The Life and Ministry of Paul Pt. 8 by Jake Gurley III

Transcription

1 The Life and Ministry of Paul Pt. 8 by Jake Gurley III 1. Another Threat on His Life A. An assassination plot by zealots. 1) Frustrated by the inability to carry out their sense of justice upon Paul, a group of 40 or so Jews decided to assassinate Paul. a) They knew that Paul was chained to guards and was accompanied by a contingent of soldiers, so there was a good chance many of them would likely die in their effort, but it was worth it if they could eliminate Paul. b) From their point of view, Paul had violated their understanding of the Law by (allegedly) bringing a Gentile into the temple precinct. c) He embarrassed the Jewish leadership by openly blaspheming in the temple about Jesus and Gentiles, and then caused the Sanhedrin to fight amongst themselves instead of interrogating him in an attempt to find just cause for a Roman execution. d) In addition, by claiming Roman citizenship Paul could delay justice through appeals which could take years if it happened at all since he was a protected Roman citizen. e) It seemed that they could quickly solve the problem. 2) They met together and took an oath not to eat or drink until Paul was dead. a) Oaths taken were a sacred act which invoked the name of the Lord and to fail was considered blasphemous (Lev 19:12). b) The oath they took against Paul was to God, in spite of the fact that they were in violation of two of the Ten Commandments regarding their treatment towards fellow Israelites: do not lie (Exod 20:16) and do not murder (Exod 20:13). c) They also violated the fourth commandment directly against God (Exod 20:7) since taking the Lord s name in vain (Hebrew shu means empty, worthless, i.e. as if it has no meaning BDB, p. 996) includes a prohibition against using it for evil intent or as a false oath (Pope, IDB, Vol. 3, p. 576). d) The Mishnah provided an escape clause for oaths if outside forces make it impossible to fulfill (Nedarim 3.3) which may have led to their misuse, or being taken lightly (cf. Matt 5:34, Ja 5:12). e) Their zealousness was no different than Paul s in his previous life, so he knew the degree of their hostility and their willingness to be martyrs for God s honor. 3) They informed members of the Sanhedrin in order to get their cooperation in the scheme. a) The Pharisees presumably were left out of the deliberations to avoid conflict (possibly an intentional omission of scribes ). b) The elders were to contact Lysias to ask him to bring Paul back for a second attempt at interrogation as a ruse to put him in a vulnerable position for their attack.

2 c) There is no indication the level of complicity the elders provided but presumably they are willing to do their part since the plot is assumed to be in play. d) They likely planned to ambush the group in a hall or narrow corridor where the numbers of the guards and weapons could be minimized or negated. e) Josephus locates the council chamber just outside of the temple precincts, although the exact location is unknown today (Polhill, Acts, p. 473 fn.81). 4) Their plan was discovered by Paul s nephew. a) This is the only mention of Paul s family in the NT. - Most readers would love to have more of Paul s backstory, but there is nothing available. - Some believe that the sister s family lived in Jerusalem since the nephew was there. - Others speculate that she must have lived in their hometown of Tarsus and the son was undergoing training or was a part of the religious leadership as Paul once was. - If this occurred during the Pentecost festival, he may have been there as a pilgrim with the thousands of other pilgrims from around the world, somehow having gained access to the council chambers or having a friend who was an insider who informed him of the plot. - Luke mentions this relationship as if the reader knows Paul s story even though he does not mention it anywhere else in his writing. - It is possible the relationship is mentioned only because he is given access to Paul in jail, which would have been normally prohibited, and have the confidence of Lysias who believed his report. b) The Greek word nianian, refers to a man in his twenties to forties, and the diminutive version nianiskon, a young man in his teens, are both used in this account for nephew. - As noted above, there is no way to specifically know why he was there, how he came about the information, or if Luke intentionally held back information about Paul s family. - It has been assumed by many that Paul s family would have been wealthy (citizenship) and influential Jews in Tarsus (to gain a spot for Paul as a student of Gamaliel), and would have been embarrassed by Paul s embracing of Christianity, and subsequently disowned him. - This makes the warning provided by the nephew interesting because either he, or his mother (Paul s sister), must have had some feelings or concern for Paul to try to prevent his assassination. - His sister and nephew may have been some of the relatives (Greek, suggeneis) he refers to later in his letter to the Romans (16:7, 11, 21) as fellow Christians, indicating not all family members remained hostile to his faith (Hackett, Acts, p. 125). - It is interesting that Luke does not mention any encouragement, support, or intervention on Paul s behalf by anyone in the Christian community in Jerusalem during this ordeal even though they are the ones who put him in the situation in the temple in the first place.

