Written by: Christine Gore – Church Army

Acts 22 v 26-29
When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. The officer said, “Do you know what you are doing? This man is a Roman citizen.”
The commander came to Paul and said, “Tell me, are you really a Roman citizen?”
He answered, “Yes.”
The commander said, “I paid a lot of money to become a Roman citizen.”
But Paul said, “I was born a citizen.”
The men who were preparing to question Paul moved away from him immediately. The commander was frightened because he had already tied Paul, and Paul was a Roman citizen.

Notes 
Have you been watching “24”? Nail-biting isn’t it! This week we are going to be looking at around 72 hours in Paul’s life, which turn out to be just as traumatic as three episodes of Jack Bauer’s! Read through to the end of Acts chapter 23 to get the feel for this tense and dramatic episode.

Acts 22 v 25 ends with Paul asking, “Do you have the right to beat a Roman citizen who has not been proven guilty?” The answer to this cliffhanger question is: “No!” Roman citizens were exempt from torture without trial, and a flogging was something to be avoided at all cost as it frequently ended in death or being crippled for life. Just at the right moment Paul played his “get out of a flogging free” card and in the process gave the centurion near heart failure – he would have been in big trouble had he flogged a Roman citizen without good cause! 

Roman citizens enjoyed special rights and privileges. Citizenship was only granted to those born to citizen parents, or as a reward for special service to Rome, but in some cases it could be bought from corrupt officials - for a large bribe! Paul mentioned his Roman citizenship when he needed to but the citizenship that was much more important to him was that of the Ideal City – ie, the Church. “Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family” (Ephesians 2 v 19). Teaching like this got Paul into trouble with the Jewish authorities – but for those of us who enjoy the special rights and privileges of this citizenship, it is something to celebrate and be thankful for. Take time to do this today.

Acts 22 v 30 – 23 v 5
The next day the commander decided to learn why the Jews were accusing Paul. So he ordered the leading priests and the Jewish council to meet. The commander took Paul’s chains off. Then he brought Paul out and stood him before their meeting.
Paul looked at the Jewish council and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God up to this day.” Ananias, the high priest, heard this and told the men who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth. Paul said to Ananias, “God will hit you, too! You are like a wall that has been painted white. You sit there and judge me, using the law of Moses, but you are telling them to hit me, and that is against the law.”
The men standing near Paul said to him, “You cannot insult God’s high priest like that!”
Paul said, “Brothers, I did not know this man was the high priest. It is written in the Scriptures, ‘You must not curse a leader of your people.’”

Notes
When people feel threatened they frequently lash out – as we see here when Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the arena for dealing with Jewish matters and the most important person in that council was the high priest, Ananias. Paul’s speech seems to start off inoffensively enough, but it infuriated Ananias - he had a reputation for being quick tempered, but does this explain his outburst? You get the feeling that Ananias had been simmering for a long time about these heretical “Jews” and the trouble they had been causing in Jerusalem and beyond. And now here was the arch protagonist, the so-called “Apostle to the Gentiles”, who promoted the relaxation of sacred Jewish laws and customs, arrogantly proclaiming his innocence! 

Paul was so taken off his guard by being hit that he snapped and called a curse down on the high priest! It was illegal to punish someone who had yet to be found guilty and therefore Paul was understandably indignant, but cursing the high priest did him no favours, even though he claimed he hadn’t recognised him (bad eyesight or bad temper may have got in the way!).

This episode is reminiscent of Jesus’ trial before the high priest (see John 18 v 19-23), but His response to being struck in the face was very different. Paul was only human and who can blame him for responding as he did, but Jesus shows us a better way in His measured and dignified response.

What situations or people light your fuse? And what do you do with that anger? Sometimes it is right for us to get angry, but it is important that we handle it responsibly and constructively, turning it into the energy to change situations, or the courage to confront others – as Jesus did.

Acts 23 v 6-10
Some of the men in the meeting were Sadducees, and others were Pharisees. Knowing this, Paul shouted to them, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, and my father was a Pharisee. I am on trial here because I believe that people will rise from the dead.”
When Paul said this, there was an argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the group was divided. (The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that people will rise from the dead. But the Pharisees believe in them all.) So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of the law, who were Pharisees, stood up and argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Maybe an angel or a spirit did speak to him.”
The argument was beginning to turn into such a fight that the commander was afraid the Jews would tear Paul to pieces. So he told the soldiers to go down and take Paul away and put him in the army building.

