:3).

When Paul learns whom he has insulted, he says he didn’t know (Acts 23:5). Ananias is known to history as a violent, greedy ruler not above using assassination to get what he wants. His order to strike Paul is illegal as Paul isn’t even on trial, let alone convicted of a crime (Deuteronomy 25:1–3). Some say Paul didn’t know Ananias gave the order because his eyesight had gone bad; others think he did know but is sarcastically saying he didn’t think a high priest would act against the law.

Verse 5. And 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.’”

Paul has just learned that he disrespected the high priest. Paul had told the Sanhedrin his conscience is clear. The high priest, knowing Paul had been a devout Jew but now follows Jesus, ordered him struck. Paul responded by comparing him to a whitewashed wall: clean on the inside and rotten on the inside. Those standing closest to Paul tell him he’s talking to the high priest (Acts 23:1–4). Paul quotes Exodus 22:28: “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”

Scholars debate as to what Paul knew and when. Some think he had been away from Jerusalem for so long he didn’t know who was serving as high priest. Others think he suffered a permanent vision disruption at his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3–18). Still others think he knew exactly what he was doing and is responding sarcastically.

If Paul doesn’t know Ananias is high priest, his comment here may be sincere, but even then, it’s highly likely Paul is being sarcastic. The strike was illegal; Paul isn’t on trial and hasn’t been convicted of anything, so they have no legal right to beat him (Deuteronomy 25:1–3). His sarcasm would imply that, surely, a high priest wouldn’t break the Mosaic law! This one would and does regularly. Ananias steals the support meant for the younger priests and uses violence and murder when it serves his purposes. If Paul knows this, he’s saying Ananias has no right to be a ruler of the people.

At this point, Paul realizes any chance to introduce the Sanhedrin to Jesus is gone. He also needs to divert their attention so they forget what he’s said to the high priest. He realizes the council is made of Pharisees, who believe in the resurrection of the dead, and Sadducees, who don’t. He loudly declares he is a Pharisee and the charge of heresy simmering just under the surface is the message of resurrection. The Pharisees immediately defend him while the Sadducees declare their horror at such a thought. Before long, the two sides are literally fighting and the tribune takes Paul away before they tear him apart (Acts 23:6–10).

Verse 6. Now 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.”

The Roman tribune wants to know why a mob of Jews attacked Paul in the temple (Acts 21:27–34). He brings Paul before the Sanhedrin hoping the Jewish religious leaders have some insight. Paul tries to tell the Sanhedrin about Jesus. Before he can begin, he finds himself in an argument with the corrupt high priest (Acts 23:1–5). Paul realizes he’s not going to get a fair trial, let alone an opportunity to reach these people for Christ, so he changes tactics and instigates a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Even so, Paul’s strategy gives the Pharisees something legitimate to think about. Pharisees can become Christians while remaining Pharisees: men staunchly committed to following the Law of Moses. However, in practice, they often struggle to fully accept grace and abandon their inflated sense of self-worth (Galatians 6:12–13). Sadducees, on the other hand, must give up a main tenet of their faith; they believe there is no bodily resurrection from the dead.

This “hope” has a couple of different facets. Paul will tell King Agrippa that the hope is the fulfillment of God’s promises to the Israelites given in the Old Testament (Acts 26:6–8); this includes the salvation of the Gentiles (Genesis 12:3). Paul tells the church in Corinth resurrection from the dead is necessary for the prophecies to be fulfilled (1 Corinthians 15:3–5). Jesus’ resurrection and glorification shows us what His followers can expect after death.

The ultimate hope of the Jews is in God’s promise of a Messiah who will lead them to a peaceful, affluent land. This will happen in the millennial kingdom. Those faithful Jews who die before then will still experience God’s blessing in their resurrected bodies.

All of this most likely goes over the heads of the Sadducees. They’re more interested in defending the honor of their high priest and re-engaging in the continued war about the resurrection with the Pharisees. Before long, the two sides are fighting and the tribune grabs Paul and retreats to the barracks (Acts 23:10).

Verse 7. And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

The Sanhedrin was the council which regulated the practice of Judaism. It was comprised of priests, elders, and scribes: religious leaders, respected community leaders, and experts in the Mosaic law. Most of the members, and almost all the priests, belonged to the sect of the Sadducees. They followed the Mosaic law only—the first five books of Scripture with no additional regulations—and they learned to use the Roman occupation to their advantage. The Pharisees also followed the Oral Law, which their scribes claimed came from Moses, in addition to the written Law in the Pentateuch. Their validation comes from the people who saw them as great religious leaders. Both Jesus and John the Baptist criticized both sects (Matthew 3:7; 16:6–12).

The theological beliefs of the two sides directly influence their lifestyles. Sadducees, who tended to be wealthy and got along with the Romans, believed there is no resurrection from the dead. To their thinking, any blessings God gives will come in this lifetime, so a person needs to get their benefits now. Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead. They liked power and money, but they didn’t want to risk their chance for more power and riches in the afterlife, so they followed extra-biblical rules and disapproved of the Romans.

When Paul winds up defending himself in front of the Sanhedrin and then accidentally insulting the high priest, he uses the distinctions between the Pharisees and Sadducees to draw attention away from himself. He announces that he is a Pharisee and the message his accusers find hard to handle is the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:1–6).

Paul’s plan works. The Pharisees declare there’s nothing wrong with Paul. The Sadducees disagree. As the two sides come to blows, Paul is still caught in the middle and the tribune must rescue him again (Acts 23:8–10).

Verse 8. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

Paul is using theological differences between Sadducees and Pharisees to make them forget he insulted their high priest. The Roman tribune brought Paul before the Sanhedrin, hoping the religious council could tell him why a mob of Jews dragged Paul from the temple and beat him (Acts 21:27–34). Paul has a different goal. He wants to tell the religious leaders about Jesus. He’s barely begun when the high priest has Paul struck and he responds by calling the priest a whitewashed wall. When Paul finds out who had him struck, he obliquely calls the high priest corrupt…which he is (Acts 23:1–5).

Quickly, Paul realizes everything is going downhill. Yet he also realizes the consequences don’t all need to land on him. He declares that he is a Pharisee and that he is on trial for affirming the resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees believe in the resurrection, but the Sadducees don’t. They start fighting, and the tribune has no option but to withdraw with Paul in tow (Acts 23:6–7).

The belief that resurrection from the dead is part of the Messianic message came about after the exile to Babylon; there’s almost no clear resurrection theology in the Old Testament, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Jesus explained this to the Sadducees shortly before His crucifixion. God told Moses He “is” the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not that He “was” their God. He cannot be the God of the dead (Mark 12:26–27).

Verse 9. Then 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?”

