Forewarned and Protected

Acts 23:11-35

The Plot Against Paul

11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome."

12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near."

16 So when Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, "Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him." 18 So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, "Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you."

19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

20 And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. 21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you."

22 So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me."

Sent to Felix

23 And he called for two centurions, saying, "Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor." 25 He wrote a letter in the following manner:

26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:

Greetings.

27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. 29 I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. 30 And when it was told me that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to state before you the charges against him.
Farewell.

31 Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks. 33 When they came to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, "I will hear you when your accusers also have come." And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium.

The plot to murder Paul was over heard by his nephew and then passed on to the military authorities to forewarn them to change the plans to bring him to the religious authorities who wanted him dead.  This was actually the forewarning from God who promised to bring him to Rome to testify of the gospel of Jesus Christ as he had been doing in Jerusalem, bearing witness of Him from the Jew’s capital to the Gentile’s capital city in demonstration of the universal reach of the gospel and the long-awaited Messiah beyond Israel’s physical and spiritual borders.  Paul would witness the gospel of grace as feet bringing good news (Romans 10:14-15) that all who were appointed to eternal life (Acts 13:48) would hear and believe to receive Jesus (John 1:12, 5:24) and be reborn as regenerated new creations (Galatians 2:20) in Him by trusting in His work (John 6:29) alone and not their own (Ephesians 2:1, 8-9) efforts to earn forgiveness and salvation.  The Roman military provided Paul a large force of two centurions and two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to escort this one citizen safely to Caesarea for a preliminary hearing to determine if he should face any legal charges.  They took Paul safely to Felix the governor along with a letter to explain the situation and charges laid unjustly on the accused by the religious court leaders.  It explained the death plot and the protection needed until the matter was resolved.  They then awaited the accusers to move forward to determine if a trial or punishment was appropriate.  Unlike Jesus who was condemned to death as He had to do in submission to pay for our sins, Paul as a man was spared by God whom forewarned him and the authorities and protected him that he might continue to spread the gospel as we must also be doing to bear witness of the atoning death and burial and resurrection of hope that all God’s sheep may hear and turn from sin to Him in the power of His great grace and mercy.  Gods will keep us for His purposes and protect us until it is necessary to lay down our lives in defense of the gospel.  We are to trust Him and follow in faith as His Spirit give us the words to speak (Luke 12:11-12) while He directs (Isaiah 30:21) and warns us.  He can do this for us as well if it is in His purpose for us and we follow in trust.