Slides: Act 23-26
Slide 1
Sanhedrin hearing (22:30- 23:10)
Sanhedrin members probably met regularly
Tribune/chiliarch needs their assessment before sending to governor
- Crowd’s cries confused
Ananias: high priest from AD 47-58/59
- Abusive- among 1st assassinated by revolutionaries
- Blow to Paul’s cheek: severe insult
Paul: whitewashed wall! (Ezek 13:10-15)
Slide 2
Paul’s ethos
23:5: Paul quotes Scripture (don’t speak evil of a ruler)
23:6: Paul as Pharisee
- Held distinctive beliefs of Pharisees… plus
- Son of Pharisees: maybe disciple; maybe entire family came to Jerusalem and father was Pharisee
Minority Pharisees defend his revelation
- “A spirit spoke to him”- i.e., 22:7-10, 18, 21
Conflict in Sanhedrin: cf. Josephus: stone- throwing
Slide 3
Plot to kill Paul (23:12-15)
Paul not one of the “Assassins” (21:38)
- oath not to eat or drink
- could get released from it
Youth: associated with nationalistic zeal
- some young priestly aristocrats sympathized with revolutionaries
- but Paul’s nephew (youth)
From Antonia to Sanhedrin (Chamber of Hewn Stone)
- 1000-1500 feet (300-450 meters)
- narrow passageway by temple court
Slide 4
Paul’s rescue
Nephew into Antonia:
- guards could allow visitors
- often bribes; but Paul a Roman citizen
- as here, centurions often guarded prisoners with status
Lysias can’t refuse Sanhedrin’s request; must preempt it
Large part of cohort sent
- sent cohorts: 480 infantry =120 cavalry
- right after Pentecost festival
- but would deter night ambushes (now common in Judean hills)
Slide 5
Tiberus Claudius Felix (52- c.59)
Official letter to Felix
- becomes part of legal file (Luke could know exactly)
. just like summaries of speeches (transcripts- Acts 24-26)
- “Most excellent”: for knights; Felix freedman
Claudius Lysias makes it look like he rescued Paul deliberately
- benefactor
Forced overnight march
- periodic forced marches of 20 miles (32km)
- sometimes 30 miles (48 km and sometimes all night)
- Antipatris 35-45 miles (55-70 km), but downhill
- Cavalry continue, infantry can return more slowly
Slide 6
Some rhetorical techniques in Acts 24:10-21
v. 10: praises judge (customary opening)
v. 11: narration of events to case
- 12 days- came for festival
- thus for piety
- character argument (ethos)
- many witnesses
Slide 7
v. 12: causing riot
- capital offense
- often state up front what one is refuting
v. 13: they can’t prove
- speakers often said that about other side
- capital cases: accusers carried burden of proof
v.14: “I confess” worshiping God biblically
- speakers sometimes confessed non-crimes
- same charge Paul maneuvered from the Sanhedrin
. attested in Lysias’s letter
. court document, public record
Piety: reinforces ethos
Slide 8
v. 15: resurrection
- mainstream Jewish belief
- Sadducees hold minority view!
- (Felix’s wife Drusilla Jewish; local knowledge)
v. 16: conscience clear
- again ethos
v. 17: alms
- further establishing ethos
- plenty of witnesses
- defendants sometimes argued:
. I’m on trial for benefaction to my accuser!
. made accuser look even worse
Slide 9
v. 18: attacked in temple
- temples as places of sanctuary- should be protected there!
v. 19: accusers should have been here
- Standard: reverse charges against accusers
- implied guilt common
. Lk’s narrative confirms: accusers started riot!
. No wonder they didn’t show up!
- When accusers don’t appear, a case should be thrown out
- Accusers could be charged for abandoning a case
Slide 10
24: 20-21: clinching arguments often at end
- Only charge from Sanhedrin hearing
- Religiously related
By any standard of Roman justice, this case should’ve been thrown out
Paul continued in custody only for political reasons
Slide 11
24:27: Felix replaced
Recalled on charges of corruption
- Bribed a high priest to kill another
- Wanted bribe from Paul
- Left his case pending- needed favor
Governors sometimes convicted of corruption
Brother Pallas (freedman) still powerful
New governor sent: Festus
Slide 12
Festus (ch. 25)
- One of fairest
- Unfortunately short-lived
- Appeal before Festus
- Consilium
Festus and Agrippa 11 and Bernice
- A. and B. often visited
- Festus and Agrippa vs Jerusalem priests
- Often kept peace for Rome
- Alive when Josephus wrote
- Bernice and Titus
- This scene: witnesses?
Slide 13
Acts 26
Hearing before Festus, Agrippa and Bernice
To determine what cover letter to send Rome in dossier