Acts 23:12 ¶ And when it
was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a
curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
13 And they were more than forty which
had made this conspiracy. 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 until we have slain Paul.
Acts 23:15 Now therefore ye
with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you
to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him:
and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. 16 And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their
lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him,
and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain
thing to tell him. 18 So he took him,
and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called
me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath
something to say unto thee. 19 Then the
chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately,
and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire
thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though
they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 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. 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. 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; 24 And
provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him
safe unto Felix the governor. 25 And he
wrote a letter after this manner: 26
Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth
greeting. 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. 28 And when I would have known the cause
wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: 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. 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. 31 Then the
soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night
to Antipatris. 32 On the morrow they
left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle: 33 Who, when they came to Caesarea, and
delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. 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; 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.
Here is the plot and in verse 16 Paul’s nephew warns him. Why did
the translators not use the word nephew, which they had used in other contexts?
1Timothy 5:4 But if any
widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and
to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
This is because nephew at one time meant grandson which is
the way it is used in 1Timothy 5:4.
We know the name of the chief commander, Claudius Lysias. Does
this mean that this man will eventually become a Christian and that is why he
is named or is this just coincidental as the Holy Spirit tells us through Luke
who he was and what he wrote? We will know in heaven. The warning is then
related to the commander who sends a detachment of soldiers to take Paul to the
governor at the time, named Felix. A letter is sent along explaining the
situation.
Antipatris was a town built by Herod the Great on the road from
Jerusalem to Caesarea. As the distance between the two more important cities
was over 60 miles a stop-off would have been necessary with the cavalry making
better time after the stop without the infantry who would return.
Governor Felix, historians tell us, was the governor of Judea from
52-60AD although I would be careful about accepting historical dates as
absolute as there is some guesswork and assumptions involved in ancient dating.
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