Bible Study Lesson for Acts 23:12-35: the Plot to Kill Paul

Read Acts 23:12-14. My commentary said that it is possible that these men were Zealots or terrorists later responsible for the revolt against Rome. You have to wonder how men can "take a solemn oath" not to eat until they kill someone - when you take an oath, you are swearing to follow through on your promise before God! These men honestly thought that God would be pleased and honor their promise to kill Paul. So how did they plan on doing this? Read Acts 23:15. These assassins intend to kill Paul in an ambush as he travels from the barracks to where the Sanhedrin met in court.

Read Acts 23:16. My Study Bible makes a comment about this verse that I'd like to read. { read blurb from Study Bible } Now how exactly Paul's nephew heard of this plot, we don't know, but somehow he did. Perhaps he had a prominent position in the community, just like Paul had before his conversion, and therefore had friends in high places, such as among the Sanhedrin. Though we don't read anything more about Paul's nephew - and in fact we never learn his name! - his actions make it clear that he cares for his uncle. Whether or not he was a believer we'll never know, but God clearly uses him to save Paul's life.

Read Acts 23:17-22. Pretty self-explanatory. The commander tells the young man to be quiet for his own safety and because the commander has a plan to have Paul transferred to another location, as we'll read in the next section.

This last section describes how Paul is sent under guard in secret to Caesarea. Read Acts 23:23. The commander isn't taking any chances! He knows he has to act quickly, before the Jews send him an official request to hand over Paul; it will be difficult for him, politically, to refuse out of hand. Instead he is going to send Paul away, at 9pm at night, under guard with 470 soldiers. That many soldiers seems extreme against 40 men, but remember the commander doesn't know how accurate the information is about the number of Jews who had taken this oath, nor does he know whether or not they might bring together another large crowd against Paul. As a Roman citizen, Paul must be protected, even if one must go to such extremes.

Read Acts 23:24. The commander even goes far enough to see that Paul has horses for him to ride; in order to make the best speed, riders would switch off between two or more horses, letting the horses without riders rest as they continued to travel. Paul is going to be taken to Governor Felix. What do we know about this governor? { Read blurb on Felix from "Smith's Bible Dictionary", pg. 103 } My interactive commentary describes him this way: "The emperor Claudius had appointed him governor of Judea c. A.D. 52, a time when Felix's brother was the emperor's favorite minister. The brothers had formerly been slaves, then freedmen, then high officials in government. The historian Tacitus said of Felix, "He held the power of a tyrant with the disposition of a slave." He married three queens in succession, one of whom was Drusilla."

Read Acts 23:25-26. The commander, of course, can't leave his duties to go traipsing off to Caesarea, so he writes a letter to be given to the governor upon Paul's arrival. For the first time, when I read this, I wondered how Luke gained access to the text of the letter to record it here! I can only assume that Paul was allowed to read it and then told Luke what it said. { Put up symbol for letter on flannel board, showing route from Jerusalem to Caesarea }

Read Acts 23:27. { Ask group what is wrong with this statement - the commander is stretching the truth. He didn't know Paul was a Roman citizen until he was about to have him flogged }

Read Acts 23:28. { Ask group if this is a true statement - yes, see Acts 22:30 }

Read Acts 23:29. It suddenly hit me that the commander was present while the Sadducees and Pharisees were semi-rioting in the court room over Paul! This stern Roman soldier would have seen grown men erupting and throw fits like two year olds. It must have been a sight! For the commander all the theological, religious wrangling that had occurred in the court room between the Sadducees and the Pharisees didn't mean anything; all he understood was that the argument had something to do with Jewish law. It certainly was not, in his mind, serious enough to warrant Paul to be imprisoned or executed. His reaction is very similar to Gallio's, the Roman proconsul of Achaia. Read Acts 18:12-15. The dispute had nothing to do with Roman law.

I think that, like Gallio, commander Claudius Lysias would probably have just dismissed the case and let Paul go, if there hadn't been a plot against the apostle's life. Read Acts 23:30. We learn a bit more here, that though the commander doesn't see any reason for the accusations against Paul, he's not willing to take the responsibility of letting Paul simply go free: he is ordering the Jews to present their case before the governor himself. So I think there is a bit of not only a desire to protect Paul, the Roman citizen, but also a bit of "buck passing" going on here, because Paul is such a political "hot potato" (pardon all the contemporary metaphors!)

Read Acts 23:31. The picture I have here is of a somewhat small, but intense Jewish man (probably with poor eyesight and possible somewhat frail health), middle-aged, traveling in the midst of 470 tall and burly tough Roman soldiers, 400 on foot, heavily armored, 70 on horseback. It must have looked pretty strange! I doubt Paul looked like any normal VIP that they were used to protecting! The Romans were known for their roads and highways and some are even still in use today. { Show picture of Roman road from "Great People of the Bible and How They Lived" pg 316 }

Antipatris was rebuilt by Herod the Great and named for his father. It was a military post between Samaria and Judea--30 miles from Jerusalem.

Read Acts 23:32. After reaching this military post it must have been decided that it was safe to downsize the protection a bit: the 400 soldiers return home, while the 70 cavalry men ride on with Paul. (I can't help wondering if poor Paul didn't get saddle sores! I don't remember reading much about him riding during his travels; it seemed he was always walking or traveling by ship.)

Read Acts 23:33. {Point out Caesarea on map } Remember that Caesarea is the headquarters for Roman rule in Samaria and Judea. It is 28 miles from Antipatris.

Read Acts 23:34-35. {Point out Cilicia on map.} My commentary said that if Paul had come from a nearby province - rather than from so far away - Felix probably would have handed him over to the appropriate governor, who would have had jurisdiction. But since sending Paul to Cilicia was apparently not practical, Felix decides to hear the case.

From my commentary: "Herod's palace was erected as a royal residence by Herod the Great but now used as a Roman praetorium--the place for the official business of the emperor and/or to house personnel directly responsible to the emperor." { Show pictures of where Herod's palace was located from BAR Sept/Oct 2004, pg. 29, point out theatre and "circus" (used for chariot and foot racing), also pgs. 38-39 for renderings of palace } It reminds me a little of having a prisoner kept under guard in a state governor's mansion.

Blessings!

Sources
Editors. Compton's Interactive Bible (software)
Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford (notes). The Student Bible. NIV Version
Editors. Smith's Bible Dictionary.
Editors. Great People of the Bible & How They Lived
Editors. BAR Magazine, Sept/Oct 2004 issue.