Acts
23:12-22
5. The gospel reaches Rome, 21:1-28:31
vi] The attempted assassination of Paul
SynopsisAfter the Sanhedrin breaks down in disorder and Paul is escorted back to the barracks, a group of some forty conservative Jews, assisted by the religious authorities, dedicate themselves to the assassination of Paul, the heretic. Discovering the plot, Paul's sister sends her son to warn Paul. The commander, now aware of the plot, prepares to move Paul to Caesarea.
Teaching
Evil intentions cannot derail God's purposes, for His purposes are irresistible.
Issues
i] Context: See 21:1-16..
ii] Background:
•iThe movement of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, 1:1-11;
•i See 21:27-40 for map of Jerusalem.
iii] Structure: The attempted assassination of Paul:
The plot thickens, v12-15;
A timely warning, v16-22.
iv] Interpretation:
Luke now sets out to explain how Paul ends up being transferred from Jerusalem to Caesarea to be judged by a higher judicial authority, namely, the provincial governor. Obviously, for the commander, moving the case out of his jurisdiction relieves him of a potential flash-point in local politics.
Luke makes sure the reader understands that the threat against Paul's life is a serious one. Three times Luke describes how determined these zealots are to have Paul disposed of; they are willing to dedicate their life to this task, neither eating nor drinking until all is accomplished - an act further corrupted by an oath before God. Luke also makes sure that the reader understands the complicity of the religious authorities in the plot - Israel's corruption goes all the way to the top.
For the first time, we learn something of Paul's family; he has a married sister and a nephew. She was obviously raised in Jerusalem along with Paul, and has since married. Given the way Luke describes the interaction between the commander and Paul's nephew, the boy is young, possibly a pre-pubescent lad, cf., v19. Of course, it all depends on how we view the prohibitive subjunctive mh peisqh/V, "do not be persuaded [by them]", v21. Even an adult is not going to instruct the commander on the appropriate response to the threat on Paul's life, so we have a suggestion here, or even a request, "Please don't be persuaded by them".
It is interesting to note that Luke continues to remain silent about the support, or otherwise, of the Jerusalem church in Paul's predicament. Paul's family is obviously supportive, but where is the church? One wonders whether Luke is following the line "If you can't tell the world she's a good little girl, just say nothing at all". The best we can surmise is that they are laying low, possibly even with the view that Paul has brought this on himself due to his antinomian stance.
With respect to the Lukan apologetic, Luke again underlines the fact that the dispute between Paul, a Roman citizen, and the Jews, is "not a matter of Roman law, but an internal disagreement over interpretation of the Torah", Dunn.
Luke's "we" reporting does not recommence until 27:1 and so this has prompted numerous theories as to source, eg., an independent source unrelated to Paul's appearance before the Sanhedrin, so Conzelmann. Fitzmyer suggests again that Luke, a third generation Christian, is drawing on a Pauline source, either composed notes about Paul's life, or an oral tradition developed by associates and friends. Of course, Paul may have just told Luke what happened!!!
v] Homiletics: God's Purposes are Irresistible
I'm an old Evangelical - that's evangelical with a capital E. I'm a member of a party that developed in the Church of England during the Wesleyan revival; an association of believers who identified with the aspirations of the revival, but continued to do so in the established church. In simple terms, an Evangelical is a believer loyal to the gospel and the Prayer Book.
I first observed Evangelical methodology when my mother told my wife and I that it was time to get our first child done (Christened, that is!). Dutifully, I organised an appointment with the local minister of the Eastwood Anglican Church in Sydney. The Rector, the Rev. Allan Funnel, spent a few moments chatting about the service and then asked the BIG question, did I believe in Jesus. Not really, was my reply, but it may all be true. Anyway, he asked if I would read a little book were he to gave me one. I was happy to read his book and so he gave me the tract "Becoming a Christian" by John Stott. After the Christening I read his book, and here I am, a believer.
I'm not sure what went wrong. After I was ordained in the Anglican church, it all started to change. A strong puritan movement swept through the Evangelical party of the Anglican church and so it somehow became unholy to use the church as a fishing boat - Christening unbelievers was frowned on. Parish Papers with their parish-pump news and gospel message ceased publication, parish visitation died, guest services faded, and it all became about the sheep in sheep-fold.
The answer to this stagnation was the Church Growth movement, employing a performance based group-dynamic sociology to grow the church with middle-class adherents, a methodology at odds with Anglican piety and theology. The little branch churches, serving to maintain a witness in their local community, serving to banner Jesus, were soon sacrificed to the altar of the magic number 200. As performance replaced liturgy, the diehards were relegated to an early morning service as punishment for resisting the Spirit, and now even this concession is being denied.