3 c) The nephew informed Paul about the plot against him. - Paul knew the potential danger extended beyond himself but to his guards and possibly others as well. - He summoned the centurion in charge and told him the nephew had important information the tribune needed to know. - It appears that Lysias had already determined Paul s innocence (Acts 23:29), so he took seriously the information provided by the nephew and immediately arranged to transfer him to Caesarea by armed guard. - It would hard to imagine Lysias not having a grudging respect for Paul who treated him (and his soldiers) with respect while getting under the skin of the local Jews. - It would be gratifying to many to find out that Lysias went ahead with the plan using a soldier as bait to flush out and eliminate the threat, but if he felt it was not worth the risk to his soldiers or would have ignited further unrest he may have just ignored the Sanhedrin s request. - Perhaps the assassins were aware of the soldier s departure with Paul and abandoned their plot, but in any event, Luke does not give us any more information regarding the Roman s possible retribution towards the collaborators. 5) The transfer to a safer location in Caesarea is needed. a) The tribune assigns a contingent of two centurions with 470 lightly armed men and horses to escort Paul quickly to the Roman governor, Felix, in Caesarea. b) They were to leave that night at 9 p.m. to quickly and secretly move him out; although that many troops moving out of the city would not be stealthy they would prevent the Jews from effectively raising a sufficient number of sympathizers for a successful ambush on the road. c) It is curious why Luke included the letter transferring custody of Paul. - He may have wanted the reader to know that the tribune found no evidence that Paul was guilty of anything deserving punishment. - In the letter, Lysias displays his own political aptitude: not mentioning his own mistakes; highlighting his effectiveness and ability to rescue Paul from harm after finding out he was a Roman citizen; and although his own exhaustive effort to investigate the issues were hampered by the Jews assassination plot (which he was able to acquire by inside intelligence), he was still was able to determine it was an internal religious issue not a civil infraction involving imprisonment or execution by Roman authorities. - Luke would not likely have had access to this letter unless the contents were read in Paul s hearing. d) The stopover in Antipatris (35 miles northwest of Jerusalem) was far enough away to reduce the number of soldiers in the escort. - The foot soldiers could return to Jerusalem to bolster the city detail in the event of increased hostilities.

4 - It was out of the mountains so the likelihood of an ambush was reduced, and close enough to the Samaritan territory with a more Gentile population reducing the risk of local interference. - This location was a little more than half way to Caesarea and was a normal stopover point for the two day journey to/from Jerusalem and may have been the same place Paul and his party went through on their way to Jerusalem just two weeks earlier. e) The convoy brought Paul safely to Caesarea. - He was brought before the provincial governor, Felix, with the transfer letter. - Felix asks Paul what province in the Roman Empire he gained his citizenship, which Paul answered Cilicia, the province Tarsus was located. - Felix could have sent him to be tried in the Syrian province, but that would mean sending all parties there for the trial, and according to the information provided in the letter from Lysias, would not be worth the effort. - So Felix agrees to handle the matter as soon as the accusers from Jerusalem arrive to present their case. - In the meantime, Paul is held in Roman custody until the matter is resolved, which will be two years before he is moved on from Caesarea. 2. Paul s third defense in custody: the procurator Felix. A. Claudius Felix became the governor of Judea in AD 52 and served till AD 59. 1) He was a freed slave, along with his brother Pallas who was an influential part of Emperor Claudius administration. 2) It was extremely unusual for a former slave to have such a high position as governor that it was most likely due to Pallas position and influence. 3) During Felix s tenure the region increased in rebellion and hostilities to which Felix responded with brutality to crush any hope the people held. 4) His ambition and arrogance was illustrated in his marriages: first wife, Drusilla of Mauretania, was the granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra; and his third wife, Drusilla of Judea, a 19 year old beauty who was the daughter of king Herod Agrippa I, was convinced to divorce her husband (the king of Emesa in the Syrian province) in order to marry Felix. 5) His authoritarian and dictatorial suppression had the opposite effect on the Jews making them more determined to fight to defend their God-given land, religion, and culture. 6) Tacitus wrote that Felix exercised the power of a king with the mind of a slave (History, 5.9) which reflects the view that he did not earn his position, work his way up through the ranks, or learn how to govern, but was given it because of his brother s contacts. 7) Felix was ultimately removed for his administrative incompetence and corruption in dealing with the Judeans (according to Josephus his wife and son died in Pompeii during the Mt. Vesuvius eruption in AD 79 [Ant., xx.7.2]).

