ACTS 21. 25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. [Ch. 15: 19-21.] 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. (a) [Ver. 27; Num. 6: 13-17.] 843. PAUL'S SEIZURE BY THE JEWS, AND HIS FIRST RESCUE BY THE ROMAN COMMANDER. May.-A. D. 58. ACTS 21: 27-36; 23: 26, 27; 24: 17, 18. (1) Jews from the province of Asia stir up the people and lay hands on Paul, Acts 21: 27. (2) When they did this, ver. 27. (3) Their pretext, ver. 28. (4) Reason of this pretext, ver. 29. (5) The result-all the city moved; Paul dragged out of the temple, ver. 30. (6) The chief captain hears of the tumult, and with soldiers rescues Paul, and binds him with chains, ver. 31-33. (7) Amid great confusion, the chief captain orders him to be taken to the fortress, ver. 34, 35. (8) The multitude crying, Away with him, ver. 36. ACTS 21. 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, (b) PARALLELS. the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (a) NUM. 6: 5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow. (b) ACTS 24: 17 Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. [Ch. 20:19.] 18 Whereupon certain Jews from Asía found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. K ACTS 21. 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. [Ch. 6:13; 20: 4.] 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar: [John 16: 2.] 32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. (a) 33 Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains: and demanded who he was, and what he had done. [Ver. 11: ch. 20: 23.] 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. [Ch. 22:22; Luke 23: 18.] ? 44. PAUL'S ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE ON THE STAIRS OF THE CASTLE OF ANTONIA. Compare ?? 16, 17. May.-A. D. 58. ACTS 21: 37-40; 22: 1-21. (1) Paul asks permission of the chief captain to address the people, Acts 21: 37. (2) The captain supposes him to be a certain Egyptian impostor, ver. 38. (3) Paul declares who he is, obtains permission, and addresses the people below from the stairs of the castle, ver. 39, 40. (4) Speaks in Hebrew, or Aramæan, thereby obtaining more quiet and better attention, ch. 22: 1, 2. (5) Recites his early training, zeal, and activity as a Jew, ver. 3. (6) His persecutions of Christians, as the high-priest and elders then living knew, ver. 4, 5. PARALLELS. (a) ACTS 23: 26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. 27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. [Ch. 22: 28, 29; 24: 27.] (7) Relates his conversion: how Jesus appeared to him near Damascus; how he was led blind into the city; how Ananias, a devout man according to the law, and respected by all the Jews, visited him, restored his sight, instructed and baptized him, ver. 6-16. (8) Afterward he went to Jerusalem, and while praying was in a trance, or ecstacy, and saw Jesus, who commanded him to depart quickly from Jerusalem, as the Jews would not hear him, ver. 17, 18. (9) Paul wishes to remain, thinking that his former zeal against Christ, and his remarkable conversion, would fit him to work among his countrymen, ver. 19, 20. (10) But Jesus, knowing that this would not be the case, commissions him to go to the Gentiles, ver. 21. ACTS 21. " 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? 39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. [Ch. 22:3; Rom. 11: 1; 2 Cor. 11: 22; Phil. 3: 5.] 40 And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, [Ch. 12: 17.] ACTS 22. 1 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. [Ch. 7: 2.] 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence; and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. [Ch. 26: 4, 5.] 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. [Gal. 1: 13.] 5 As also doth the high priest bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. [Acts 9:1-19. 16.] 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And he said unto me, I am ACTS 22. 9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. [Ch. 9: 17, 18.] 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. [Ch. 7: 52; Isa. 53: 11.] 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. [Gal. 1: 16.] 16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance: [Ch. 10: 10.] 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. [Ch. 9: 29; 28: 29.] 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. [Gal. 1: 21; Acts 9: 26-30. 17.] 845. PAUL PLEADS HIS ROMAN CITIZENSHIP, AND ESCAPES SCOURGING. May.-A. D. 58. ACTS 22: 22-29. (1) Paul's mention of his mission to the Gentiles causes a fresh outbreak of frantic rage, Acts 22: 22. (2) Suspecting him of some great crime, the chief captain proposed to extort a confession by torture, ver. 23, 24. (3) Paul hints his Roman citizenship to the centurion, who conveys it to the chief captain, ver. 25, 26. (4) The latter draws from Paul a declaration of it, ver. 27, 23. (5) The chief captain's exclamation of surprise, and Paul's explanation, ver. 28. (6) The examiners desist; the chief captain's fear, ver. 29. ACTS 22. 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. [Ver. 18; ch. 21: 36; 26: 21.] 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, [Ch. 7:58.] 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. [Ver. 25: 30; ch. 21: 33; 23: 27.] 46. PAUL'S DEFENCE BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM. HIS SECOND RESCUE FROM THE JEWS BY ROMAN SOLDIERS. May.-A. D. 58. ACTS 22: 30; 23: 1-10. ROM. 13: 1, 6, 7. EX. 22: 28. (1) The chief captain brings Paul down from the castle to the Sanhedrim, in order to ascertain more definitely the crime charged against him, Acts 22: 30. (2) Paul's declaration of his integrity, 23: 1. (3) The High Priest's unlawful command, ver. 2. (4) Paul's rebuke, ver. 3. (5) His apology when informed of the official character of the one he had addressed, ver. 4, 5. (6) Perceiving Pharisees and Sadducees in the Sanhedrim, he appeals to the former, in view of his hope in a resurrection, ver. 6. (7) A violent dissension arises, ver. 7-9. (8) Paul in danger of his life, is rescued by the Roman soldiers, ver. 10. ACTS 22. 30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. [Ver. 23; ch. 21: 33 21:17.] |