CSSA 3-5-368 - PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE RULERS

368.    PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE RULERS

"Thou art a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings"

When Claudius Lysias, the chief captain of the Temple guard in Jerusalem, heard of the Jewish plot to destroy Paul, he sent a large com pany of soldiers to escort Paul to Caesarea (the Roman headquarters in Palestine at that time). A message was also sent to Felix, the governor, giving him an account of Paul's arrest and advising him that Paul's ac cusers had been instructed to present their charges before Felix.

The aim of this lesson is to show how Paul defended himself and pro claimed the Gospel to rulers and authorities (Acts 9:15-16).

Acts 24, 25, 26

THE HEARING BEFORE FELIX (Acts 24).

The High Priest Ananias, members of the Sanhedrin, and Tertullus, a lawyer, presented their case. Three charges were laid against Paul by Ter tullus who was a skillful orator:

1. Exciting factions among the Jews (charge of sedition).
2. Being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes (charge of heresy).
3. Being a profaner of the Temple (charge of sacrilege).

Although Rome was tolerant in matters of religion, it was opposed to agitators, whether political or religious. It was therefore on this latter ground that Tertullus based his charges.

Systematically Paul answered the charges laid against him. He argued that: €

1. It was only 12 days since he had arrived in Jerusalem (v. 11) and hence he did not have time to bring about the disturbance. He had neither disputed publicly, nor had provoked any riotous assembly (vv. 12-13).
2. Though the Jews regarded Paul's teaching as heresy, in fact it was in accordance with their scriptures. His worship and teachings were bas ed upon the Law and the prophets of Israel; a fundamental doctrine being the hope of the resurrection of the dead, which the Jews themselves admit (vv. 14-16).
3. He had come to Jerusalem to bring alms collected among the ecclesias, for his fellow-Jewish Christians. In the temple he had been "found purified"; he was not profaning it (vv. 17-18)!

Paul not only rebutted the charges against him, but pointed out that legally there was no case to answer, for the so-called eyewitnesses were absent (v.19). In addition, the fundamental belief of the resurrection of the dead was no crime at all. Felix summed up, drawing on his knowledge of "the way" of the truth (v. 22). The hearing was adjourned, and Paul was detained in custody.

In the days that followed, at Felix's request Paul expounded the faith in Christ to the hardened procurator, and Drusilla, his young Jewish (third) wife. He pointedly directed their attention to the requirements of righteousness, the necessity for self-control and the inevitability of judg ment. They became afraid and terminated the interview. With mixed motives Felix frequently conversed with Paul in the following months. Two tedious years later, the procuratorship of Felix ended and, seeking to please the Jews, he left Paul bound. The new Procurator was Porcius Festus.

THE HEARING BEFORE FESTUS (Acts 25:1-12).

Three days after his arrival in Caesarea, Festus went to Jerusalem to meet the Sanhedrin and the Jewish rulers. Their implacable hatred of Paul had not diminished. They requested to have Paul sent to Jerusalem, thus providing them with opportunity to assassinate him. Festus saw through their cunning and requested an official deputation from them to come to Caesarea. The whole case was to be reopened.

On the day after Festus returned to Caesarea, Paul was arraigned before the Roman judgment seat. Jews from Jerusalem stood by and laid many grievous charges against Paul. Festus saw that the Jews "could not prove" them. Obviously, Paul should have been set at liberty; but if Festus did that he faced a crisis with the Jews. When Festus proposed that the tribunal be transferred to Jerusalem, Paul, in fear of his life, had no choice but to "appeal to Caesar". Festus and the Jews were taken by sur prise, but now it meant the end of the touchy and difficult case, as far as the Governor was concerned.

THE HEARING BEFORE AGRIPPA (Acts 25:13-27; 26:1-29).

When King Agrippa II, the son of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12), visited Caesarea, Festus took the opportunity to discuss Paul's case with him. Agrippa wished to hear Paul personally. It was not to be a legal hearing as the case was reserved to be heard in Rome.

With great pomp the young 30 year old King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice, with Festus, his military tribunes, and leading citizens of Caesarea assembled in the judgment hall. At Festus' command, Paul was led in wearing chains. This man, almost twice their age, stood before them. He had undertaken three great preaching campaigns totalling thousands of kilometres during 10 years (see 2 Cor. 11:25-28; 6:4-10; Rom. 15:15-19). Christ had strengthened him by vision, power and pro tection (Phil. 4:13). With indomitable courage and tears he had sur mounted tremendous obstacles € personal, ecclesial, municipal and na tional. Two years before he had silenced a riotous crowd (Acts 21:40). Now he was to deliver an appealing and impelling vindication of his life in the service of Jesus Christ.

In the opening verses of his defence Paul described his upbringing. Even his accusers, if they would testify, could give evidence concerning his former life. The hope he embraced was the hope of the promise made to the fathers of Israel, a hope embraced by all 12 tribes of Israel, and because of his faithful adherence to it, he should not be accused of heresy by the Jews (26:4-7). Suddenly he brought the matter to a focus, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" (v.8). Yes, why? The Jewish Scriptures, which Agripa knew, contained accounts of the dead being brought to life again, and the Pharisees ardently believed that God would raise the dead.

Paul resumed the summary of his life. He told of his violent opposition to the followers of Jesus and how he had led the campaign to crush the Christians. On the road to Damascus the event took place that changed his life. Christ appeared to him in glory and he was struck to the ground and blinded. His conscience was convicted that the Christian cause was God's cause. He was an eyewitness of the resurrection of Christ which confirmed the claim that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel. He came to see that his crucifixion was a sacrifice for the sins of his people and the fulfil ment of the types and shadows of the Law. Paul was charged by Christ to carry the gospel to the nations as "a minister and a witness" (v.16). "Wherefore", he continued, "O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient un to the heavenly vision" (v.19). Paul taught that the Gentiles equally and rightfully shared the inheritance formerly reserved for Israel (v.20; Gal. 3:8, 14-16, 27-29). This was the cause of Jewish bitterness and attempted assassinations of him (Acts 21:27, 28, 31).

Again Paul emphasised that his teaching was based exclusively on the writings of Moses and Jewish prophets, which taught explicitly what he preached (v.22), namely: €

1. The Christ (Messiah) had to suffer;
2. The Christ had to be resurrected;
3. The Christ had to proclaim light (salvation) to Israel;
4. Through the Christ salvation would come to the Gentiles (v.23; Isa. 49:6).

Festus was led to protest that much study had affected Paul's ability to reason (v. 24). Paul rebuffed the suggestion that he was mad and insisted that what he had said were words of soberness and truth. The climax of Paul's exposition was that Jesus was the Christ because he had been raised from the dead and that he was a "light of the Gentiles". The evidence was irrefutable, and Paul pressed the point. "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?" (v.27). Agrippa attempted to avoid the question with a kind of jest: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (v.28). With gravity and seriousness Paul fixed his eyes upon the King and said, "I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds" (v.29).

THE DECISION (Acts 26:30-32).

The meeting was over, but little came of it. It was obvious to all present that the Jews had no case against the prisoner. Paul's appeal to Rome had settled the matter. Paul, who stood alone before Felix, Festus and Agrippa, was to stand before Nero.

LESSONS FOR US:

• God's servants should never be afraid to speak freely about their beliefs.
• We may have to preach the Gospel through trial and tribulation.
• "If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God" (1 Pet. 4:11).
• Our desire should be that all with whom we come in contact might hear and accept the word of salvation.
• Irrespective of the circumstances of life in which we find ourselves, God must always come first.

REFERENCE LIBRARY:

"Paul the Apostle" (W. H. Boulton) € Chapters 19, 20

"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield) € Vol. 14, Pages 82-96

"Archaeology and the New Testament" (Merrill F. Unger) € Chapter 17, Pages 297, 304

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. What did Paul say to King Agrippa about the hope of the promises and the resurrection of the dead?
2. What commission was given to Paul, after he had been converted by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus?
3. What did Paul declare that Moses and the prophets had foretold con cerning Christ when he stood before Agrippa?

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. What charges did the Jews make against Paul when he stood before Felix? How did Paul answer them?
2. Outline the major events that led to Paul being taken from Jerusalem to Rome.
3. What personal exhortations can we learn from Paul during his period of imprisonment in Caesarea?
4. When he was converted, Paul was told he was a chosen vessel to bear Christ's name before kings and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15). How was this mission fulfilled in his defence before Felix, Festus and Agrippa?