We suppose Law to be a tool of Justice
Justice
Citizens of Greek City-States claimed freedom and justice..
(although like everywhere else, Greek democracy did not apply to its slaves.)
Socrates drank the hemlock of justice weighed by his opponents of classic philosophy.
And, of course, Alexander the Great Macedonian claiming all Greece and the world had different ideas of law to make the world Greek again.
(“There’s nothing new under the sun,” stated Solomon, King over much of the same empire nearly a thousand years before Alexander.)
Roman Law
In today’s setting of Acts of the Apostles it’s important for us to remember that in Jerusalem – Judean LAW (it isn’t even fully JEWISH LAW applicable in other Roman Provicences (or States by contemporary comparison) – as administered by the Sanhedron separate of the Roman Governor, a minor appointed Proconsul accountable to the Emporor.
This jurisdictional oversight – similar to that when Pontius Pilate tried to pass the political hot potato of the King of the Jews back and forth to Herod or the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem – is little different when just a few years later Paul retuns to Jerusalem to face JUSTICE redefined in various venues.
Jews demanding JUSTICE
The Apostle of Jesus sent to the Gentiles (Greeks) has just returned home.
After his witness to the Jews (in Hebrew) of being sent by Jesus (who had been crucified) on the road to Damascus) AND being sent to the Gentiles — (this had been 20 years ago, back in A.D. 37) — once again, Paul proclaims Christ risen!
The adjitated jewish crowd was about to stone him, just as when he himself had witnessed the execution of Stephen.
“Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?”
When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune..
Acts of the Apostles 22:25b-26a ESV
There he's done it!
Paul initiates a whole chain-of-events triggering the chain-of-command in Roman oversight and justice.
But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he [the Tribune in charge of the Centurians] unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
Acts 22:30 ESV
This JEWISH council — about seventy leading men, SUMMONED to apprear before the ROMAN Tribune and his COURT of Roman justice in Jerusalem — are NOT in charge of the proceedings.
Acts 23:
And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
Remember: Although the courtroom is that of the Jews, Paul — the DEFENDENT — faces them as his PROSECUTOR (not his judge).
And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
“God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall!
Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”
Some savvy oral arguments take place (as is common in court). Paul seeks to divide the jury of his accusers:
“.. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
It worked. One of his fellow Pharisees stands in his defense,
“We find nothing wrong in this man.
What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?”
The dissension (between the two parties of the Pharisees and Sadducees)became violent.
Now the Jews of this local lower court — to which the rules of the Pax Romana defer — sound more like a lynch mob than a place of justice AND (let’s not forget) Paulos is a ROMAN CITIZEN.
And as a great dissension was developing, because the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them, he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.
Acts 23:10 LSB
Conspiracy against Christ and His Apostle
The world will often witness an unexplainable boldness in a certain saint of God is seemingly insurmountable circumstances. (This had happened with the Apostle time and time again during his ten-plus years of travel among the gentiles and Greeks.)
The night before his highly anticipated public trial in Jerusalem the Apostle of Christ Jesus again received supernatural instruction.
But on that very night, the Lord stood at his side and said,
“Take courage; for as you have solemnly borne witness to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also.”
Acts 23:11 LSB
Imagine — the Lord Jesus Christ, who had been crucified twenty-seven years ago — the same risen Lord who had appeared in a vision of great glory twenty years ago — stands beside the Apostle and now sends him to Rome!
So of course, Paul is emboldened when he is brought to trial before the Roman court the next day.
Meanwhile, more than forty of the jews made a plot to murder Paul (outside of the jurisdiction of the Roman authorities).
They went to the chief priests and elders and said,
“We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
The Plot Thickens
Paul’s jewish nephew hears of the plot of these forty men, so the young man heads to the Roman fortress to try to warn Paul.
Paulos — the Roman citizen held in protective custody after the big hubbub of the jewish crowds — instructs his guards to go to the man in charge.
Paul called one of the centurions and said,
“Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.”
Acts 23:17 ESV
The tribune [Claudius Lysias] took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
Note the gentleness of this tribune, Claudius Lysias - a man in charge of the centurions of Antonia Fortress as he seeks to get to the truth of the matter.
The young son of Paul’s sister responds:
“The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him.
But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”
Acs 23:21b-22 ESV
“Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
An Imposed Authority of Roman Justice
“Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.[9 pm]
Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
This military escort of a Roman citizen Paulos is most unlike the handling of Jesus the king of the Jews sent to the Pontius Pilate, governor of that time, (who happened to be in Jeruslem rather than Caesarea).
Official Orders sent with Paul
“Claudius Lysias,
to his Excellency the governor Felix,
greetings.
This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
Acts 23:26-30 ESV
You might call this 'the official COURT record.'
Of course — ALL follow orders and the next scene with, with Roman effeciency, take place in Caesarea.
Marcus Antonius Felix
Antonius Felix, served as the Roman procurator of Judea from ~AD 52-58. He was appointed by the Emperor Claudius and was known for his harsh and often corrupt administration. Felix was a freedman of Claudius' mother, Antonia. - source: BibleHub
When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.
The Governor inquires about jurisdiction – that is, in effect – Am I the appropriate judge of this case?
And when he learned that he [Paulos] was from Cilicia, he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he [Antonius Felix] commanded him [the Centurian in charge of Paul’s escort] to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium [there in Caesarea].
Acts of the Apostles 23:35 ESV [with names of prepositions]
Justice – a Case to be continued
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