As Paul sits in prison wondering why all his carefully laid plans for his gospel mission to Rome have come to nothing, he witnesses the other player in the game. Some may call it chance - Paul's sister finding out about the plot to kill him. No, not chance, but providence. Paul will take his gospel of grace to the centre of the world because God's purposes are irresistible.
![[Map]](images/acts29.gif)
I feel a touch like Augustine that year in 410 when he heard of the sack of the eternal city, Rome. Yet, as Augustine wrote in his majestic work, The City of God, the grubbing of that city, along with its pragmatic advantages for gospel ministry, did not in any way touch the divine will, for God's purposes are irresistible.
Image: Alexander Jablukov.
Title: Kellum suggests "The Irresistible Progress of God's Purposes".
Text - 23:12
The attempted assassination of Paul, v12-22; i] The plot thickens, v12-15. The taking of an oath to undertake a religious duty, even to the point of not eating and drinking, and this to murder someone, indicates the fanatical nature of these Ioudaioi, "Jews". Some texts have "some Jews", as NIV. Obviously, not all Jews are hostile toward Paul, but for those who are, they blindly overstep God's law. "The irony is that they take an oath before God that actually violates God's standards and will", Bock.
genomnhV (ginomai) gen. aor. part "the next [morning]" - [but/and, day] having become. The genitive participle, and its genitive subject hJmeraV, "day", forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal; "When it was day", ESV.
poihsanteV (poiew) "[some Jews] formed" - [the jews] having made [a gathering = conspiracy, they cursed / swore themselves]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to curse" - here in the sense of to place oneself under a curse by means of an oath to God; "They formed a plot and bound themselves under a curse (ie., "May God curse me if I fail to perform this", Barclay, Gk.)."
legonteV (legw) pres. part. "-" - saying. Culy, as usual, treats these types of participles as adverbial, here expressing means, "by saying", but they usually function to introduce direct speech, although here, obviously not. Kellum opts for indirect speech, assisted by the two infinitive "to eat" and "to drink". It seems more likely that the participle is expressing attendant action to the verb "to curse / swear" = "to place oneself under the curse of God by an oath". So, "they made a plot and made a curse, saying / and said ......." Zerwick suggests the sense is "promising", but possibly even "agreeing"; "some Jews conspired and solemnly swore an oath, agreeing not to eat or drink ....."
fagein (fagw) aor. inf. "[not] to eat" - [neither] to eat [nor to drink]. Rogers Gk. suggests that the infinitives "to eat" and "to drink" are epexegetic, specifying the oath, but it seems more likely that they are introducing an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what the conspirators are "saying / promising / agreeing", namely, that they will not eat or drink until they have killed Paul.
e{wV ou| + subj. "until" - until [they may kill paul]. This construction introduces an indefinite temporal clause, future time, as NIV.
v13
The Greek sentence reads "The ones having made the conspiracy (nominative subject) were (verb) many of the forty (nominative predicate)". Most English translations tend toward an impersonal use of the verb to-be, "there were", a comparative treatment of the genitive, "more than forty", and an attributive treatment of the participial, "who made this conspiracy".
tesserakonta gen. adj. "[more] than forty men" - [but/and, there were many] of the forty. The indeclinable adjective "forty" serves as a substantive (identifying articles are not normally used with numbers) and takes a genitive case (assumed), adjectival, partitive, limiting / modifying the predicate adjective pleiouV, "many"; "The ones who participated in this conspiracy were more of forty men", best expressed as a comparative, "More than forty men formed this plot".
oiJ .... poihsamenoi aor. part. "involved" - the ones having made [this conspiracy, plot]. The participle serves as a substantive, and with its accusative direct object "this plot", serves as the nominative subject of the imperfect verb to-be; "the ones having made / who made this plot". A somewhat paraphrastic construction, so "Those who conspired".
v14
The Jewish authorities find themselves complicit in the fanaticism of the zealots, men who are willing to murder in the name of God. It is this very fanaticism that stokes the Jewish revolt against Rome and ultimately puts an end to the theocratic state of Israel. Of course, religious fanaticism is one thing; survival is another - devotions were prescribed for those unable to fulfil their vow!!
proselqonteV (prosercomai) aor. part. "they went" - [who] came toward. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to say"; "they went to ....... and said".
toiV arciereusin (uV ewV) dat. "the chief priests" - the chief priests [and the elders, said]. As with "elders", dative of direct object after the proV prefix verb "to come toward".
