CSSA 1-5-21 - A CAPTIVE IN CAESAREA

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121. A CAPTIVE IN CAESAREA

"This man has nothing laid to his charge, worthy of death or of bonds"

Aim

To show how Paul was taken captive in Jerusalem and Caesarea and how God watched over him when the Jews wanted to take his life.

Paul's arrest by the Roman soldiers had saved his life. The Jews had cried, "Away with him", but all Paul wanted to do was to speak to them, to turn their hearts to God by teaching them the good news that Jesus was their Messiah. They wanted to kill him,, but he wanted to save them,. Paul asked Lysias the Roman Captain if he would let him, speak to the people from the safety of the Castle of Antonia. Lysias had thought Paul was a ruffian, but was surprised that he could speak Greek and was a citizen of Tarsus. Therefore he gave his permission and Paul stood on the Castle steps, held up his hand for silence and spoke to the Jews in Hebrew.

Acts 22, 23, 24

PAUL SPEAKS TO THE PEOPLE (22:1-22)

As they listened, Paul went right back to the beginning of his story. He was a Jew, brought up very carefully according to the Law of the fathers of old and, at the feet of Gamaliel, was well-educated in the Jewish religion. He had zealously persecuted those who followed Jesus of Nazareth, but had himself been converted on the road to Damascus and was baptised. Jesus himself, who had been raised from the dead, had spoken to him and said: "I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles" (v. 21).

That was enough for all the Jews standing in the crowd. The mention of the word "Gentiles" sent them wild. They threw their clothes and hands full of dust into the air and cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live" (v. 22).

PAUL BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN (22:23-30; 23:1-10)

With the crowd once again ready to riot, the Roman Captain decided to take Paul inside and have him questioned. This time he was to be scourged, or whipped with a Roman lash. As they tied him with thongs, Paul said: "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman?" When the Chief Captain found out that Paul was a Roman citizen, he stopped immediately; by scourging Paul he would have put his own life in danger.

Lysias was puzzled. Why did the Jews hate this man?

Therefore he decided to bring Paul before the Jewish Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council, to find out what he had done to rouse their anger. There must be some reason for their hatred of him.

When Paul stood before the Sanhedrin, he noticed that some were Pharisees who believed in resurrection and some were Sadducees who did not. So Paul said, "Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question" (v. 6). This immediately caused a stir between the two groups and once more the Roman Captain came to Paul's rescue, for he thought Paul would be torn apart by the angry Jews.

A MESSAGE OF COMFORT (v. 11)

The Lord Jesus Christ knew of all Paul's troubles. He had been treated in the same way by his brethren the Jews. So the following night the Lord stood by Paul to encourage him. "Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou has testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome."

THE PLOT (vv. 12-22)

The Jews hated Paul so much that they would have gone to almost any lengths to kill him. Forty men vowed neither to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. They plotted with the chief priests and elders and decided to request the Roman Captain to bring Paul down again to the Sanhedrin, pretending that they wanted to ask him some more questions. They planned to lay a trap for him on the way and kill him.

Fortunately Paul's nephew overheard the plot, told Paul, and then told the Chief Captain. Lysias decided to shift Paul that night to Caesarea under heavy guard.

TO CAESAREA AND CAPTIVITY (vv. 23-35)

Arrangements were made for a large troop of soldiers to escort Paul to Caesarea - 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen were to be ready to leave Jerusalem at nine o'clock that night. They were to take Paul to the Governor's Palace at Caesarea, but it was necessary to stop at Antipatris overnight. The next day they pressed on to Caesarea.

Lysias had written a letter of explanation to the Governor, Felix, about his new prisoner. He knew that Paul was hated by the Jews, but told Felix that he could find "nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds" (v. 29). Therefore he told the Jews to go to Caesarea and make their accusations to Felix.

PAUL HELD BY FELIX AND FESTUS (24:22-27)

Although Paul was a prisoner God was with him. Felix gave an order that any of Paul's friends who wished could visit him. How thankful the apostle would have been for this during the two years he was kept in Caesarea as a prisoner.

There was a change of Governors at the end of that time, but Felix, wishing to please the Jews, kept Paul in prison. The new Governor, Festus, also heard Paul's case and wanted to send him back to Jerusalem, but Paul answered, "I appeal unto Caesar" (25:11).

Remember that the Lord had said that Paul was to "bear my name before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel" (9:15). Can you see how it was all coming to pass? Caesar was the emperor, or king, and he ruled in Rome. Remember that God had told Paul, "Thou must bear witness also at Rome" (23:11).

LESSON FOR US

We must never forget that God is interested in His people. "The angel of Yahweh encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them" (Psa. 34:7). God saved Paul from death on many occasions and cared for him while he was a prisoner, for his work was not yet finished. God wanted him to go to Rome to preach there too.

Always remember that the work of evil men cannot change God's plans. So we can always trust in Him.