1Pavel upřel zrak na veleradu a řekl: „Muži bratři, až do tohoto dne žiji se zcela dobrým svědomím před Bohem.“ 2Velekněz Ananiáš však nařídil těm, kdo stáli u něho, aby ho udeřili přes ústa. 3Pavel mu řekl: „Tebe bude bít Bůh, ty obílená stěno. Ty zde sedíš, abys mě soudil podle Zákona, a proti Zákonu poroučíš, abych byl bit?“ 4Ti, kdo stáli poblíž, řekli: „Ty tupíš Božího velekněze?“ 5Pavel řekl: „Nevěděl jsem, bratři, že je veleknězem. Vždyť je napsáno: ‚Vládci svého lidu nebudeš zlořečit.‘ “ 6Protože Pavel věděl, že ve veleradě je jedna část ze saduceů a druhá z farizeů, začal volat: „Muži bratři, já jsem farizeus, syn farizeů. Jsem souzen pro naději a vzkříšení mrtvých. “ 7Když to řekl, nastala hádka mezi farizeji a saduceji a shromáždění se rozdělilo. 8Saduceové totiž říkají, že není vzkříšení, ani andělé ani duchové, kdežto farizeové to všechno vyznávají. 9Nastal veliký křik a někteří učitelé Zákona ze strany farizeů povstali a začali prudce namítat: „Nenacházíme na tomto člověku nic zlého. Co když k němu promluvil duch nebo anděl? “ 10Hádka se zvětšovala a velitel dostal strach, aby Pavla nerozsápali. Rozkázal vojákům, aby sešli dolů, vyrvali ho z jejich středu a odvedli do kasáren. 11Následující noci se k němu postavil Pán a řekl: „Buď statečný! Jako jsi o mně svědčil v Jeruzalémě, tak musíš svědčit i v Římě.“ 12Když nastal den, někteří Židé se spikli a zapřisáhli, že nebudou jíst ani pít, dokud Pavla nezabijí. 13Těch, kdo se takto spikli, bylo více než čtyřicet. 14Ti přišli k velekněžím a starším a řekli: „Slavnostně jsme se zapřisáhli, že ničeho neokusíme, dokud Pavla nezabijeme. 15Tak vy nyní spolu s veleradou ohlašte veliteli, aby ho k vám přivedl, že se chystáte jeho záležitost důkladněji vyšetřit. A my jsme připraveni zabít ho dříve, než se k vám přiblíží.“ 16O tomto úkladu však uslyšel syn Pavlovy sestry. Přišel a vešel do kasáren a oznámil to Pavlovi. 17Pavel si zavolal jednoho ze setníků a řekl: „Tohoto mladíka zaveď k veliteli. Má mu co oznámit.“ 18On ho tedy vzal s sebou, zavedl k veliteli a řekl: „Vězeň Pavel si mě zavolal a požádal, abych tohoto mladíka zavedl k tobě, protože ti má něco říci.“ 19Velitel ho vzal za ruku, odešel s ním stranou a vyptával se: „Co je to, co mi máš oznámit?“ 20On řekl: „Židé se domluvili, že tě požádají, abys zítra odvedl Pavla do velerady, jako by chtěli něco v jeho případě důkladněji vyšetřit. 21Ale ty jim nevěř, neboť více než čtyřicet mužů z nich na něho číhá; zapřisáhli se totiž, že nebudou jíst ani pít, dokud ho nezabijí, a nyní jsou připraveni a čekají jen na tvůj souhlas. “ 22Velitel mladíka propustil a nařídil mu: „Nikomu nevyzraď, žes mi to ohlásil. “ 23Pak zavolal dva ze svých setníků a řekl jim: „Připravte na devátou hodinu večer dvě stě vojáků, aby šli do Cesareje, také sedmdesát jezdců a dvě stě lehkooděnců. 24Ať připraví mezky, aby na ně posadili Pavla a bezpečně ho dopravili k místodržiteli Félixovi. “ 25A napsal dopis tohoto znění: 26„Klaudios Lysias zdraví vznešeného místodržitele Félixe. 27Tohoto muže se Židé zmocnili a chtěli ho zabít. Přišel jsem s vojskem a vytrhl jim ho, když jsem se dozvěděl, že je římský občan. 28Chtěl jsem se dozvědět, z čeho jej obviňují, a proto jsem ho odvedl do jejich velerady. 29Shledal jsem, že je obviňován kvůli sporným otázkám jejich Zákona, ale že na něm není žádná vina, za niž by zasluhoval smrt nebo vězení. 30Protože mi bylo oznámeno, že Židé proti tomuto muži chystají úklady, posílám ho hned k tobě. Také žalobcům jsem nařídil, aby to, co mají proti němu, řekli před tebou. Buď zdráv. “ 31Vojáci tedy, podle toho, jak jim bylo nařízeno, vzali Pavla a zavedli ho v noci do Antipatridy. 32Druhého dne nechali jezdce s ním odjet a sami se vrátili do kasáren. 33Jezdci přijeli do Cesareje, odevzdali dopis místodržiteli a postavili před něho i Pavla. 34Přečetl dopis a zeptal se, ze které je provincie. Když se dověděl, že z Kilikie, 35řekl: „ Vyslechnu tě, až přijdou také tvoji žalobci.“ A rozkázal, aby ho hlídali v Herodově paláci.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 PAUL'S DEFENSE BEFORE THE SAMHEDRIM DIVIDES THE RIVAL FACTIONS, FROM WHOSE VIOLENCE THE COMMANDANT HAS THE APOSTLE REMOVED INTO THE FORTRESS. (