anaqemati (a atoV) dat. "a solemn oath" - [we devoted = bound ourselves] in a curse = oath. The dative is adverbial, instrumental, expressing means; "by means of an oath".
mhdenoV gen. adj. "not" - [to eat] of nothing. Genitive of direct object after the verb "to taste of something".
geusasqai (geuomai) aor. inf. "to eat" - to eat. Given that the verb "to devote = bind" takes the direct object "ourselves", the infinitive can't introduce an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what they devoted / bound themselves to, although Culy suggests an assumed legonteV, "saying", may solve this problem; "We have bound ourselves by an oath promising that we will eat no food until we have killed Paul". Taken as it stands, the infinitive is adverbial, and for this reason Kellum classifies it as final, expressing purpose, "in order that .....", although purpose seems a little incongruous.
e{wV ouJ + subj. "until" - until [we may kill paul]. This construction introduces an indefinite temporal clause, future time, as NIV.
v15
A judicial meeting of the Sanhedrin consisted of twenty four members (a kind of combined judge and jury) and two clerks, the person under charge, and attendees. There were rooms in the temple complex for council proceeds, but legal proceeding usually took place in the Council House, a building situated on the western wall. It is likely that the intended investigation of Paul was planned for this venue. The distance between the Council House and the Antonia fortress is about one kilometre, either across the temple forecourt or via the city. The conspirators plan to assassinate Paul while he is being transported. For their plan to work, the religious authorities need to emfanizate, "make a representation to", the commander, diaginwskein, "to make further inquiry into the case", ta peri autou, "with a view to reaching a decision", Barrett - Luke is using legal terminology here. At this time in Jerusalem, leading up to the revolt, surreptitiously stabbing political opponents in public developed into an art-form - a fine blade into the kidneys assured a slow and painful death.
sun + dat. "and the Sanhedrin" - [now therefore, you] with [the sanhedrin, council]. Expressing association / accompaniment. The uJmeiV, "you", refers to the chief priests and the elders which is the Sanhedrin. Luke may want to make sure that the reader understands the complicity of all the religious authorities in this plot, but it is possible that the conspirators are assumed with the Council; "Let an application be made to the tribune both by ourselves and the Council", Cassirer.
tw/ ciliarcw/ (oV) dat. "the commander" - [make a representation to] the tribune. Dative of direct object after the en prefix verb "to make a representation to".
oJpwV + subj. "-" - that [he may bring down him into you]. This construction serves to introduce a final clause expressing purpose; "in order that the tribune might bring him down to you".
wJV mellontaV (mellw) pres. part. + inf. "on the pretext of wanting" - like being about. The use of the comparative wJV + a participle + an inf. is an idiomatic construct used when introducing a pretence; "as if being about to investigate" = "as if you were going to investigate" cf., Culy 27:30; "as if you wanted to diagnose more particularly about his affairs", Berkeley; "pretending to get more accurate information about him", TEV.
diaginwskein (diaginwskw) "more accurate information" - to investigate, determine [more accurately] (= to make [further] inquiries into the case). Complementary infinitive, completing the sense of the participle "being about = going". The comparative adjective akribisteron, "more diligent, accurate", is used as an adverb, "more diligently, accurately".
ta acc. art. "[about his] case" - the things [concerning him] (= with a view to reaching a decision). The article serves as a nominalizer turning the prepositional phrase "concerning him" into a substantive, accusative direct object of the verb "to investigate".
tou + inf. "[to kill]" - [we are ready] of the [to kill him]. The genitive articular infinitive is used either to express purpose or to specify, here epexegetic, specifying in what sense the conspirators are "ready", namely, they are ready "to kill him".
pro tou + inf. "before" - before [he gets here]. This construction is temporal and is used to express antecedent time; "before".
v16
Under Roman administration, family and friends are usually able to visit those in prison for support and the provision of daily needs. As for the warning about the plot, as a side note we learn that Paul has a married sister living in Jerusalem.
akouisaV (akouw) aor. part. "when [the son of Paul's sister] heard" - [but/and the son of the sister of paul] having heard. The participle is adverbial, temporal, as NIV.
paragenomenoV (paraginomai) aor. part. "he went" - having come [and having entered into into the barracks he announced, reported]. Along with the participle "having entered into", attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to report, announce, tell".
tw/ Paulw/ (oV) dat. "Paul" - to paul. Dative of indirect object.
v17
Cho and Park suggest that Paul "highly recommends" that the centurion take the boy to the tribune, rather than a bland "take this young man to the commander", Barclay. Although maybe, as suggested by Johnson, Paul's status is now "elevated" somewhat. None-the-less, it is likely that the imperative "to bring, take" is a rhetorical request rather than a command, although Paul does have some status in that he is able to summon an ekatontarchV, "a centurion", ie., an officer. Riff-raff would be told to shut-up.
proskalesamenoV (parakalew) aor. part. "called" - [but/and paul] having called. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to say"; "Paul summoned one of the officers and said", Moffatt.
twn ekatontarcwn (hV ou ) gen. "[one] of the centurions" - one [of the centurions, officers]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.
gar "-" - for. Serving to introduce a causal clause explaining why the officer needs to take the boy to the commander.
apaggeilai (apaggelw) aor. inf. "to tell" - [he has certain] to tell, report. Epexegetic infinitive, specifying the substantive adjective ti, "certain" = "something"; "he has something that he has to report to him".
autw/ dat. pro. "him" - to him. Dative of indirect object.
v18
This restatement serves to progress the narrative. The commander may be treating Paul with kid-gloves, but he is still a desmioV, "prisoner" - "the tribune considers it might be dangerous to let him go", Barrett.
men oun "so" - and therefore. Transitional construction, indicating a step in the narrative which connects logically to the preceding section, while indicating that another step in the narrative is about to follow, which step is usually introduced by de, as here in v19; see 1:6.
oJ .... paralabwn (paralambanw) aor. part. "he took" - the one having taken [him brought him toward the commander]. The participle serves as a substantive, nominative subject of the verb "to lead, bring".
proskalesamenoV (proskalew) aor. mid. part. "sent for [me]" - [the prisoner] having summoned [me, asked]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to ask".
agagein (agw) aor. inf. "to bring" - to bring [this young man toward you]. Introducing an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what Paul asked the officer to do; "that I bring this young man to you".
econta (ecw) "because he has" - having [certain = something]. The NIV takes the participle as adverbial, causal, so Barrett, "as he has something to tell you", Moffatt, but Culy points out that the participle is accusative, rather than nominative, and so is not modifying the main verb, rather, it likely stands in agreement with the accusative noun "young man", and so is adjectival, attributive, limiting "young man", "who has something to say to you".
lalhsai (lalew) aor. inf. "to tell" - to say. Epexegetic infinitive, specifying the substantive adjective ti, "certain" = "something"; "he has something that he has to say to you".
soi dat. pro. "you" - to you. Dative of indirect object.
v19
Luke again displays his underlying apologetic toward Rome by revealing the positive nature of Roman justice - Paul is given fair treatment by the Roman authorities while imprisoned. Dunn makes an interesting comment when he notes that "significantly, it is to the Romans that he (Paul) turns: there is no help to be looked for within Judaism, or even the Jerusalem church." An argument from silence is dangerous, but if the church had sought to assist Paul during his imprisonment, we would expect Luke to give due recognition to any act of Christian charity. The silence is deafening.
epilabomenoV (epilambanomai) aor. part. "[the commander] took" - [but/and the commander] having taken hold of. The NIV treats this participle as attendant circumstance, but it is more likely adverbial, best treated as temporal, "Then the Tribune, on taking him by the arm, drew aside and asked him, 'What have you to tell me?'".
thV ceiroV (r roV) gen. "by the hand" - the = his hand. Genitive of direct object after the epi prefix verb "to take hold of".
anacwrhsan (anacwrew) aor. part. "drew him aside" - [and] having withdrawn, gone back, departed [according to oneself = privately, he was enquiring]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the imperfect verb "to enquire". The prepositional phrase kat idian, "according to oneself", is an idiomatic construct meaning "privately, aside".
tiv pro. "What" - what. The interrogative pronoun, serving as the predicate nominative of the verb to-be estin, introduces a direct question.
apaggeilai (apaggellw) aor. inf. "to tell" - [you have which] to report [to me is what]? Both Culy and Kellum suggest that the infinitive is epexegetic; "What is the news thou bringest me?", Knox. Note how the NIV takes the verb "to have" in the sense of "to want, will" and so treats the infinitive as if it were complementary. None-the-less, technically it is epexegetic, specifying o}, "which".
moi dat. pro. "me" - to me. Dative of indirect object.
v20
Luke heightens the tension of the narrative by repeating details he has already revealed. This prompts the reader to wonder what the commander will do. As it is, he acts with haste to protect Paul.
oJti "-" - [but/and] that. Serving to introduce an object clause / dependent statement of direct, or indirect speech.
tou erwthsai (erwtaw) aor. inf. "to ask" - [the jews have agreed together] of the to ask [you]. A genitive articular infinitive is either final (Barrett opts for purpose here, so Kellum), or epexegetic (it is obviously not limiting a substantive here). The construction does, on occasions when following verbs of saying or thinking, introduce an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech, or perception, and that does seem to be its function here; "the Jews have agreed together that they will ask you ...." Culy suggests a complementary classification.
o{pwV + subj. "to bring [Paul]" - that [paul may be brought down into the council tomorrow]. This construction is used to introduce a final clause expressing purpose, "in order that ....."
wJV mellon (mellw) pres. part. + inf. "on the pretext of wanting" - as, like = as if being about to = intending [to inquire more accurately concerning him]. For this idiomatic construction, one which serves to express a pretence, see wJV mellontaV + inf. v15; "on the pretext that they mean to inquire more accurately into his case", Cassirer. The infinitive, punqanesqai, "to inquire", is complementary, completing the sense of the participle mellon, "intending". Note that this participle comes with six textual variants, with mallon preferred, even though mallwn is strongly supported (the o-sound in Greek is easily confused); see Barrett.
v21
On four occasions, Luke details the plot to murder Paul. On this, the third retelling, the young man lays out the evil plan of the religious authorities and their henchmen.
gar "-" - therefore. Inferential, drawing a logical conclusion.
su pro. "-" - you. Emphatic by use and position.
mh peisqhV (peiqw) aor. pas. sub. "don't give in" - do not you be persuaded by. Subjunctive of prohibition, although, given the context, more in the terms of a request than a command.
autoiV dat. pro. "to them" - them. The passive voice of the verb "to persuade" usually takes a dative complement, so dative of direct object, so Culy, although Kellum classifies it as adverbial, instrumental, expressing agency.
gar "because" - for. Introducing a causal clause expressing why the commander should not be persuaded to take Paul a second time to stand before the Council; "because ......"
ex (ek) "of [them]" - [more than forty men] from [them]. The preposition is used here in place of a partitive genitive.
aneqematisan (anaqemazew) aor. "[they] have taken an oath" - [who] have cursed [themselves]. A shortened version of "they have devoted [themselves] in a curse" = "they have bound themselves in an oath", ie., in dedicating themselves to this cause, they have placed themselves under a divine curse by means of an oath to God; see v12 and 14.
mhte fagein (fagw) aor. inf. "not to eat" - not to eat [nor to drink]. The syntax is unclear, but it seems likely that as with v14, the legonteV, "saying", of v12 is assumed; "They have bound themselves by an oath promising not to eat or drink ...." So, the two infinitives serve to introduce an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what they said / promised.
e{wV ou| + subj. "until" - until [they may kill him]. This construction introduces an indefinite temporal clause, future time, as NIV.
prosdecomenoi (prosdecomai) pres. part. "waiting" - [and now they are ready] waiting [the promise from you]. Both Culy and Kellum opt for an attendant circumstance participle, although Rogers Gk. is probably on the mark, classifying it as adjectival; specifically, epexegetic, specifying the adjective eJtoimoi, "ready"; "they are ready, that is, they are waiting for your consent".
v22
The commander believes the report, making sure that the conspirators don't find out that he is aware of their plot and that he plans to subvert it.
men oun "-" - and therefore. Transitional construction; see 17:12.
paraggeilaV (paraggallw) aor. part. "with this warning" - [the commander released = dismissed the young man] having commanded, charged. The participle is adverbial, best taken as temporal, "after saying to him ....", CEV.
eklalhsai (eklalew) aor. inf. "[don't] tell [anyone]" - to tell [no one]. The infinitive introduces an object clause / dependent statement of direct, or indirect speech, expressing what the commander charged. Usually classified as indirect speech, but direct is possible, given that the original command would likely be an aorist subjunctive, second person singular; "The senior officer dismissed the young man, having commanded, 'You shall tell no one that you reported these things to me". The dative mhdeni, "no one", serves as a dative of indirect object, "you shall tell that you reported these things to me to no one".
oJti "that" - that [you reported these things]. Given the use of the second person, "you report [these things to me]", oJti introduces an object clause / dependent statement of direct speech. Usually taken here to indicate a move from indirect speech to direct speech, but it may introduce a further development in what is already direct speech. So, oJti introduces an object clause / dependent statement of direct speech expressing what the young man is not to tell anyone. Together, the two dependent statements are usually translated as either direct or indirect speech: Direct speech, "Don't let anyone know that you told me this", CEV; indirect "the tribune dismissed the young man, with the order that he was on no account to tell anyone that he had given him this information", Cassirer.
proV + acc. "to [me]" - toward [me]. The preposition is used here, instead of a dative, to introduce an indirect object, as NIV.
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