Notes
Today’s reading reminds me of a really bad day in the House of Commons! The Sanhedrin was made up of two parties: Sadducees and Pharisees. The Sadducees were the majority and a priestly aristocracy, conservative in their outlook (eg, pro-Rome) and beliefs (eg, no resurrection). Whereas the Pharisees, represented by the scribes and teachers of the law, were more progressive in their outlook (eg, anti-Rome) and beliefs (eg, believed in a resurrection). 

Paul realised the key issue for debate was the resurrection. If the Sanhedrin would recognise that his teaching on the resurrection was a natural development of the belief of the Pharisees, they would have to accept Christianity as part of the current spectrum of Jewish practice and belief, as some Pharisees had already done (see Acts 15 v 5). Paul cannily chose this moment to mention his Pharisaical background and naturally “his brothers” rallied to one of their own to defend one of their defining beliefs. Consequently fists and insults began to fly! Goodness knows what the Roman soldiers thought about this undignified spectacle, but they realised things were turning nasty and quickly removed Paul. 

What beliefs do you feel strongly about? What do you do when you meet other Christians who challenge those beliefs? We are all part of the body of Christ as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12, and one part of the body can’t turn around to another and say, “I don’t need you”, “I don’t want you”, or “I don’t like you”! “God put the body together and gave more honour to the parts that need it” (1 Corinthians 12 v 24). We have to learn to live and work with difference and one another - otherwise the Church will look as ridiculous to outsiders as the Sanhedrin! 

Pray for the Church today.

Acts 23 v 11-15
The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul. He said, “Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome.”
In the morning some of the Jews made a plan to kill Paul, and they took an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed him. There were more than 40 Jews who made this plan. They went to the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders and said, “We have taken an oath not to eat or drink until we have killed Paul. So this is what we want you to do: send a message to the commander to bring Paul out to you as though you want to ask him more questions. We will be waiting to kill him while he is on the way here.”

Notes
In the last 24 hours Paul had just escaped a flogging and two lynchings – top that one Jack Bauer! In the barracks we find Paul pacing his “cell” – on the outside he was Mr Cool, but on the inside he was struggling to hold it together and not lose the plot. And meanwhile, on the split screen, we see a group of 40 fanatical Jews determinedly plotting to assassinate Paul – good grief, is there no respite for the poor bloke!

The fact that the Lord came in the night to comfort and strengthen Paul rather suggests that he was experiencing fear and despair (and who wouldn’t!). How did the Lord comfort him? He came and stood alongside Paul in his struggles and then He encouraged him to hang on in there and be brave. There was a purpose to all his suffering for it would result in him going to Rome to spread the Gospel and maybe even to Caesar himself! 

Being witnesses to Jesus is something all Christians are expected to do. We are called to be signposts pointing people to the way back home to God - through our loving words, actions and presence. Thankfully not all of us are called to be witnesses under such difficult circumstances as Paul; nevertheless, we can still feel fearful and inadequate. Paul’s story reassures us that the Lord knows how hard it is and He comes and stands alongside us to encourage us and remind us He has a purpose – so keep persevering and trusting! 

When people look at your life, where do they see it pointing? To Jesus, or does it point to nowhere else except yourself? Ask God to show you those areas of you life where you need to focus more on Him and less on yourself.

Acts 23 v 16-22
But Paul’s nephew heard about this plan and went to the army building and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the officers and said, “Take this young man to the commander. He has a message for him.”
So the officer brought Paul’s nephew to the commander and said, “The prisoner, Paul, asked me to bring this young man to you. He wants to tell you something.”
The commander took the young man’s hand and led him to a place where they could be alone. He asked, “What do you want to tell me?”
The young man said, “The Jews have decided to ask you to bring Paul down to their council meeting tomorrow. They want you to think they are going to ask him more questions. But don’t believe them! More than 40 men are hiding and waiting to kill Paul. They have all taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are waiting for you to agree.”
The commander sent the young man away, ordering him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have told me about their plan.”

Notes
Paul’s potential assassins were a bunch of fanatical hotheads, whose determination to eliminate him seems a mystery to the modern reader. Understanding family rows is always difficult for outsiders as they never really appreciate the subtle, and not so subtle, nuances that have led up to the quarrel. To the Jews the Christian message was seen as a great threat as it challenged so much of what they held to be precious, and because it struck at the very being of their identity as the people of God. They felt threatened to their very core.

NT Wright, in “The NT and the People of God”, summarises it like this: “the Jewish neighbours of the early Christians must have regarded them, not as a lover of Monet regards a lover of Picasso, but as a lover of painting regards one who deliberately sets fire to art galleries – and claims to do so in the service of Art” (p 451 [SPCK:1992]).