5 B. The case against Paul before Felix. 1) Five days after Paul arrives in Caesarea the high priest and elders come to present their case against Paul with the assistance of a lawyer (Greek, rhetor) named Tertullus. a) The Latin name Tertullus, and the consistent identification with the Jewish leadership ( we in vs. 3, 4, 6) would seem to indicate he was a Hellenistic Jew, but he may be indicating his representation of his clients. b) Luke s identification of the Jews apart from their lawyer (v. 9) gives the impression he is not one of them, but the Jews may have been shorthand for the Jewish leadership pressing the case. c) Tertullus may have been one of their own or a local Gentile lawyer who was hired because of his knowledge of Roman law, understanding Roman officials, and experience in presenting cases in Roman courts which the Jewish leadership officials did not have (Martin, ABD, Vol. 6, p.391). d) The insight this lawyer could provide was to minimize the religious aspect of their charge of profaning their temple (v. 6) and emphasize Paul s threat to all Romans everywhere as a seditionist promoting civil unrest (v. 5). - This counters the summation provided by Lysias that it was simply an internal religious matter. - The charge of Paul of being a plague of spreading sedition could be enough of a concern to Felix to have him executed. - The Romans did allow the Jews to enforce temple policies regarding temple defilers (Gentiles), but this charge would be nearly impossible for them to prove in this case since the Ephesian Jews who made the initial accusation likely had already returned to Ephesus (21:28). 2) Felix allows Paul to respond to these charges. a) Paul does not begin as the skilled lawyer had with groveling flattery for the judge (capitatio benevolentiae) in order to start off on his good side (even despots like to be considered wise and just). - He simply acknowledged the governor s authority to hear the case and recognized he already had some experience dealing with the Jewish people (i.e. he knew how difficult these people could be to deal with). - His comportment was more like a head of state than a fearful subject which would have changed the dynamic between himself and the governor, compared to that of the Jews. b) His response to the charges of being a seditionist was three-fold. - He was only in Jerusalem for 12 days as a worshipper (the Greek word proskuneson is often used to describe a pilgrim [Polhill, Acts, p.482, fn. 109]) and would not provide enough time to organize any kind of rebellion even if he wanted to. - There was no evidence that he was doing anything that could remotely be described as stirring up anything in the temple, synagogues, or anywhere in the city (i.e. he was a victim who was being framed). - He was not the ringleader of a Nazarine sect but was a true follower of the Israelite God (i.e. they were the sect).

6 c) He uses this point as a launching pad to explain the meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. - As mentioned above, Paul understood his road to Damascus experience not as a conversion from Judaism to Christianity but a realization that Judaism had departed from the God of Israel, and Jesus had provided the way back to God (Rom 11:1-6). - Following Jesus was to be obedient to the Mosaic Law because Jesus fulfilled and completed what the Law was not able to do. - Paul s identification of the followers of Jesus was the Way (Greek, odos means, way, road, journey, and figuratively, attitude, habit, custom ) which pre-dates the name Christian to identify followers of Jesus. - It likely comes from Jesus self-revelation that he is the way, truth, and life (for salvation - Jn 14:6) and follows the OT pattern that the way of the Lord is the way to the Lord (Ps 37:5, Isa 40:3, Mal 3:1). - Belief in a resurrection is an important crux facing all other faiths and philosophies: it means there is a power with the ability to renew life; that power will hold that life accountable for how it has been lived; he will reward/punish accordingly based on his standards; and there has been provided only one path to pardon condemned violators and that is through faith in Jesus. - The hope Paul has about the resurrection of the dead is positive in that it provides eternal life for the just (those who stand before God with their sins covered by the blood of Christ) but negative for the unjust (those who stand before God being held accountable and punished for the guilt of their sins). - Instead of the resurrection being a divisive theological issue as it was with the Sanhedrin earlier, in this situation it shines an intimidating and threatening spotlight on those who are dispensing justice, that they will face a more powerful judge themselves (Rom 2:1-3). - Once again Paul indicates that although he is being tried in a Roman court in front of the procurator Felix, he has already been found righteous in God s court of justice which trumps this court, as it did the Jewish court (in this case his conscience is clear or blameless in this matter similar to good in 23:1). d) Paul summarizes his case: - I came to the temple as a Jewish pilgrim to honor God with offerings and participating in a well known and accepted rite of purification as an observant Jew. - I did not come as an agitator with a mob or rabble to cause problems like the zealot messianic groups roaming the countryside (implied in Nazarean label in 24:5). - While minding my own business I was accosted by pilgrims from Asia (location of Ephesus) who are not here as first hand witnesses, and in the absence of any kind of supporting evidence the charge of violating temple policy is invalid.

7 - I was taken to the Jewish council who are here as witnesses: but they can only accuse me of believing in the resurrection that some of them also believe; as a matter of faith it cannot be objectively proven or disproven; and has nothing to do with Roman law so that charge should also be determined invalid. - Paul was savvy enough to know that there was more to justice than what is right and wrong regarding a case, and had also been given divine insight that this would end up in Rome, so he was prepared for this to be continued even if he did not know for how long. e) Felix adjourns the proceeding without a decision. - His reasoning was to gather more information from the initial investigator (Lysias) before reaching a verdict. - Luke likely felt this was a delay tactic since Felix already had the transfer letter from Lysias summarizing the problem, and he never indicated Lysias was ever summoned or appeared before Felix to elaborate or clarify this matter. - The comment that Felix was well informed about the Way may have been Luke s way to indicate he knew they were not a physical threat as zealots against Romans or their occupation, but to civil unrest in areas who considered them a blasphemous sect of Judaism, a foreign concept to the polytheistic culture of Rome. - Paul was clearly innocent of any charges, but to simply decide in his favor in the face of the most powerful and influential leaders in the province could lead to a wide scale escalation in hostilities, and undermine any political aspirations he might have for a better assignment (Felix s brother Pallas had been removed from his influential position when Nero came to power in AD 55 so he no longer had that political protection). - Felix may have thought that the best decision was no decision and delaying a verdict would buy time for the parties to calm down and he could quietly slip Paul out the back door with a sufficient payoff. - In the meantime, he continues to hold Paul in custody but allows him the freedom and comforts provided by his support group of Christians in the safety and beauty of the seaside city. 3. Paul s testimony before Felix. A. Paul was invited by Felix to speak about his religion with him and his wife, Drusilla. 1) Luke had already identified Felix as having an accurate knowledge of the Way, which can mean he fully understood their political pacifistic nature, the basics of their separation from Judaism following the crucifixion of Jesus, or their doctrines which cause them to be hated by the Jews,. 2) Since Drusilla is specifically mentioned, it may be that she wanted to hear about the the Way, and as a Jewess, she may have had questions about Jesus as the Messiah from an educated rabbi such as Paul.

8 3) It also may have been an attempt for Felix to impress or entertain his wife so she could engage in conversation with a celebrity prisoner. B. Paul elaborated on Jesus and discipleship. 1) Felix wanted to know more about the meaning of faith in Christ. a) This would not be an unusual request since many polytheistic cultures are open to the new and unusual gods and philosophies as an intellectual exercise if nothing else (i.e. Athens Acts 17:19-20). b) It does not necessarily mean he was open to expressing faith in Christ, but he wanted to find out more information from someone he saw as credible, knowledgeable, insightful, wise, and authoritative on spiritual matters. c) He may have wanted the opportunity himself to have clarity regarding the beliefs of the growing Christian movement from a trusted insider, especially since Caesarea had a thriving Christian community with leaders such as Philip. d) Perhaps Felix thought he might be able to make a deal with Paul to grant him his freedom if he could somehow guarantee salvation in exchange. e) What he got was a theological presentation on what it means to be a Christian, describing the essence and process of salvation: regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. 2) Discussion on the three major themes: righteousness, self-control, and judgment. a) The Greek word, dialegomenou, refers not just to speak, but to debate, dialogue, argue, or reason through interaction with the audience. - It was the same word used when he went to work in Athens (Acts 16:17). - He wasn t there to present a pre-packaged, one-sided discussion with Felix and his wife, but to provide specific information, answer questions, question or compare religions or practices they may have participated in or known about, talk about the concept of Jesus fulfilling the requirements of the Mosaic Law, and why the Jews were so hostile towards him were all possible points of discussion. b) The first concept Paul dealt with was righteousness (Greek, dikaiosunes). - This idea refers to the question, how to be in a right relationship with God? - It does not primarily refer to morally righteous living, but involves having a right standing before God through conviction of sin, repentance, and committing to follow Christ as a disciple (regeneration). - Since man cannot achieve righteousness through their own works or efforts, forgiveness and a right standing before God can only occur through his grace enacted through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus extended to all of mankind, and enabled when man responds in submissive and obedient faith. - It is not a faith that can exist along side any other form of religion (polytheism is considered idolatry) whether it is paganism, philosophies of men, or Judaism focused on salvation through obedience to the Law.

