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 1^st 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