Fanatics are dangerous, whatever religion they spring from. We know that only too well from recent world events. So how do we hold firmly to what we believe without becoming extremists? It goes back to verses 11-15 and being part of the body of Christ. Christians need to speak to, listen to and learn from one another – particularly those who think differently from us. We need to be accountable to one another and check out our ideas and beliefs with others to make sure that we aren’t losing sight of God’s will and way for His people. Family quarrels are best resolved when everyone sits down together to talk about and hear one another’s grievances. Then there needs to be humility, forgiveness and love to enable those concerned to move on. 

Who are you accountable to in your walk with God?

Acts 23 v 23-30
Then the commander called two officers and said, “I need some men to go to Caesarea. Get 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 men with spears ready to leave at nine o’clock tonight. Get some horses for Paul to ride so he can be taken to Governor Felix safely.” And he wrote a letter that said:
From Claudius Lysias.
To the Most Excellent Governor Felix:
Greetings.
The Jews had taken this man and planned to kill him. But I learned that he is a Roman citizen, so I went with my soldiers and saved him. I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him before their council meeting. I learned that the Jews said Paul did some things that were wrong by their own laws, but no charge was worthy of jail or death. When I was told that some of the Jews were planning to kill Paul, I sent him to you at once. I also told those Jews to tell you what they have against him.

Notes
When the assassination plot was uncovered, Lysias was quick to respond. Palestine then, as now, was a tempestuous place which needed careful, but firm handling. Lysias was well aware of the potentially explosive situation, hence he reacted decisively, dispatching half of his garrison to accompany Paul out of Jerusalem and away from trouble. The seriousness of the threat is reflected in the number of military personnel sent with Paul to Felix at the provincial headquarters in Caesarea. 

In his letter to Felix, Lysias painted his involvement with Paul in a favourable light (notice how he failed to mention that he nearly flogged a Roman citizen!). In it he highlighted that the charges brought by the Jews against Paul were theological and not criminal (under Roman law). However, he obviously needed the decision of a higher authority to finally settle the matter, and hence the intervention of Felix was requested.

So 24 hours after his call to be a witness in Rome, Paul found the next stage of God’s plan rapidly unfolding as he was removed from the jurisdiction of the Jews to be placed under that of the Romans. And so he took his first steps towards Rome itself. I wonder if he realised it was also the first step towards his eventual execution? A strange irony as Paul seemed to be heading towards a place of safety.

Can you think of times in your life when God has seemed slow to act? Is this an ongoing situation or has it been resolved? If it’s ongoing, take heart - when the timing is right God can suddenly make things happen! Pray for yourself or others you know of who are waiting for God to do something. Pray for perseverance and trust that God will act when the time is right.

Acts 23 v 31-35
So the soldiers did what they were told and took Paul and brought him to the city of Antipatris that night. The next day the horsemen went with Paul to Caesarea, but the other soldiers went back to the army building in Jerusalem. When the horsemen came to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor, they turned Paul over to him. The governor read the letter and asked Paul, “What area are you from?” When he learned that Paul was from Cilicia, he said, “I will hear your case when those who are against you come here, too.” Then the governor gave orders for Paul to be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

Notes 
Today we find Paul in the palace of a king, in some comfort, even though his movements were restricted. He had to wait five days for his accusers to arrive and had time to catch his breath and recover from recent traumatic events.

Felix, his “host”, ruled Judea as Governor or Procurator from AD52 for seven or eight years and he was known for being ruthless in quelling Jewish uprisings. He was a freedman and his appointment as Governor was an unusual honour for someone who had been a slave. However, his appointment was probably more to do with whom he knew rather than his ability. A contemporary historian Tacitus noted, “he exercised royal power with the mind of a slave”! 

No doubt Paul felt he was safe, but he must also have been aware of being caught between two great powers – one civil and friendly, centred on Rome, the other religious and hostile, centred on Jerusalem. I wonder which of them he felt most at home with - if either? As a Roman citizen he was well used to the Empire and its standards of law and justice. Yet as a Jew and a Pharisee he was ruled by another law altogether. Perhaps during those days as a prisoner in a king’s palace he was forced to reflect on where he really belonged. Later Paul wrote, “all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things… This allows me to have Christ and to belong to him” (Philippians 3 v 8-9). Paul’s identity was not tied up with Roman citizenship or Jewish partisanship but inextricably bound up with Christ.

What determines your identity? Your job, your family, or knowing yourself a beloved child of God?


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes