Conspiracy is Discovered – Acts 23

Joy:  You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #112.  Today we’ll read Acts chapter 23 together:  Paul wisely starts a ruckus in the Sanhedrin; a conspiracy is discovered; and Paul is sent by night to Governor Felix.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Welcome

I received the best email today from a dear sister in Christ.  She said we could share it and this is how it reads:

I want to thank my church family for your prayers and support on this journey. God is good!

The pathology report came in negative on all fronts….A very good report! Lymph nodes are clear and lesion removal came out with clear edges. Most interesting….”biopsy site changes are present”. This phrase is repeated 3 times in this report. No radiation treatment is recommended. (I had opted out anyway)

Pathologic Stage Classification:  pT1c     snpN0……… When I looked this up, clinical jargon, when interpreted, represents a lesion smaller at extraction compared to biopsy. Less than stage one!

I knew something was up when they had to take me into imaging 3 times….pre-op.

God is good and faithful! I am blessed beyond my worth to have come through this as easily as I have. The hand of the Lord was in this all the way. The journey is not over, yet to come are the blessed years of staying cancer free. I pray His will be done for He knows better than I. 

We must always rejoice in His name, count our blessings and give Him the Glory!

I had delivered today, a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my church family! Thank You! Another first for me, I have never had flowers delivered to my home before…….special!

Please share this note with others and give Glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Your Sister in Christ.

And we, at Lake Don Pedro Baptist Church are lifting our voices in praise to our Lord, for this most wonderful blessing!

Acts Chapter 23

Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.” The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?”

Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”

“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”

A Dispute

When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.

The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks. The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

The Plot Against Paul

When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who had formed this plot. These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”

But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”

Paul’s Nephew Reveals the Plot

So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”

The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”

“The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush — men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”

So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”

To Caesarea by Night

He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”

Letter to Governor Felix

He wrote the following letter:

Claudius Lysias,

To the most excellent governor Felix:

Greetings.

When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.

So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.

Closing Thoughts

The slapping scene is certainly reminiscent of King David’s unwillingness to lay a hand on King Saul in the book of I Samuel.  However, that respect for the law did not keep Paul from taking advantage of the fact that the Pharisees and the Sadducees did not play nice when it came to the resurrection.  A perfectly executed diversion and it was back to the barracks for Paul; this time for his protection! 

After finding out that there was an ambush waiting for Paul, the commander decided to send Paul to Governor Felix in Caesarea by night.  What did you think of that letter the commander wrote? Did you notice that he described himself and his part in the events concerning Paul in the best possible light?  He definitely embellished a little bit.  But it was all ordained by God.  Caesarea would be the place where Paul witnessed for the next couple of years, on his way to Rome. 

Prayer

Let’s pray.  Lord, we see here again how You so beautifully orchestrated Paul’s ministry – how You protected his every step.  Thank You so much for Your protection of Paul and of us, Lord.  Help us not to boast in ourselves but to always give You the Glory.  Amen. 

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.