9 - For an officer of Rome, submitting to Christ as Lord and abandoning acknowledgment of the deity of Caesar (Nero) and Roma would be a tremendous hurdle to clear. - It would also put his marriage at risk since a newfound faith in Christ could potentially drive a wedge between him and his young and beautiful wife (and her family) whom he wooed away from her previous husband. c) The second idea Paul dealt with was self-control (Greek, egkrateias). - This is the sanctification or setting apart of the believer for God (sanctification). - To follow Christ is to accept the standards of holiness established in God s written word, learning and following the teachings of Jesus, and pursuing them as a life-long goal (Gal 2:20). - No longer living according to the desires of the flesh, but according to the desires of the Spirit of God, which requires self-control from a position of strength (Rom 8:5). - Another difficult point to overcome from a man deeply embedded in the values of the world, abusing his powerful position guided by a selfserving morality, highlighted by an administration of injustice, brutality, and corruption. d) The third topic of note in Paul s message covers judgment (Greek, krimatos). - Judgment does not just include a trial or verdict, but also punishment. - Since all mankind are sinners they will all be resurrected (glorification) and stand as guilty sinners before the holy, just, and all-powerful God for judgment. - If they do not choose to repent and follow the way of Christ, by default they bear the consequences of their sin and suffer the punishment of God s wrath (Rom 2:5-6). - This suffering and torment of eternal damnation is inescapable even for Felix, and if it is true, presents a future which genuinely terrified him. - The realization of judgment based on the choices he had made in his life caused him to abruptly conclude the meeting and send Paul away. C. Paul is brought back to talk with Felix over the next two years. 1) Luke is not specific about the topics that were covered, or the motives of Felix. 2) He somehow knew that Felix was hoping Paul would present a bribe for his release, or perhaps it was a test for Paul s commitment to his own stated values, but Paul was not interested in buying his freedom since he knew God had a larger plan already in place. 3) Since he never released Paul to be tried (and likely executed) by the Jews in Jerusalem, he must have had some affinity for Paul. 4) But since he refused to release him (administrate justice), it indicates that he was unwilling to change the course of his life and his future. a) Being close and familiar with the gospel is not the same as embracing it.

10 b) Guilt and conviction were not enough to motivate him to become a follower of Christ even if it was Paul that witnessed to him for two years. c) His choice to keep Paul in custody, according to Luke, was to favor the Jewish people. - Perhaps it was out of a guilty conscience or as a political motive (although Pallas had been demoted by Nero he still was wealthy and had enough power to prevent Felix from punishment [Bruce, Acts, p. 449]). - It was a Jewish delegation complaining in Rome got him removed (Josephus, Ant ), so he ended up passing off a mess he could not resolve to the next administration. 5) Paul may have used this down time to respond to church problems in correspondence, fellowship and teach local believers, and possibly engage in discipleship activities with ministers who come to learn from him as he did with Gamaliel, but that information is not provided by Luke or Paul. 6) Some have thought that these two years may have provided Luke the time to investigate the beginnings of Jesus life and ministry since he had local access to the major actors like his family and disciples (Bock, Acts, p. 697). 7) Since Felix did not have the wisdom or strength of character to rule justly on Paul s case perhaps his replacement would.