Of Guilt and Innocence
“Of Guilt and Innocence”
Acts 23:12-24:27
August 3, 2008
As Paul remained in prison in Jerusalem, the events that would take him to Rome in time were set in motion, not by Paul himself, by his friends, or by the leaders of the Jerusalem church, but instead by Paul’s bitterest rivals! Of course, as we talked about last week, behind the scenes, the invisible hand of God was working to accomplish His perfect, sovereign will. And the plot line is one filled with intrigue and deceit, cunning and deliverance, flattery, pomp, and vindication.
I. Ambush – 23:12-15
More than 40 fanatical Asian Jews took an oath to ambush Paul and murder him in the narrow streets of Jerusalem, a fish-in-a-barrel situation. What they needed were accomplices to get him out of the fortress so that they could kill him there.
Note:
o The fanatical devotion of some Jews to killing Paul
o The complicity of the “religious leaders”
Their supposed zeal for the law of Moses did not preclude them from being willing accomplices to attempted murder.
II. Deliverance – 23:16-35
A. God uses a kid
God often works in surprising ways; this time, he works through a young man about whose family we know almost nothing, but one who was willing to take a risk to save his “Uncle Paul”.
B. God uses the Romans
The tribune couldn’t afford to have a Roman citizen such as Paul murdered on his watch, and sensing that Paul would never be safe as long as he was in Jerusalem, arranged for the apostle to be transported under heavy guard for the sixty miles or so that lay between Jerusalem and Caesarea.
And we’re reminded again to ask the question: Did Paul’s nephew save Paul’s life? Did a scrupulous pagan Roman tribune save Paul’s life? Or did God save Paul’s life? Yes. There is no contradiction between saying all three of those things are true.
III. Accusation – 24:1-9
Paul had nothing to fear, he believed, because though he was caught between the military might of imperial Rome, and the religious power of Jerusalem, and though he was accused by the Jews in Jerusalem of blasphemy and by the Jews to Rome of being a treasonous threat to the state, Paul knew of his innocence on both counts. To the Romans, he would write Romans 13 about the tremendous importance of submitting to the authorities raised up by God, the government, and he would write as well of how the Law was upheld by the gospel (Romans 3:31). Certainly, Rome could abuse its political power, as have nations from the beginning of time, and the Jews could misuse the Law, trying to make it into a means of salvation. But the gospel of Jesus Christ supports the legitimacy of governments and fulfills the ultimate hope of the Jews. Paul is guilty of neither sedition nor sacrilege; the same ought to be true of Christ-followers today.
The high priest Ananias, still smarting from Paul’s injudicious verbal attack, was so serious in his intent to see Paul silenced that he made the sixty-five mile trip some five days later accompanied by some of his peeps as well as a skilled rhetorician, one Tertullus. Tertullus’ case consists basically of three things: Paul’s a
A. “Pest”
B. “Pioneer”
C. “Profaner”
Basically, Tertullus attempted to play to Felix’s instability and willingness to deal swiftly and mercilessly with any whom he considered a threat to the peace. Perhaps, Felix wouldn’t be patient enough to concern himself with actual facts, but would rather just drop the hammer on this troublesome Paul and be done with it.
IV. Defense – 24:10-21
A. Contradiction
Paul begins by disputing the things that are being falsely said about him, a substantive and specific reply, in contrast to their generalities.
• Paul’s purpose in coming to Jerusalem: worship!
• Paul’s length of stay before apprehended: less than a week (hardly time to foment much of a rebellion)
• Paul’s status when accosted: alone (hardly leading a mob!)
• Paul’s response to the charge of desecration of the temple: no evidence!
Paul then follows with a
B. Confession
He didn’t back away at all from declaring that he worshiped the God of Israel, that he shared with Israel a belief in the entire Law of God and the Prophets (what we would call the Old Testament), and that he shared with them as well a belief in the resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
Paul
• Served the same God
• Believed the same truths
• Shared the same hope
• Held the same ambition for holiness
His contention is that “the Way”, Christian faith, stood in continuity with the Old Testament’s teaching, that the OT pointed to the coming of the Messiah, and that Jesus was that Man. His faith in Christ stood in direct correlation to what he had always believed: the witness of the Law and the Prophets.
Surely this would be enough to clear him, right? Wrong!
V. Access – 24:22-27
Felix knew something of Christianity, though we can only speculate as to how. But he knew that the charges against Paul were religious in nature, trumped up with the pretense of sedition against the state. Felix was on the horns of a dilemma; he couldn’t convict Paul due to the paucity of evidence, but on the other hand, he didn’t want to acquit him either, because he wanted to curry favor with the Jews (plus, as we see here, he wouldn’t have minded Paul greasing his palm with a bribe either!).
Finally, we are introduced to an episode where Felix and his wife Drusilla, apparently at Drusilla’s urging, call Paul in to help them gain a greater understanding of this thing called Christian faith. Little did they know what they were in for! Paul seized the chance, not to give them some dispassionate discourse on the finer points of theology, but to cut straight to the heart of the matter, putting his finger on what it meant to live a righteous life, how the lack of self-control—which cut them to the heart—worked against that right living, and how God would one day be their judge as well, that if Felix feared the wrath of Rome if he didn’t govern rightly, how much more ought he fear the wrath of God if he didn’t live rightly!
Note the effect on Felix: he was “alarmed”. The KJV says, “terrified”! Kent Hughes points out two tragedies in the life of an individual. One, never trembling at the thought of God’s judgment; two, trembling but, like Felix, avoiding faith in Christ. And sometimes, as in the case of Felix, to tremble and turn away leads to not trembling the next time the message is heard!
Felix was recalled eventually by Rome, but in order to keep in the good graces of the Jews, he left Paul in prison, and the new governor, Festus, would have to deal with him.
The apostle Paul went through the mill in this passage, but he boldly stood for Christ even when his life was on the line, counting his life as of less value that the proclamation of the gospel, backing up that gospel good news with a life lived in integrity before God and men.