In Jerusalem, Paul was falsely accused, both of bringing a Gentile into the temple and of teaching Jews they didn’t need to circumcise their sons. He was dragged from the temple by a mob and beaten (Acts 21:20–21, 28–32). The Roman tribune saved him by arresting him but needs to know what happened and why. The mob doesn’t know (Acts 21:33–34). He can’t beat the truth from Paul because Paul’s a Roman citizen (Acts 22:22–29). So, the tribune has brought Paul to the Sanhedrin to see if they can enlighten him (Acts 22:30).

Paul tries to steer the meeting towards Jesus, so he can convince the Jewish leaders to follow Christ. As soon as he opens his mouth, he and the high priest get into a disagreement. Realizing nothing good is going to come of the situation, Paul declares—truthfully—that he is a Pharisee. He further says all the animosity is because he preaches the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:1–7). This is a standard belief of the Pharisees, and their lawyers come to his defense.

The whole thing is rather confusing. It’s unclear who originally accused Paul of teaching Jews they didn’t need to circumcise their sons, but this is a long-standing issue between him and some of the Jesus-following Pharisees. Paul never taught this; he told the Gentile believers they didn’t need to follow the Mosaic law, not the Jews—in fact, he circumcised Timothy whose mother was Jewish (Acts 15:1–5; 16:1–3).

The accusation that Paul brought a Gentile in to the temple was a faulty assumption of Jews from the province of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey who saw a Gentile they knew from Ephesus with Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:29). Neither of these accusations have anything to do with the resurrection of the dead.

The Pharisees’ suggestion that a spirit or angel spoke to Paul is probably in reference to Paul’s defense before the crowd wherein he says after he saw Jesus near Damascus, he returned to Jerusalem and fell into a trance. Jesus told him to leave Jerusalem because the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him (Acts 22:17–21). But, again, this has nothing to do with the resurrection of the dead.

In fact, the only audience that dismissed Paul’s teaching about the dead rising was the Greek philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:31–32). There’s no indication that his Asian accusers even cared. The Sanhedrin does care, however, if that “resurrection” is of Jesus (Acts 4:18; 5:40). It looks like Paul is only bringing it up because he knows it will set the Pharisees and Sadducees in the Sanhedrin against each other and they’ll forget about how he insulted the high priest. The two groups do fall into bickering, but then they conspire to have Paul killed (Acts 23:10, 12–15).

Verse 10. And 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.

The Roman army tribune of Jerusalem had to rescue Paul from a murderous mob on the temple mount. He wants to know why (Acts 21:30–34). He’s brought Paul to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, to hear their point of view. It’s a good idea as they’re in charge of the religion and the culture of the Jews. But, they’re no match for Paul.

Paul begins by defending his integrity so they will listen to his witness about Jesus. The council finds his presumed righteousness offensive and has him struck. Paul notes their hypocrisy of punishing a man who has not been convicted of a crime and calls his attacker a “whitewashed wall.” Bystanders point out Paul just insulted Ananias, the high priest. Paul responds with a sarcastic but well-deserved comment about Ananias’ integrity (Acts 23:1–5).

When it’s evident Paul is not going to be able to share about Jesus, he incites a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead. The two groups fall into his trap and start fighting. The poor tribune has already learned he can’t understand Paul and he can’t beat him (Acts 22:1–29); now he knows he can’t control him. By manipulating the Sanhedrin, Paul has shown the tribune that, like in Corinth, the disagreement is “a matter of questions about words and names and [the Jews’] own law” (Acts 18:15). The tribune realizes Paul hasn’t broken the law and takes him back to the barracks to regroup.

The next day, Paul’s nephew overhears a group conspire with the chief priests and elders to lure Paul into the open and kill him. When the boy tells the tribune, the army officer gives up. He sends Paul away in the middle of the night to the governor in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:12–35).

“Tribune” is a title for different offices. They could be tasked with administration and logistics or with leading military units. Their primary job was to protect the poor as well as the rich non-citizens from the aristocrats. In this case, he’s protecting Paul from the magistrates of Jerusalem. The “barracks” refers to the Antonia Fortress built on the northwest corner of the temple mount by Herod the Great and named after Mark Antony.

Verse 11. The 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.”

When Jesus visited Ananias in Damascus—an entirely different person from the priest mentioned in this passage—and told him about Paul, He said, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Paul didn’t spend a lot of time in Jerusalem after that; he visited (Acts 9:26–30; 15; Galatians 2:1–10), but the Jewish leaders considered his conversion heresy and wanted to kill him (Acts 22:17–21).

To this point, Paul has testified to Jews and Gentiles. Whenever he enters a new city, he begins by preaching in the Jewish synagogue (Acts 9:20; 13:14; 14:1; 17:1, 10; 18:4; 19:8). Often, the synagogues will include several Gentiles who want to worship the Jewish God. Typically, as in Corinth, some of the Jews and most of the Gentiles will believe him, and when the synagogue leaders push Paul out, they will all leave and start a new church (Acts 18:4–7).

Paul testified about Jesus in Jerusalem the day prior to this vision. He was attacked by a mob, some of whom thought he brought a Gentile into the temple but most of whom just wanted a melee. The Roman tribune arrested him but didn’t know what was going on. He allowed Paul to address the crowd in the temple courtyard (Acts 21:27–40). Paul used that opportunity to explain how he had persecuted Jesus-followers all the way to Damascus in Syria. Before he reached the city, Jesus of Nazareth appeared to him in a great light. Paul became a Jesus-follower that day (Acts 9:1–19; 22:3–16).

In two years, Paul will fulfill the rest of Jesus’ promise, standing before Herod Agrippa II and telling the story of his conversion (Acts 26).

Paul has wanted to go to Rome for a long time. It is the heart of the Empire, and he knows the Jews, Gentiles, and leaders there all need Jesus. Now, Jesus tells him he’s on his way. It won’t be direct, however. Paul will escape an assassination attempt and be held under house arrest in Caesarea Maritima for two years. Then he will go on a dangerous sea voyage that will include a fierce storm (Acts 27:13–38), a shipwreck (Acts 27:39–44), and a viper (Acts 28:3–6). Eventually, however, Paul will reach Rome (Acts 28:16).

Verse 12. When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

When the New Testament uses the phrase “the Jews,” it typically means Jewish spiritual leaders, like the scribes. It’s unclear who exactly is meant in this passage, although it may be the Jews from around Ephesus who accused Paul in the temple (Acts 21:27–29). Zealous Jews from this same region were responsible for Stephen’s death (Acts 6:9). Despite living in modern-day Turkey, they are passionate for Judaism and consider Christianity heresy.

After their accusation and attack on Paul, the Roman tribune intervened (Acts 21:30–34) and eventually took Paul to the Sanhedrin for a formal investigation. The meeting was eventful but unproductive as Paul insulted the high priest and caused a fight (Acts 23:1–11). The forty Jews find the Sanhedrin willing partners in their plot; they even try to implicate the tribune by asking him to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin so they can ambush him along the way (Acts 23:13–15).