Acts 23:1-
Acts 23:10)
Paul, earnestly beholding the council--with a look of conscious integrity and unfaltering courage, perhaps also recognizing some of his early fellow pupils.
I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day--The word has an indirect reference to the "polity" or "commonwealth of Israel," of which he would signify that he had been, and was to that hour, an honest and God-fearing member.
2 the high priest . . . commanded . . . to smite him on the mouth--a method of silencing a speaker common in the East to this day [HACKET]. But for a judge thus to treat a prisoner on his "trial," for merely prefacing his defense by a protestation of his integrity, was infamous.
3 God shall smite thee--as indeed He did; for he was killed by an assassin during the Jewish war [JOSEPHUS, Wars of the Jews, 2.17.9].
thou whited wall--that is, hypocrite (
Matt 23:27). This epithet, however correctly describing the man, must not be defended as addressed to a judge, though the remonstrance which follows--"for sittest thou," &c.--ought to have put him to shame.
5 I wist not . . . that he was the high priest--All sorts of explanations of this have been given. The high priesthood was in a state of great confusion and constant change at this time (as appears from JOSEPHUS), and the apostle's long absence from Jerusalem, and perhaps the manner in which he was habited or the seat he occupied, with other circumstances to us unknown, may account for such a speech. But if he was thrown off his guard by an insult which touched him to the quick, "what can surpass the grace with which he recovered his self-possession, and the frankness with which he acknowledged his error? If his conduct in yielding to the momentary impulse was not that of Christ Himself under a similar provocation (
John 18:22-
John 18:23), certainly the manner in which he atoned for his fault was Christ-like" [HACKET].
6 when Paul perceived--from the discussion which plainly had by this time arisen between the parties.
that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out--raising his voice above both parties.
I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee--The true reading seems to be, "the son of Pharisees," that is, belonging to a family who from father to son had long been such.
of the hope and resurrection of the dead--that is, not the vague hope of immortality, but the definite expectation of the resurrection.
I am called in question--By this adroit stroke, Paul engages the whole Pharisaic section of the council in his favor; the doctrine of a resurrection being common to both, though they would totally differ in their application of it. This was, of course, quite warrantable, and the more so as it was already evident that no impartiality in trying his cause was to be looked for from such an assembly.
8 the Sadducees say . . . there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit--(See on
Luke 20:37).
the scribes . . . of the Pharisees' part . . . strove, saying, We find no evil in this man, but--as to those startling things which he brings to our ears.
if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him--referring, perhaps, to his trance in the temple, of which he had told them (
Acts 22:17). They put this favorable construction upon his proceedings for no other reason than that they had found him one of their own party. They care not to inquire into the truth of what he alleged, over and above their opinions, but only to explain it away as something not worth raising a noise about. (The following words, "Let us not fight against God," seem not to belong to the original text, and perhaps are from
Acts 5:39. In this case, either the meaning is, "If he has had some divine communication, what of that?" or, the conclusion of the sentence may have been drowned in the hubbub, which
Acts 23:10 shows to have been intense).
