ACTS LESSON 51

    We will begin this lesson in Acts 23:21 "But do not thou yield
unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men,
which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat
nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking
for a promise from thee."

    In the last lesson, we saw Paul brought before the council. The
council really did not find anything they could convict him of. Forty
men banned together and took an oath not to eat until they killed
Paul. Paul's nephew overheard and came and told Paul. Paul sends this
nephew to the captain, so the captain can protect Paul from these
forty men. These men were going to try to get the captain to bring
Paul out to be questioned. While he is out, they plan to kill him.
Remember, the captain is afraid for any harm to come to Paul, because
he is a Roman citizen.

    Acts 23:22 "So the chief captain [then] let the young man depart,
and charged [him, See thou] tell no man that thou hast shewed these
things to me."

    This chief captain has to live in this area, so he can not let
these people know that he knew about this plot. He is getting Paul out
of this, but he cannot let the people know why he is taking Paul out.
It would look like he had taken sides with Paul against them.

    Acts 23:23 "And he called unto [him] two centurions, saying, Make
ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore
and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;"

    This is a very large group to guard this one man. This is about
the same number that would go to guard a king. This captain was going
to make sure no one would kill Paul on the way. Seventy horsemen went
with them. They left at 9 p.m.

    Acts 23:24 "And provide [them] beasts, that they may set Paul on,
and bring [him] safe unto Felix the governor."

    Felix means happy. Felix was a Roman procurator. Felix had been a
slave, but was freed by Claudius Caesar and was elevated to governor
in Judaea.

    Acts 23:25 "And he wrote a letter after this manner:" Acts 23:26
"Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix [sendeth]
greeting."

    Up until this point, we have just heard him spoken of as captain.
Now we are told that the captain's name was Claudius Lysias.

    Acts 23:27 "This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been
killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having
understood that he was a Roman.

    This captain is just sure that it will put him in good favor that
he saved a Roman citizen from being killed by a mob of Jews.

    Acts 23:28 "And when I would have known the cause wherefore they
accused him, I brought him forth into their council:" 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."

    We really see the divine providence of God in all of this. God
caused this captain, really, to get Paul out of danger. The captain
said they wanted to kill him, because of a technicality in their
Jewish law. He, also says, that Paul has not done anything to warrant
punishment.

    Acts 23:30 "And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait
for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his
accusers also to say before thee what [they had] against him.
Farewell."

    Part of this was not true, when the captain sent Paul away by
night unknown to the Jews. The captain waited until after Paul was
safe, before he tells them that they will have to bring their
complaints to Felix. This letter was explaining why he sent Paul to
Felix.

    Acts 23:31 "Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took
Paul, and brought [him] by night to Antipatris."

    Antipatris was thirty-eight miles away from Jerusalem. Paul was
sent by night to keep from arousing these forty men who were sworn to
kill him.

    Acts 23:32 "On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him,
and returned to the castle:"

    This just means that somewhere between six and nine hours later,
they came to Antipatris. The horsemen left the soldiers, and they took
Paul the last part of the journey. They would leave Paul with Felix
and go back to the castle in Jerusalem.

    Acts 23:33 "Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the
epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him."

    These soldiers had orders to turn Paul over to no one except
Felix. Along with Paul, they gave the letter from their captain to
Felix.

    Acts 23:34 "And when the governor had read [the letter], he asked
of what province he was. And when he understood that [he was] of
Cilicia;" Acts 23:35 "I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers
are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment
hall."

    What appeared to Paul to be a safe haven is now far from that.
Instead of Felix protecting Paul from these forty Jews, Felix just
orders Paul held until they can catch up and accuse Paul before Felix.
This is just a delay, not a reprieve. Really, all of this is actually
taking Paul closer to Rome. We must remember that the Lord had
appeared to Paul and told him be of good cheer, because he would bear
witness of Him in Rome as he had in Jerusalem. Felix, perhaps, did not
take his word for Paul's innocence. He wanted to be thought of as
being just, so he was going to wait and hear both sides of this
argument, before he makes up his mind. His inquiry about where Paul
was from was to make sure that he fell within his jurisdiction.

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                           Acts 51 Questions


1.  How many men lay in wait for Paul?
2.  What had they done to show how serious they were about killing
    Paul?
3.  What were they not going to do, until they killed Paul?
4.  What had the council found Paul guilty of?
5.  Who had overheard their plot to kill Paul?
6.  Why was the captain afraid for Paul to be killed?
7.  What did the captain warn the young man of?
8.  Why did he not want the people to know what he had told the nephew
    of Paul?
9.  Who did the captain call to him to give orders to about what to do
    with Paul?
10. How many soldiers would go and guard Paul?
11. How many horsemen went?
12. What time did they leave Jerusalem?
13. How did Paul travel?
14. What does Felix mean?
15. Who was Felix?
16. Who had freed Felix?
17. What was the captain's name?
18. Who had Paul been taken of?
19. Why had the captain sent soldiers in to protect Paul?
20. What did the captain perceive Paul to be accused of?
21. What was the captain's verdict of what Paul had done?
22. What small untruth did the captain tell in verse 30?
23. Where did the soldiers take Paul?
24. How far was this from Jerusalem?
25. Where did they deliver Paul to Felix?
26. What did Felix ask Paul, to see if Paul was in his jurisdiction?
27. What unpleasant decision did Felix make?
28. Where was Paul held until court day?

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