Throughout his ministry, Paul develops a relatively good relationship with Roman military members. In large part, this is likely due to his citizenship. The tribune has already rescued Paul from a murderous mob at the temple and the Sanhedrin who tried to tear Paul apart. A centurion prevented Paul from being scourged and another will stop soldiers who want to kill Paul during a storm (Acts 22:25–26; 27:42–43). When Paul finally gets to Rome, he will be chained to a series of soldiers who will bring his message about Jesus to Caesar’s personal guard (Philippians 4:22). Now, thanks to Paul’s nephew who hears about the conspiracy, the tribune will rescue Paul again by sending him to the governor in Caesarea Maritima. Paul will stay there under house arrest for two years before he can make his way to Rome (Acts 23:23–24; 24:27; 28:16).

Oaths are common in the Old Testament and typically take the form of “May God do to me and more also if I don’t…” (Ruth 1:17; 1 Samuel 3:17; 14:44; 1 Kings 19:2). Fulfilling a vow was a matter of honor, but there were circumstances in which a vow could be excused. The Mishnah Nedarim 3 says, “Four types of vows the Sages have invalidated: Vows of incentive, vows of exaggeration, vows in error, and vows [broken] under pressure… Vows [broken] under pressure: if one subjected his neighbor to a vow to eat with him, and then he or his son fell sick, or a river prevented him [from coming] such is a vow [broken] under pressure.” So, if the vow is unfillable because of circumstances beyond the vower’s control, like the tribune sending Paul away, the vow can be broken.

Context Summary
Acts 23:12–22 shows Paul just how unwelcoming Jerusalem can be. False accusations and old religious-political differences have conspired to keep him incarcerated in the Roman barracks. Forty men gain the approval of the Sanhedrin to murder Paul. But Paul’s nephew hears of their plan and tells the Roman tribune. The tribune swears him to secrecy as he makes plans for Paul to go to the governor: a man with higher legal authority and a larger army.

Verse 13. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.

Paul’s life has been marked by violence ever since the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:54–60). At first, he was the perpetrator, hunting Jesus-followers everywhere from Jerusalem to Damascus (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). Once he began his traveling ministry, walking through modern-day Turkey, Macedonia, and Greece to plant churches, he became the victim. In a letter Paul wrote shortly before these events in Acts, he says, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Corinthians 11:24–27).

Paul has returned to Jerusalem to deliver support for the church, but the violence follows him. Jews from the province of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey saw him in the city with a Gentile they know from Ephesus. They later saw Paul in the temple and assumed he had brought Trophimus with him. In response, they incited a mob who tried to kill him (Acts 21:27–36).

The Roman guards rescued Paul by arresting him, but the tribune wanted to know what was really going on. He ordered the centurion to use the standard Roman way of extracting information: scourging. Paul barely escaped by mentioning he is a Roman citizen and they can’t beat him if they haven’t convicted him of a crime (Acts 22:23–29).

The tribune takes Paul to the Sanhedrin to see if they can explain. Paul’s lack of tact led him to insult the high priest, after which the Pharisees and Sadducees set to fighting against each other. The tribune pulled Paul away before he was torn to pieces (Acts 23:1–10).

So, when forty Jews make a vow to kill Paul, neither he nor the tribune can be surprised. The assassins ask for the assistance of the Sanhedrin and lie in wait. Fortunately, Paul’s nephew overhears their plans and tells the tribune. For the third time the tribune rescues Paul, this time by sending him to the governor in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:14–24).

We aren’t told who Paul’s attempted murderers are. They’re possibly his initial accusers, the Jews from Asia (Acts 21:27). In Asia, Paul seems to only have spent significant time in Ephesus. There’s no record of him having a major dispute with the Jews there, but the fallout of his ministry with the magicians and Artemis-worshipers may have made life very uncomfortable for the Jews (Acts 19:11–41).

Verse 14. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.

The Holy Spirit has told Paul that if he goes to Jerusalem he will be arrested (Acts 20:22–23). Jesus has told Paul that he will go to Rome (Acts 23:11). Neither of them told Paul a murder plot would be involved.

Shortly after Paul arrived in Jerusalem, he learned that unknown persons were spreading rumors that he taught Jews they didn’t have to follow the Mosaic law (Acts 21:20–21). About a week later, Jews from the province of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey falsely accused him of bringing a Gentile into the temple. The Roman tribune arrested Paul. This was not for desecrating a religious structure—a capital offense in both the Jewish and Roman law—but because the crowd at the temple was going to kill him (Acts 21:27–36). The next day, Paul insulted the high priest and started a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees (Acts 23:1–10).

So, there are a lot of people in Jerusalem who want Paul dead. Forty Jews have made an oath to see it done (Acts 23:12–13). Their wording is probably along the lines of Old Testament oaths (Ruth 1:17; 1 Samuel 3:17; 14:44; 1 Kings 19:2)—”May God do to me and more also if Paul is not dead before I eat or drink.” The men are identified as “Jews,” which in such contexts usually means Jewish religious leaders. But they go to the Sanhedrin for help; they may be junior members of leadership, like Paul once was, or they may be Paul’s accusers from Asia.

“Elder” is from the Greek root word presbuteros from which we get “presbyter.” In the church, elders are highly qualified men who teach, lead, and set the example for the congregation (1 Timothy 3:1–7). In Jewish life, they were often well-respected businessmen who judged disputes among the people in their cities. Moses further developed the position of elder on the advice of his father-in-law (Exodus 18:13–26). Unlike elder, “chief priest” is not a biblical role. Before the birth of Jesus, the position of priest became highly politicized; some even bought the position from Gentile rulers. A “chief” priest is someone who has a significant amount of political power, often because of family ties.

The conspirators ask the elders and chief priests to tell the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews, to help them by requesting Paul’s presence. When the tribune escorts Paul to the Sanhedrin, the assassins will have their opportunity. They don’t know Paul’s nephew is listening. He tells Paul and the tribune of their plot, and the tribune saves Paul by sending him to the governor in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:15–24).

Verse 15. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

Forty Jews have vowed to kill Paul as soon as possible and are asking the elders and chief priests for help. The text isn’t clear who these Jews are. The term “the Jews” typically means religious leaders, but these assassins are going to the religious leaders for help (Acts 23:12–14). They may be Jews from the province of Asia in modern-day Turkey who accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:27).

After these Jews accused Paul of desecrating the temple, a mob formed and nearly killed him. The Roman tribune heard about the riot and rescued Paul by arresting him. He asked the mob why they were attacking Paul, but most didn’t know (Acts 21:27–36). Attempting to find out more, he allowed Paul to speak to the crowd, but that didn’t help. He then tried to scourge the information out of Paul, but Paul’s Roman citizenship protected him from torture before a proper conviction (Acts 22:1–29).