10 the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled to pieces . . . commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force, &c.--This shows that the commandant was not himself present, and further, that instead of the Sanhedrim trying the cause, the proceedings quickly consisted in the one party attempting to seize the prisoner, and the other to protect him.
11 IN THE FORTRESS PAUL IS CHEERED BY A NIGHT VISION--AN INFAMOUS CONSPIRACY TO ASSASSINATE HIM IS PROVIDENTIALLY DEFEATED, AND HE IS DESPATCHED BY NIGHT WITH A LETTER FROM THE COMMANDANT TO FELIX AT CĆSAREA, BY WHOM ARRANGEMENTS ARE MADE FOR A HEARING OF HIS CAUSE. (Acts 23:11-35)
the night following--his heart perhaps sinking, in the solitude of his barrack ward, and thinking perhaps that all the predictions of danger at Jerusalem were now to be fulfilled in his death there.
the Lord--that is, Jesus.
stood by him . . . Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou . . . also at Rome--that is, "Thy work in Jerusalem is done, faithfully and well done; but thou art not to die here; thy purpose next to 'see Rome' (
Acts 19:21) shall not be disappointed, and there also must thou bear witness of Me." As this vision was not unneeded now, so we shall find it cheering and upholding him throughout all that befell him up to his arrival there.
12 bound themselves under a curse . . . that they would neither eat . . . fill they had killed Paul--Compare
2Sam 3:35;
1Sam 14:24.
15 Now . . . ye with the council signify to the chief captain . . . as though, &c.--That these high ecclesiastics fell in readily with this infamous plot is clear. What will not unscrupulous and hypocritical religionists do under the mask of religion? The narrative bears unmistakable internal marks of truth.
or ever he come near--Their plan was to assassinate him on his way down from the barracks to the council. The case was critical, but He who had pledged His word to him that he should testify for Him at Rome provided unexpected means of defeating this well-laid scheme.
16 Paul's sister's son--(See on
Acts 9:30). If he was at this time residing at Jerusalem for his education, like Paul himself, he may have got at the schools those hints of the conspiracy on which he so promptly acted.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions--Though divinely assured of safety, he never allows this to interfere with the duty he owed to his own life and the work he had yet to do. (See on
Acts 27:22-
Acts 27:25;
Acts 27:31).
19 took him by the hand--This shows that he must have been quite in his boyhood, and throws a pleasing light on the kind-hearted impartiality of this officer.
21 and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee--Thus, as is so often the case with God's people, not till the last moment, when the plot was all prepared, did deliverance come.
23 two hundred soldiers--a formidable guard for such an occasion; but Roman officials felt their honor concerned in the preservation of the public peace, and the danger of an attempted rescue would seem to require it. The force at Jerusalem was large enough to spare this convoy.
the third hour of the night--nine o'clock.
24 beasts . . . set Paul on--as relays, and to carry baggage.
unto Felix, the governor--the procurator. See on
Acts 24:24-
Acts 24:25.
26 Claudius--the Roman name he would take on purchasing his citizenship.
Lysias--his Greek family name.
the most excellent governor--an honorary title of office.
27 came I with an army--rather, "with the military."
29 perceived to be accused of questions of their law, &c.--Amidst all his difficulty in getting at the charges laid against Paul, enough, no doubt, come out to satisfy him that the whole was a question of religion, and that there was no case for a civil tribunal.
30 gave commandment to his accusers . . . to say before thee--This was not done when he wrote, but would be before the letter reached its destination.
31 brought him . . . to Antipatris--nearly forty miles from Jerusalem, on the way to Cćsarea; so named by Herod in honor of his father, Antipater.
32 On the morrow they--the infantry.
left the horsemen--themselves no longer needed as a guard. The remaining distance was about twenty-five or twenty-six miles.
34 asked of what province he was--the letter describing him as a Roman citizen.
35 I will hear thee--The word means, "give thee a full hearing."
to be kept in Herod's judgment hall--"prćtorium," the palace built at Cćsarea by Herod, and now occupied by the Roman procurators; in one of the buildings attached to which Paul was ordered to be kept.
