Acts 23:14-15

Acts 23:14-15 Here is the plot that sadly the Jewish leadership endorsed. The idea would be to convince the Roman commander to bring Paul for. more thorough investigation and on the way from the fortress of Antonia to the place of examination, these 40 Jewish terrorists would ambush Paul and the Roman guard. This really shows the desperation and hatred among these Jews. Such an action would have probably succeeded, but all or most of the 40 men may have been slain in the process. In practical terms this was nothing more than. suicide mission. The Sanhedrin may have accepted this plan, because not only did they want to get rid of Paul, but also "if Paul were slain before he got near to the place where the Sanhedrin was to meet, there would be less suspicion that they themselves had. part in the deed" (Reese p. 825). The irony is that if Paul had never become. Christian, he would have signed up for such. mission against. prominent preacher of the gospel. "Are ready to slay him before he comes near the place": They probably had already picked the best stop for the ambush. "As the prisoner was lead along the narrow street, or along the pavement of the great court, it would have been easy for forty desperate men, having chosen their position in advance, to have rushed in among the unsuspecting soldiers, and slain Paul before. blow could have been struck in his defense" (McGarvey pp. 229-230).