In a final effort, the tribune took Paul to the Sanhedrin to see if they could explain. Paul had his own agenda which included talking to the Sanhedrin about salvation through Jesus, but with only a few sentences he wound up insulting the high priest and turning the Pharisees and Sadducees against each other (Acts 23:1–10).

If the Sanhedrin promised to behave itself, it’s very likely the tribune would welcome another chance to get these things straightened out. The assassins are also wise in implicating the Sanhedrin: they can devise a charge against Paul that justifies the act. This will prevent them from losing fellowship in the temple.

They don’t know that Paul’s nephew is listening. He reports the plot to Paul who sends him to the tribune. The tribune realizes there’s nothing else he can do except keep Paul safe. He calls on two centurions to assemble a military escort to take Paul to the governor in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:16–24).

Verse 16. Now the son of Paul ‘s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.

Paul is incarcerated in the Antonia Fortress next to the temple mount. He’s being held because a mob dragged him out of the temple and tried to kill him, and the tribune wants to know why (Acts 21:27–32). So far, the tribune has asked the mob (Acts 21:33–34), let Paul speak to the mob (Acts 22:1–21), almost scourged Paul (Acts 22:23–29), and asked the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30). Very soon, representatives of the Sanhedrin will approach the tribune and ask him to bring Paul again. The first time, Paul’s presence resulted in a melee between the Sadducees and the Pharisees (Acts 23:6–10), but the tribune is getting desperate; he’d probably take the opportunity.

He won’t know that the request is a ruse to get Paul out of the barracks and into the open so a group of forty men can assassinate him (Acts 23:12–15). Fortunately, Paul’s nephew does know and tells Paul. Paul sends him to the tribune who promptly and wisely sends Paul out of Jerusalem. The tribune is supposed to keep the peace in Jerusalem, making sure the aristocracy doesn’t take advantage of the poor. This dispute is getting beyond his authority to control. So, he sends Paul with a military escort to the governor (Acts 23:17–24).

The ease with which Paul’s nephew finds him suggests Paul isn’t strictly under arrest but is being held for his own safety until the tribune can figure out what’s going on. Strangely, this is the only mention of Paul’s family other than that his male relations are Pharisees (Acts 23:6).

Verse 17. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.”

Two days prior, Paul went to the temple to fulfill a religious requirement. His intent was to prove his faithfulness as a Jew (Acts 21:20–24). While there, Jews from the province of Asia, making up much of southwest modern-day Turkey, erroneously accused him of letting a Gentile from Ephesus come into the temple. Paul’s accusers incited a mob that tried to kill Paul, but the Roman tribune, a military officer, took Paul into custody for his protection (Acts 21:27–36).

A group of forty Jews—possibly these men from Asia—have made a vow to kill Paul before they eat or drink again. To do so, they’ve enlisted the help of the Sanhedrin who are more than happy to be rid of the man who has been nothing but a thorn in their side ever since he met Jesus. The plan is for the Sanhedrin to ask the tribune to bring Paul to them again, and for the men to assassinate him while he is in transit (Acts 23:12–15).

However, Paul’s nephew hears about their conspiracy and goes to the barracks to tell Paul (Acts 23:16). Paul asks a centurion for help. Throughout his ministry, Paul maintains a seemingly good relationship with members of the Roman military. The tribune has already saved his life twice and now will do so again. One of the centurions stopped Paul from being scourged and another will protect him from being killed during a storm (Acts 22:25–26; 27:42–43). When Paul is under house arrest in Rome, he will lead his guards to Christ (Philippians 4:22).

“Young man” suggests Paul’s nephew is past puberty but not yet old enough to marry. A tribune is typically a minor nobleman, around 27 years old, who takes a turn in the military for career broadening before moving on into politics. Centurions are officers in charge of about 100 legionnaires.

Verse 18. So he took him and brought him to the tribune 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.”

Paul, as a Jew, was circumcised as an infant (Philippians 3:5), raised in Jerusalem, and trained by the famous Pharisee rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He had so much passion for the Mosaic law that he voluntarily hunted Jesus-followers for the Sanhedrin (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2), voting against the Jesus-followers if they did not abandon their faith (Acts 26:10).

Once he met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul’s relationship with the Jewish leadership changed to the point that now the Sanhedrin is conspiring to assassinate him (Acts 23:12–15). In fact, Paul has a better relationship with the Roman military than his former colleagues. The tribune of Jerusalem has already rescued him from the Jews twice (Acts 21:31–32; 23:10) and is about to do so again. One of the centurions posted in Jerusalem had the presence of mind to keep Paul from being flogged (Acts 22:22–29) and another will protect him from being killed during a shipwreck (Acts 27:42–43).

So, when Paul’s nephew hears of the Sanhedrin’s murderous plot, Paul trusts the centurion will take the information to the tribune (Acts 23:12–17). The tribune will validate Paul’s trust, sending him with an escort of two centurions, two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to the relative safety of the governor in Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23:23–24).

Verse 19. The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”

The term “tribune” is a title for different offices. The Tribuni militum oversaw administration and logistics in a military unit and could be called to lead troops in battle. When stationed in a city, his responsibility was to protect the underclass from exploitation by the magistrates. This tribune is stationed at the barracks at the Antonia Fortress on the northern edge of the temple mount in Jerusalem. The position of tribune was a one-year career-broadening assignment, often for young senators.

For the past several days, this tribune has been trying to figure out why a mob of Jews grabbed a man, dragged him out of the temple, and nearly killed him (Acts 21:30–34). His latest attempt was to ask the Jewish ruling council—the Sanhedrin—but they tried to kill his prisoner, as well (Acts 23:1–10). Now a centurion brings a teenage boy into his office with a private message (Acts 23:17–18).

The tribune’s prisoner is Paul, and the young man is his nephew. The Jews at the temple tried to kill Paul because they thought he’d brought a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:27–31). The Sanhedrin tried to dismember him because he set the Pharisees against the Sadducees (Acts 23:1–10). Paul’s nephew is there because he overheard a plot between forty Jews and the Sanhedrin to kill Paul (Acts 23:12–16).

The tribune still doesn’t understand the nuances of why everyone is angry with Paul, but he knows he’s in over his head. He sends Paul to the governor’s capital on the coast with a large military escort, his compliments, and a request that the governor take over the case (Acts 23:23–30).

Verse 20. And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him.

Paul is in the barracks of the Roman army in Jerusalem. While visiting the temple, Jews from modern-day Turkey wrongfully accused him of a crime against both the Mosaic and Roman laws. The Roman tribune took Paul into custody to keep him safe long enough to figure out what is going on (Acts 21:27–33).

Lysias, the tribune, is on his third day of investigating. During the first, he discovered the mob attacking Paul didn’t know why they were doing so (Acts 21:33–34). The tribune let Paul speak to the crowd, but learned nothing from it (Acts 21:37—22:22). Back at the barracks, the tribune planned to beat the information out of Paul—until he found out Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:24–29). The next day, the tribune took Paul to the Sanhedrin, the ruling Jewish council, to ask their perspective. All the tribune learned was that Paul can manipulate national religious leaders into a physical altercation (Acts 23:1–10).

The third day, Paul’s nephew learns that the Sanhedrin is planning to pretend to bring Paul back so they can make a proper investigation. Normally, the tribune would be relieved; he needs to figure out if he should charge Paul with a crime. But Paul’s nephew knows the invitation is a ruse. Forty zealous Jews plan on killing Paul on his way to the meeting (Acts 23:12–16). The young man warns the tribune. As law enforcement, the tribune has to protect Paul anyway, but since Paul is a Roman citizen he is doubly responsible for Paul’s safety.

The tribune acts quickly. He swears the boy to secrecy and makes plans to “rescue” Paul by sending him to Caesarea Maritima, to the governor (Acts 23:22–24). He then conveniently forgets to attend the trial (Acts 24:22). Paul stays under house-arrest for two years before finally sailing to Rome (Acts 24:27).

Verse 21. But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”

A young man, Paul’s nephew, is before the local Roman tribune, warning him of a plot to kill Paul. The tribune—Lysias—rescued Paul from a crowd trying to kill him (Acts 21:30–34). Lysias has spent the last three days trying to figure out if Paul is at fault and should be in prison. He has already taken Paul to the Sanhedrin once and learned nothing except that Paul is smarter than the Jewish ruling council (Acts 23:1–10). Lysias would probably welcome an opportunity to return if he could get to the bottom of the issue.

Unbeknownst to Lysias, the Sanhedrin is about to offer such an invitation. The Sanhedrin, in turn, don’t know that Paul’s nephew knows their request is part of a plot to murder Paul (Acts 23:12–16). We’re not sure who the forty men are. They’re called “the Jews” which usually refers to Jewish religious leaders, like the scribes of the sect of Pharisees. But Paul’s original accusers were Jews from the province of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey (Acts 21:27). Either way, Paul’s life is in danger and since he’s a Roman citizen, the tribune must protect him.

Lysias realizes that this case is more than he is authorized to handle. He decides to send Paul to Caesarea Maritima, on the coast of Samaria, to the governor’s palace (Acts 23:23–24). The governor will have more resources to discover what Paul has done. And if he doesn’t, that absolves Lysias’ failure, as well.

Verse 22. So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

Paul’s nephew, likely a late teenager, has reported a conspiracy to the tribune of Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin is about to invite the tribune and Paul to a meeting to uncover why a mob in the temple tried to kill Paul (Acts 21:27–31). The young man has learned the invitation is a ruse. The intent is to get Paul out of the Roman barracks and out into the open. There, forty men who have sworn an oath could kill Paul (Acts 23:12–15).

The tribune, Lysias, has spent three days trying to determine why the mob beat Paul and if Paul committed a crime. Now, he’s learned the entire ruling Jewish council is involved in a plot to kill his suspect. He realizes he’s not going to get any further with his investigation. This tribune is most likely a young man in his mid-to-late 20s. Many such men took a one-year career-broadening assignment with the army before learning how to be a senator in Rome. The governor, however, is well-versed in the culture of the Jews and even knows a good amount about Paul’s religious beliefs (Acts 24:22).

Lysias decides to transfer Paul and the entire case to the governor in Caesarea Maritima. He orders an escort of two centurions, two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to protect Paul from the forty assassins (Acts 23:23–24). Paul gets to the governor safely, but Lysias doesn’t show up for the trial, and the governor refuses to rule without his testimony. Paul winds up spending two years under house arrest before he’s sent—as a prisoner—to Rome (Acts 24:22, 27).

Verse 23. Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.

Paul is in custody in the Roman barracks in Jerusalem. The tribune Lysias—the commanding officer—has spent three days trying to figure out why a mob of Jews attacked Paul in the temple and if Paul committed a crime (Acts 21:27–34). Now, Paul’s nephew has warned the tribune that the Sanhedrin conspired with forty assassins to kill Paul (Acts 23:12–22). Lysias realizes that not only can he not uncover what happened, but he can’t keep Paul safe without causing an incident. Knowing the governor would prefer to avoid Roman soldiers fighting Jewish civilians, Lysias sends Paul to the governor with a large enough escort to make sure he gets there.

“Tribune” is a title for different offices. Those in the military were generally responsible for logistics and administration and could be called to lead units in battle. Originally, tribunes protected the poor and those with no voting rights from the rich voters. By this time, tribunes were often 27–year-olds taking a year of military service to help them in their future positions in government.

Centurions were army officers in charge of about 100 legionaries. Centurions have a very good reputation in Scripture. Jesus praised the faith of the centurion who insisted He could heal his servant at a distance and didn’t have to enter his house (Matthew 8:5–13). A centurion at the crucifixion declared that Jesus must be the Son of God—or son of a god (Matthew 27:54). The centurion Cornelius was a devout Gentile who opened the doorway for Gentiles to follow Jesus (Acts 10). One of Lysias’ centurions protected Paul from torture when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:24–29). And when Paul sails to Rome, the commanding centurion will prevent the soldiers from killing him and the other prisoners during a storm (Acts 27:42–44).

Paul and his escort leave Jerusalem at 9 p.m. and travel forty-two miles to Antipatris near modern-day Tel Aviv. The next day, the soldiers and spearmen will return to Jerusalem while the horsemen take Paul on (Acts 23:31–32). The high priest, a few elders, and a spokesman/lawyer will arrive five days later. Their opportunity to murder Paul is gone, but they will still try to convince the governor to convict him of rioting and profaning a religious structure (Acts 24:1–9).

Context Summary
Acts 23:23–35 records Paul escaping a death plot in Jerusalem. He then travels to the governor in Caesarea Maritima. Jews and their leaders attacked Paul and conspired for his death, and the Roman tribune can’t determine why (Acts 21:27–34). The governor agrees to hold a trial not yet knowing Paul’s accusers don’t have a case and the tribune will never arrive to give his side of the story. He holds Paul without charges for two years until the new governor sends Paul to Caesar in Rome.

Verse 24. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”

Despite his three-day investigation, the Roman tribune in Jerusalem cannot discover why a group of men attacked a man named Paul in the temple, dragged him out into the courtyard, and started beating him (Acts 21:27–32). Now, he’s learned the religious leaders of the Jews have conspired with forty others to assassinate this man (Acts 23:16–22). The tribune—Lysias—is charged with keeping the peace in Jerusalem. If his soldiers resort to violence to keep one man—a Roman citizen—safe from the national leaders, he will have failed. He resolves to send Paul to Governor Felix in Caesarea Maritima on the Samarian coast. To make sure he gets there, Lysias sends an escort of two hundred soldiers and two hundred spearmen to ride the first forty-two–mile leg to Antipatris and seventy horsemen who will take Paul all the way to Caesarea. Further, they will leave at nine that night (Acts 23:23).

Marcus Antonius Felix, the governor, is an interesting individual. He had been a slave and some say this led to his cruel and licentious behavior as a government official. He is unfair to Paul; despite the fact Paul’s accusers offer no legitimate charge against him (Acts 24:1–9), Felix keeps Paul under house arrest until he is replaced by Festus. He does this in part as a favor to the Jews and in part in hopes that Paul will offer him a bribe. He does give Paul some liberty and allows his friends to care for him (Acts 24:23, 26–27).

Verse 25. And he wrote a letter to this effect:

Lysias, the Roman army tribune, has mastered the useful art of dodging responsibility. While seeing to his duties at the Antonia Fortress on the northern side of the temple mount, he learned of a riot outside the temple. He and his soldiers rescued a man named Paul from a mob bent on killing him. When he enquired as to why Paul deserved such treatment, most of the crowd didn’t know (Acts 21:31–36). Lysias then spent the next three days trying to discover what Paul had done besides some vague offense against the Jewish law (Acts 23:29). He did find out two important facts, however: Paul is a Roman citizen and the Jewish leadership is conspiring to murder him (Acts 22:27; 23:19–21). Lysias has no reason to keep Paul in custody, but if he lets him go, a Roman citizen will be killed. He sends Paul to Felix, the governor, in Caesarea Maritima along with an explanatory letter (Acts 23:23–24, 26–30).

“To this effect” means what follows is a paraphrase of the letter, not necessarily the exact wording. The letter includes a summary of the previous three days as well as the notice that Lysias ordered the Jewish leaders to stand before Felix with their accusations. Lysias conveniently leaves out the part where he illegally chained Paul and almost had him whipped (Acts 21:33; 22:24–25).

The high priest Ananias arrives in Caesarea with a few elders and a spokesman who understands the proper format of a Roman court of law. The spokesman offers a vague accusation of rioting and profaning the temple and Paul points out his accuser has offered no actual evidence (Ats 24:1–9, 13).

Felix knows about Christianity and isn’t impressed with the accusations. He decides to wait until Lysias arrives with his own evidence, but apparently the tribune has washed his hands of the whole affair and never arrives (Acts 24:22). Felix keeps Paul in custody until he is replaced by Porcius Festus two years later (Acts 24:27).

Verse 26. “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings.

Claudius Lysias, the commander of the Roman army barracks in Jerusalem, is sending Paul to Marcus Antonius Felix, the governor in Caesarea Maritima, along with a letter. The letter explains how a mob of Jews grabbed Paul and nearly killed him before Lysias realized Paul was a Roman citizen and ordered his soldiers to rescue him. He will give a summary of his investigation: Paul supposedly committed a crime against the Jewish law that was deserving neither of the attack nor continued imprisonment and that Paul’s accusers have made a plot against his life (Acts 23:27–30).

Lysias doesn’t elaborate that he didn’t know Paul was a Roman citizen until he had bound and almost scourged him, both of which were highly illegal acts (Acts 21:33; 22:24–27).

“His Excellency” was a title given to someone in the equestrian order. Felix did not originate in that order, as did Pontius Pilate, but the governor of subordinate provinces usually did. Felix had started off as a slave and was known as tyrannical, cruel, and licentious. He even stole Drusilla (Acts 24:24), Herod Agrippa I’s daughter, from her husband. He was so bad, the people of Caesarea complained until Nero recalled him to Rome. Ironically, he is not unkind to Paul. He gives him a measure a freedom and allows his friends to see to his needs. He even brings Paul in to talk, although he doesn’t like to hear admonitions about self-control. But, even though he knows Paul has done nothing wrong, he keeps Paul in custody for the remainder of his term in order to please the Jewish leaders (Act 24:23–27).

Verse 27. This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

The tribune Claudius Lysias, stationed in Jerusalem, is writing to Governor Felix to explain why he sent seventy horsemen to escort a single Jew to the governor’s quarters in Caesarea Maritima.

Less than a week prior, Paul entered the temple to perform a Jewish ceremony at the behest of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 21:20–27). Jews from the province of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey saw him and assumed he had brought a Gentile they knew. They grabbed Paul, dragged him from the temple to the courtyard, and incited a mob to beat him. Lysias heard of the disturbance and ordered the soldiers to pull Paul away and bind him (Acts 21:27–33). When Lysias couldn’t figure out why the mob attacked Paul, he ordered Paul be flogged—a traditional Roman way of getting information. As the centurion was about to strike, Paul cried out that he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:23–25).

So, Lysias’ chain of events is off, but there’s a reason. It was illegal for Lysias to tie Paul up, let alone scourge him, without conviction through a fair trial (Acts 22:29). Lysias treated Paul well once he found out Paul’s citizenship status, but he didn’t want to get in trouble for breaking the law.

Lysias will continue his self-preservation. In a few days, Paul’s accusers from the Sanhedrin will arrive and try to convince Felix that Paul is a rioter who broke Roman law by profaning a religious structure (Acts 24:2–9). Felix doesn’t believe them and says he will wait to make his decision when Lysias arrives. But Lysias never comes. Felix decides he’d profit more if Paul remained under house arrest in Caesarea than if he freed Paul and irritated the Jewish leaders. Plus, maybe Paul might offer compensation for his freedom (Acts 24:22, 26–27).

Verse 28. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.

When Lysias the tribune recounts the events surrounding Paul’s arrest to Felix the governor, he leaves out a few things. Lysias arrested Paul because a mob was trying to kill him in the court outside the temple (Acts 21:30–33). Lysias wanted to know why, but he didn’t start with the Sanhedrin. First, he asked the mob, most of whom didn’t know (Acts 21:33–34). Then he let Paul address the crowd which riled the mob up even more (Acts 22:1–23). Finally, he resorted to the traditional way of extracting information: flogging. Paul was already tied up when he got the attention of a centurion, warning him he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:24–29). Lysias could have been charged with binding Paul’s hands; if he’d had him flogged it would have been much worse.

Only then did Lysias think to ask the Jewish religious leaders in the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30). It didn’t go well. Paul, perhaps accidentally, insulted the high priest. Then, probably intentionally, he set the Pharisees and Sadducees against each other. Again, Lysias had to rescue Paul from a melee (Acts 23:1–10).

Although Paul’s initial accusers were Jews from modern-day Turkey (Acts 21:27–28), the Sanhedrin would like Paul out of the way, as well. So, when forty men approached them with an assassination plot, they agreed. Unfortunately for them, Paul’s nephew overheard and told the tribune, and the tribune sent Paul to Caesarea (Acts 23:12–22). The Sanhedrin will try one more time, before Felix. Felix will agree with Lysias that Paul may be a pain but he hasn’t broken Roman law (Acts 23:29; 24:22). Religious leaders opposed to Christianity would have to make do with Felix’s decision to keep Paul under house arrest (Acts 24:27).

Verse 29. I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.

Paul has been in Jerusalem for about a week. He’s spent much of the previous three years in Ephesus, in southwest modern-day Turkey, an area the Bible refers to as “Asia.” Lysias is a young Roman military officer charged with keeping the peace in Jerusalem. His barracks in the Antonia Fortress are along the northern wall of the temple mount. When men from the Asian province started beating Paul just outside the temple, Lysias was able to dispatch his troops before the crowd could kill Paul (Acts 21:30–33).

Lysias spent the next three days trying to figure out why Paul enraged the crowd so much. He has good reason to be confused:

• When Paul was in Ephesus, he started in the synagogue, as usual. Also “as usual,” he was driven out by those who refused to accept his argument about Jesus and the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8–10).
• According to Luke’s account in the book of Acts, Paul’s only real antagonists in Ephesus were Gentile craftsmen who made idols. The more people came to Christ, the less money the silversmiths made (Acts 19:23–27). Paul did mention “trials” and “the plots of the Jews” when he later visited with the elders of church in Ephesus, but he didn’t elaborate (Acts 20:19). He also mentioned to the church in Corinth “the affliction we experienced in Asia,” saying, “we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8–9), but he didn’t say what these afflictions were, who afflicted him, or what disagreement caused them.
• When Paul returned to Jerusalem, he learned from James about circulating rumors. These implied that Paul taught Jews not to circumcise their sons (Acts 21:20–21). Paul never said this, and it’s unclear who claimed he did. It is similar to an argument Paul and the church in Syrian Antioch had with legalistic Jewish Christians about Gentile parents (Acts 15:1–5).
• Paul agreed to refute these rumors by performing a Jewish ritual. When he entered the temple to do so, however, Jews from Asia accused him of bringing a Gentile with him. Paul had traveled with Gentiles and had taken a Gentile around the city, but he didn’t bring him to the temple (Acts 20:4; 21:23–24, 27–29).
• Seeking to find out why the Jews from Asia were beating Paul, Lysias allowed Paul to speak to the crowd. They listened while Paul gave his testimony, and didn’t erupt until he mentioned that God sent him to the Gentiles (Acts 22:3–22). It’s unclear if they grew jealous of their God or if the mention of Gentiles reminded them of the Gentile they thought Paul brought into the temple.
• Lysias also took Paul before the Sanhedrin. Paul maintains his innocence, a guard slaps him, Paul insults the person who ordered the guard, another person tells Paul he just insulted the high priest, Paul gets sarcastic with the high priest, and then Paul starts a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees about the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:1–10).

We don’t know which of these charges Lysias is referring to, but his words echo those of Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia. When Jews brought Paul before him, saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law,” Gallio replied, “…since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves” (Acts 18:12–15).

As far as the Romans were concerned, Christianity fell under the protective umbrella of Judaism and did so until around AD 150. Romans saw Jews as strange atheists because they had no images of their God. Lysias is probably thinking of either the Gentile in the temple or the argument about the resurrection. It was against Roman law to defile a religious structure, but Romans wouldn’t necessarily consider allowing a non-Jew into the temple as a breach of that law. Romans, like Greeks, didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. But like the philosophers in the Areopagus, the Romans would consider the belief further evidence of the Jews’ unsophistication, not something punishable (Acts 17:30–32). Neither charge would warrant death or imprisonment.

Verse 30. And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

Claudius Lysias is a young Roman army officer in command of the barracks in Jerusalem. His job is to keep the peace on behalf of the governor who lives on the coast in Caesarea Maritima. A few days prior, he was notified of a near-riot on the temple mount. A mob was beating a man but didn’t seem to know why (Acts 21:27–34). The tribune arrested the man and took him to the Sanhedrin to try to discover what he had done that was so egregious. While discussing it, factions within the Sanhedrin started fighting (Acts 23:1–10). The next day, the Sanhedrin conspired with forty other Jews to have the man assassinated (Acts 23:12–15).

The tribune is sending the man to the governor with a letter, requesting the governor take over the investigation (Acts 23:23–25). To that end, the tribune has ordered representatives of the Sanhedrin to present their case.

The “man” is Paul. The mob attacked him because Jews from Asia—a district in modern-day Turkey—thought he took a Gentile into the temple. When Paul is before the Sanhedrin, however, he disrupts their unity by declaring he is a Pharisee who is on trial because he believes in the resurrection of the dead. The Pharisees flock to his aid while the Sadducees violently disagree.

We don’t know who the “Jews” are that initiate the assassination attempt (Acts 23:12). The term “Jews” usually mean religions leaders, but they may be the men from Asia—they may even be religious leaders from Asia. It’s unlikely their problem with Paul is that he believes in the resurrection of the dead—so do the Pharisees, and although Pharisees are the minority in the Sanhedrin, they’re very popular with the people.

When Paul’s accusers, and their lawyer, present their case before Governor Felix, they claim, “For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him” (Acts 24:5–6). This charge is more in line with the Asians at the temple.

Paul, however, dismisses the charge of rioting, says his “sect” is fully in line with the prophets, and points out that the Asians who made the false accusation should be there themselves to accuse him. He then challenges the Sanhedrin representatives to reveal why they really want him arrested, as their charges so far have been spurious (Acts 24:10–21).

With this letter, the tribune is rid of Paul. He sends him to Caesarea with a significant escort (Acts 23:23) and conveniently neglects to go to the governor to present his own evidence (Acts 24:22). Paul stays under house arrest for two years until Felix is replaced by Festus (Acts 24:27). In a moment of frustration, Paul appeals his stalled case to Caesar, and Festus grants his request (Acts 25:11–12).

Verse 31. So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

When Paul was traveling during the last few months of his third missionary journey, the Holy Spirit consistently told him that if he returned to Jerusalem, he would be arrested (Acts 20:22–23). Paul went anyway and the Roman army arrested him a few days after he arrived (Acts 21:33). Not long after, the Sanhedrin and forty other Jews conspired to have Paul killed (Acts 23:12–15). The Roman tribune, the military commander of the army barracks, heard of their plan and determined Paul would be safer with the governor (Acts 23:16–24).

Now Paul is riding to Caesarea Maritima, arrested but escorted by two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, two hundred spearmen, and two centurions to protect him from the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:12–15, 23). In Caesarea, he will stand trial before the governor, Felix, to determine if he committed a crime or if he’s just squabbling about religious matters with the Sanhedrin (Acts 24:1–21).

