EXCURSUS. The Pharisees and Sadducees. These two parties made up the Sanhedrim during the lifetime of the Lord, and later during the thirty-eight years which elapsed between the resurrection morning and the fail of Jerusalem and breaking up of the Jewish polity. The _name_ of Pharisee, though not t... [ Continue Reading ]
_St. Paul brought before the Sanhedrim by the Roman Officials in JerusalemHe defends himself before the Great Council, 1-10_. Acts 23:1. AND PAUL, EARNESTLY BEHOLDING THE COUNCIL. The Greek word άτενι ́ σας, rendered ‘earnestly beholding,' is used by the apostle on more than one solemn occasion, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:2. AND THE HIGH PRIEST ANANIAS. We can imagine the wrath of the haughty prelate at the first words of the accused. What unheard of presumption that this Paul, a renegade and outcast, the enemy ‘of all that the Sanhedrim held sacred,' should dare to arrogate to himself ‘a brotherhood with the... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:3. THEN SAID PAUL UNTO HIM, GOD SHALL SMITE THEE, THOU WHITED WALL. These strange words, spoken no doubt in hot anger and excitement by the indignant prisoner, must of course be understood not as an imprecation, but as a prophetic denunciation of a future doom. The prophecy was fulfilled _to... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:4. AND THEY THAT STOOD BY SAID, REVILEST THOU GOD'S HIGH PRIEST? It was and St. Paul knew it well contrary to the law of Moses (see Exodus 22:28, subsequently quoted by him) to revile one placed in a position of authority, such as the high priest, or any one sitting as president of the Sanhe... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:5. THEN SAID PAUL, I WIST NOT, BRETHREN, THAT HE WAS THE HIGH PRIEST: FOR IT IS WRITTEN, THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK EVIL OF THE RULER OF THY PEOPLE. What is meant by these words? ‘I wist not (ου ̓ κ ἤ ͅ δειν) that he was the high priest.' Several well-meant but mistaken interpretations have been s... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:6. BUT WHEN PAUL PERCEIVED THAT THE ONE PART WERE SADDUCEES, AND THE OTHER PHARISEES. The great council now for many years seems to have been divided roughly into two great parties, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. (See on the position held in Israel at this time by these two sects, Excursus... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:7. AND WHEN HE HAD SO SAID, THERE AROSE A DISSENSION BETWEEN THE PHARISEES AND THE SADDUCEES. The effect of Paul's words was to suggest to one of the great parties, the Pharisees, that after all, the chief doctrines taught by this man and his fellow-believers were much more akin to their own... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:8. FOR THE SADDUCEES SAY THAT THERE IS NO RESURRECTION, NEITHER ANGEL, NOR SPIRIT; BUT THE PHARISEES CONFESS BOTH. The strict accuracy of this description of the author of the ‘Acts' is borne witness to by Josephus, who tells us, in his _Wars of the Jews,_ that ‘the Sadducees reject the perm... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:9. THE SCRIBES THAT WERE OF THE PHARISEES PART AROSE AND STROVE. As a rule the ‘scribes.' belonged to the sect of Pharisees, as that party reverently attended to the Law and the Prophets, and the multitude of traditions and teachings that had grown up round the sacred writings. These comment... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:10. AND WHEN THERE AROSE A GREAT DISSENSION, THE CHIEF CAPTAIN, FEARING LEST PAUL SHOULD HAVE BEEN PULLED IN PIECES OF THEM, COMMANDED THE SOLDIERS TO GO DOWN. The excitement in the council hall continued to increase. The Sadducees endeavouring to seize him as a blasphemer, the Pharisees lay... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:11. AND THE NIGHT FOLLOWING, THE LARD STOOD BY HIM, AND SAID, BE OF GOOD CHEER, PAUL; FOR AS THOU HAST TESTIFIED OF ME IN JERUSALEM, SO MUST THOU BEAR WITNESS ALSO AT ROME. Probably the Lord Jesus made this revelation to the apostle in a dream. Paul saw his Master standing by him, and heard... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Jews now conspire against the Life of PaulThe Romans, alarmed for his Safety_, _send him strongly guarded to Cæsarea, the Headquarters of their Power in those Parts,_ 12-35. Acts 23:12. AND WHEN IT WAS DAY, CERTAIN OF THE JEWS BANDED TOGETHER, AND BOUND THEMSELVES UNDER A CONE, SAYING THAT THEY... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:14. AND THEY CAME TO THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND ELDERS, AND SAID, WE HAVE BOUND OURSELVES UNDER A GREAT CURSE, THAT WE WILL EAT NOTHING TILL WE HAVE SLAIN PAUL. No doubt the party of religious assassins went to that group of the Sanhedrim known as bitterly hostile to Paul. We have no definite inf... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:15. NOW THEREFORE YE WITH THE COUNCIL SIGNIFY TO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN THAT HE BRING HIM DOWN UNTO YOU TOMORROW... AND WE, OR EVER HE COME NEAR, ARE READY TO KILL HIM. This seems at first sight a strange story, that so monstrous a design should have been conceived and communicated to the chief p... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:16. AND WHEN PAUL'S SISTER'S SON HEARD OF THEIR LYING IN WAIT, HE WENT AND ENTERED INTO THE CASTLE, AND TOLD PAUL. It is singular that this is the only mention in the ‘Acts' of any of Paul's relations. We hear nothing further of this young man. It is not probable that he or his mother-Paul's... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:17. THEN PAUL CALLED ONE OF THE CENTURIONS UNTO HIM, AND SAID, BRING THIS YOUNG MAN UNTO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN. Attention has been justly called here to the fact that, although Paul had just received the Divine promise of protection in all these present dangers, yet he neglected none of the ordi... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:18. PAUL THE PRISONER CALLED ME UNTO HIM, AND PRAYED ME, etc. The ‘prisoner;' the Greek word signifies ‘one bound.' We may conclude, that Paul was fastened by a chain to the arm of a soldier. As a Roman citizen he was in _custodia militaris. ‘_ We may well believe that at this time he little... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:19. THEN THE CHIEF CAPTAIN TOOK HIM BY THE HAND. It is evident that the Roman commander was favourably impressed with something in Paul's bearing, and probably with his words. He was clearly glad to be able in any way to assist him. His sympathies are evidently with Paul, not with his priest... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:23. AND HE CALLED UNTO HIM TWO CENTURIONS, SAYING, MAKE READY TWO HUNDRED SOLDIERS TO GO TO CÆSAREA, AND HORSEMEN THREESCORE AND TEN, AND SPEARMEN TWO HUNDRED, AT THE THIRD HOUR OF THE NIGHT. Four hundred and seventy soldiers seems to have been a large force to have guarded a single prisoner... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:24. AND BRING HIM SAFE UNTO FELIX THE GOVERNOR. The career of this powerful and unprincipled man, who, owing to his meeting with the despised Jew Paul, has obtained a conspicuous niche in history, is principally interesting to us as affording a good instance of the way in which high position... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:25-26. HE WROTE A LETTER AFTER THIS MANNER: CLAUDIUS LYSIAS UNTO THE MOST EXCELLENT GOVERNOR FELIX SENDETH GREETING. This was in strict accordance with the Roman law, which directed a subordinate official, in sending a prisoner to the higher authority for trial, to send a written statement,... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:27. THEN CAME I WITH AN ARMY, AND RESCUED HIM, HAVING UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS A ROMAN. This is distinctly a false statement of the facts as they stood. The commander in Antonia wished his superior, Felix, to think that he had interfered on the prisoner's behalf because he found Paul was a Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:29. WHOM I PERCEIVED TO BE ACCUSED OF QUESTIONS OF THEIR LAW, BUT TO HAVE NOTHING LAID TO HIS CHARGE WORTHY OF DEATH OR OF BONDS. Death the highest, and bonds the lowest penalty of the law. Thus Claudius Lysias for his part, from a Roman's point of view, expressed his belief in Paul's innoce... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:30. AND WHEN IT WAS TOLD ME HOW THAT THE JEWS LAID WAIT FOR THE MAN, I SENT STRAIGHTWAY TO THEE. ‘Though I thought him innocent,' writes Claudius Lysias, ‘yet, hearing of this further plot against the life of a Roman citizen, I judged it wise to refer the whole matter to you, the chief autho... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:31. THEN THE SOLDIERS, AS IT WAS COMMANDED THEM, TOOK PAUL, AND BROUGHT HIM BY NIGHT TO ANTIPATRIS. This was the ancient Caphar Saba (town of Saba), and was built by Herod the Great, and then named after his father Antipater. It is about ten miles from Lydia. This town is forty Roman miles f... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:32. ON THE MORROW THEY LEFT THE HORSEMEN TO GO WITH HIM, AND RETURNED TO THE CASTLE. That is to say, on the morrow after they arrived at Antipatris. Here the foot-soldiers returned to the Jerusalem garrison. As the prisoner had been escorted forty miles from Jerusalem, there was no longer an... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:34. HE ASKED OF WHAT PROVINCE HE WAS. Felix was not the principal Roman official in that part of the Empire. The proconsul of Syria bore supreme authority over Judæa. Felix was procurator or deputy of Judæa under that great official. The powers, however, of the procurators were considerable.... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 23:35. I WILL HEAR THEE, SAID HE, WHEN THINE ACCUSERS ARE ALSO COME. The Greek word rendered ‘I will hear,' suggests the idea of a complete and searching investigation into all the matters in question. AND HE COMMANDED HIM TO BE KEPT IN HEROD'S JUDGMENT HALL. Better rendered ‘in Herod's praeto... [ Continue Reading ]