The entourage leaves three hours after sunset (Acts 23:23) and stops at Antipatris. Antipatris is in Samaria, about thirty miles northwest of Jerusalem and twenty-eight miles south of Caesarea. Herod the Great built it and probably named it after his father, Antipater. From here, the soldiers and spearmen return to Jerusalem while the horsemen continue with Paul (Acts 23:32). The high priest Ananias, the elders, and their lawyer won’t arrive for another five days (Acts 24:1). The tribune’s plan has worked; Paul is safe with the governor, and the tribune doesn’t have to deal with the conflict between Paul and the Sanhedrin anymore.

Verse 32. And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him.

Lysias, the Roman tribune, had a mess on his hands. A strange man, Paul, came to Jerusalem about a week prior. Everyone in the city seems to want him dead (Acts 21:31; 23:10). And yet, not only has he not committed a crime, he’s a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25). Lysias needs to discover why everyone wants him dead while keeping him safe. When the Jewish religious leaders make a pact with forty determined men to assassinate Paul (Acts 23:12–15), Lysias gives up. He can’t keep Paul in custody without a reason, but he can’t let him go or he’ll be killed. So, he sends Paul to the governor and tells the religious leaders to go to Caesarea Maritima and give their charges (Acts 23:30).

Lysias wants to make sure his prisoner stays safe in the journey from Jerusalem to Caesarea—particularly the first leg to Antipatris. So two hundred soldiers, two hundred spearmen, seventy horsemen, and two centurions leave with Paul three hours after sunset and march the thirty miles through the night (Acts 23:23). The territory from Antipatris to Caesarea is in Samaria and has far fewer Jews. The soldiers aren’t worried about an ambush on this leg, so the infantrymen and spearmen return to Jerusalem while the horsemen continue with Paul.

The “barracks” are the Antonia Fortress, the tall building rising next to the northwest corner of the temple mount, and the smaller buildings to the east. It is the headquarters for six hundred Roman peace-keeping forces; Herod the Great built it and named it after Mark Antony.

Verse 33. When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.

Paul is back in Caesarea Maritima. He had arrived there after his third missionary journey and continued to Jerusalem where he knew he would be arrested (Acts 21:8–15). While in Jerusalem, he learned someone had been spreading the rumor that he taught Jews they didn’t have to circumcise their sons. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem asked him to fulfill a Jewish ceremony to show his fealty. While doing so, Jews from modern-day Turkey accused him of bringing a Gentile into the temple. They incited the crowd to beat him until the Roman tribune rescued him by arresting him (Acts 21:17–35). The tribune Lysias tried to find out what Paul had done by allowing the Sanhedrin to question him, but Paul managed to start a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees, instead (Acts 23:1–10). The next day, Paul’s nephew overheard forty Jews conspiring with the Sanhedrin to assassinate Paul. The tribune gave up and sent Paul to the governor in Caesarea (Acts 23:16–24).

The tribune knows Paul is a Roman citizen (Acts 22:27) so he does what he can to keep Paul safe. He sends two centurions, two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to escort Paul (Acts 23:23). When they reach Antipatris, roughly halfway, the infantry and spearmen return to Jerusalem and the horsemen continue (Acts 23:31–32).

The letter is Lysias’ explanation to the governor Felix. In it, he gives a summary of the previous few days—conveniently leaving out the part where he didn’t find out Paul was a Roman citizen until he had bound him and nearly flogged him, both of which were illegal to do without a trial and conviction (Acts 22:24–29). Lysias also warns Felix that Paul’s accusers are on their way for the trial (Acts 23:26–30).

Verse 34. On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia,

Jerusalem’s tribune, Lysias, sent Paul to the governor in Caesarea Maritima. Lysias was unable to figure out what crime Paul committed that would justify a mob beating and an assassination attempt (Acts 21:27–31; 23:12–15). The governor’s first order of business is to determine if he has the authority to hold Paul’s trial.

An accused Roman citizen could be tried in the province of his crime or his home province. If Paul comes from a client kingdom, he can demand the trial be held in his home. Felix is governor over Jerusalem—where the “crime” happened—and Caesarea, where they are now, and Felix’s boss is governor over Syria, of which Cilicia is part. So, Felix feels confident to hold the trial in Caesarea. Felix feels so confident, in fact, that when the trial brings no evidence that Paul has committed a crime, Felix decides to hold him under house arrest as a favor to the Jewish leaders. Paul stays in Caesarea for two years until Felix is replaced by Festus and, in his frustration, Paul demands a trial before Caesar (Acts 24:27; 25:11).

Caesarea Maritima is a port on the coast of Samaria, northwest of Jerusalem. Cilicia is a long, thin province along the southeast coast of modern-day Turkey. Felix is known for being cruel—and part of the reason he holds Paul is to elicit a bribe—but while he holds Paul with no charges, he does allow him the freedom to see his friends (Acts 24:23, 26).

Verse 35. he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod ‘s praetorium.

Paul is in the praetorium—the residence of the governor—in Caesarea Maritima, awaiting trial. He hasn’t committed any crime, but the Roman army tribune from Jerusalem is overwhelmed by and afraid of the Jewish Sanhedrin and has sent Paul to the governor. Governor Felix is awaiting Paul’s accusers from Jerusalem—the same men who conspired to kill him (Acts 23:12–15).

In the few days Paul was in Jerusalem, three sets of people accused him of crimes. Unnamed persons claimed he taught that Jews didn’t have to follow the Mosaic law (Acts 21:20–21). Jews from the province of Asia in southwest modern-day Turkey falsely accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple (Acts 21:27–28). And the Sadducees of the Sanhedrin don’t know what Paul did but they’re sure he deserves death (Acts 23:1–10). The Roman tribune, Lysias, can neither find a valid charge against Paul nor keep him safe; he hopes the governor has the knowledge and experience to resolve the issue (Acts 23:26–30).

In five days, the high priest, a lawyer, and some representative elders arrive and present their case; Paul’s accusers from the temple are nowhere to be found (Acts 24:1, 18–19). The Jewish leaders claim Paul has been inciting riots and profaning the temple (Acts 24:2–8). Unfortunately for them, Felix knows quite a bit about Christianity and doesn’t believe them. He tells them he’ll wait for Lysias to arrive and give his own testimony (Acts 24:22). The Jewish leaders leave but Lysias never shows, possibly afraid Paul will reveal Lysias almost flogged a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25–29). As a favor to the Jews, and seeking a bribe from Paul, Felix leaves Paul under house arrest. He alternates between calling Paul to discuss religion and sending him away when Paul’s words prove too convicting. Two years later, Festus replaces Felix and Paul is still waiting. (Acts 23:24–27).

But Jesus has told Paul he will go to Rome (Acts 23:11). In frustration, Paul appeals his case to Caesar (Acts 25:11). Paul can give his testimony to King Agrippa II (Acts 26) before taking a harrowing trip across the Mediterranean to Rome where he stays for two years (Acts 28:30).

End of Chapter 23.

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