[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team:
REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]
Acts XXIII : 1-11
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| St Paul. J-J Tissot. |
[2] And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
[3] Then Paul said to him: God shall strike thee, thou whited wall. For sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and contrary to the law commandest me to be struck?
[4] And they that stood by said: Dost thou revile the high priest of God?
[5] And Paul said: I knew not, brethren, that he is the high priest. For it is written: Thou shalt not speak evil of the prince of thy people.
[6] And Paul knowing that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the council: Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees: concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
[7] And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided.
[8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
[9] And there arose a great cry. And some of the Pharisees rising up, strove, saying: We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?
[10] And when there arose a great dissension, the tribune fearing lest Paul should be pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
[11] And the night following the Lord standing by him, said: Be constant; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
[1] Intendens autem in concilium Paulus ait : Viri fratres, ego omni conscientia bona conversatus sum ante Deum usque in hodiernum diem. [2] Princeps autem sacerdotum Ananias praecepit astantibus sibi percutere os ejus. [3] Tunc Paulus dixit ad eum : Percutiet te Deus, paries dealbate. Et tu sedens judicas me secundum legem, et contra legem jubes me percuti? [4] Et qui astabant dixerunt : Summum sacerdotem Dei maledicis. [5] Dixit autem Paulus : Nesciebam fratres quia princeps est sacerdotum. Scriptum est enim : Principem populi tui non maledices.
[6] Sciens autem Paulus quia una pars esset sadducaeorum, et altera pharisaeorum, exclamavit in concilio : Viri fratres, ego pharisaeus sum, filius pharisaeorum, de spe et resurrectione mortuorum ego judicor. [7] Et cum haec dixisset, facta est dissensio inter pharisaeos et sadducaeos, et soluta est multitudo. [8] Sadducaei enim dicunt, non esse resurrectionem, neque angelum, neque spiritum : pharisaei autem utraque confitentur. [9] Factus est autem clamor magnus. Et surgentes quidam pharisaeorum, pugnabant, dicentes : Nihil mali invenimus in homine isto : quid si spiritus locutus est ei, aut angelus? [10] Et cum magna dissensio facta esset, timens tribunus ne discerperetur Paulus ab ipsis, jussit milities descendere, et rapere eum de medio eorum, ac deducere eum in castra.
[11] Sequenti autem nocte assistens ei Dominus, ait : Constans esto : sicut enim testificatus es de me in Jerusalem, sic te oportet et Romae testificari
Notes
1. looking upon. “Looking steadfastly” (ἀτενισας). The same verb occurs in ch. i. 10, iii. 4, 12, vi. 15. etc. St Paul confronted the Sanhedrin with his characteristic fearlessness.
Men brethren. St Paul omits the word “fathers” in this address. He is now in presence of his former colleagues ; for, if he was not formerly a Sanhedrist, which is possible, he had at least acted as their confidential and trusted envoy.
I have conversed. The words “before God ” should be joined with “conversed.” The Greek verb here used (πολιτευομαι ) signifies “to live as a good citizen.” St Paul applies it to the spiritual theocracy of Israel, and declares that, in all sincerity, he has endeavoured to serve God, both as a devout Pharisee and as a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth. When he persecuted the disciples of Jesus Christ he did it ignorantly in unbelief (1 Tim. i. 1.3), and in putting them to death he thought he rendered a service to God (St John xvi. 2).
Note. — Conscience is not infallible, yet we are bound to follow it. The Church of Christ, however, is infallible ; hence we should take care to learn from her teaching what is pleasing to God, that we may not do wrong, believing it to be right. An act, though materially wrong, does not involve any guilt before God when the doer has the intention of doing what he believes to be right. “ It is not enough to run towards the goal of God’s glory ; it is also necessary to run in the way of God's commandments.”
with all good conscience. St Paul often bears testimony to the uprightness of his intentions even when he persecuted the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, e.g. —
(a) For I am not conscious to myself of anything (1 Cor. iv. 4).
(b) I give thanks to God, whom I serve from my forefathers, with a pure conscience (2 Tim. i. 3).
(c) Herein do I endeavour to have always a conscience without offence towards God and towards men (Acts xxiv. 1(5).
2. the high-priest Ananias. The son of Nebecheus. He owed bis appointment to Herod, King of Chalcis, A.D. 48. Having been accused of rapine and cruelty by the Samaritans, the Prefect of Syria, Quadratns (the predecessor of Felix, who is mentioned in verse 24), sent Ananias to Rome in A.D. 52 to answer these charges before Claudius. Ananias was acquitted and returned to Judea. About ten years later he and his brother were murdered. (See Josephus, Bell. Jud., ii. 17. 9.)
them that stood by. Perhaps the order was given to the Temple guards ; certainly it was not addressed to the Roman soldiers.
to strike him on the mouth. The high-priest was moved to anger by what he deemed arrogance on the part of St Paul, and the punishment was designed to silence him.
Such an act of injustice and tyranny was in keeping with the character of the Sadducean high-priests, who at that time were notorious for their cruelty and avarice, being “cruel above all the Jews in their judgments.” (See Ant., xx. 9. 1, viii. 8.) It is doubtful whether the order was executed, as the tribune was at hand to protect the apostle.
3. God shall strike thee. This is not an imprecation ; St Paul does not say “ May God strike thee,” but “ God shall strike thee.” Thus he warns Ananias that God will ultimately punish him for his cruelty and injustice, and the apostle’s words were, consciously or unconsciously, a prophecy. The Greek brings out this point more clearly, for it means literally “ God is about to strike thee ” (τυπτειν σε μελλει ὁ θεος ). 8t John Chrysostom remarks that St Paul’s really indicates “ boldness rather than anger ; he did not choose to appear in a contemptible light to the tribune” (Hom., xlviii. 2). Mgr. le Camus, however (and some other modern authors agree with him), holds that “ This just apostrophe is certainly less perfect than the reply of our Lord to the servant of the high-priest. It reveals to us how far below Jesus Christ, the Model and King of Christians, even such a noble Christian as St Paul ranked” (L'œuvre des Apôtres, vol. iii., in h. 1.). In the Holy Scriptures God’s saints are portrayed as they were, with their human imperfections, and such examples are a great encouragement to those who are still engaged in the thick of the fight against the devil, the world, and the flesh.
whited wall. This comparison is found in several passages of the Scriptures.
Thus our Lord refers to the whited sepulchres which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness (St Matt. xxiii. 27).
In the Old Testament the prophets use the simile with a different application. Cf. The people built up a wall, and they daubed it with dirt without straw. Say to them that daub without tempering, that it shall fall, for there shall be an overflowing shower, and I will cause great hailstones to fall violently from above, and a stormy wind to throw it down (Ezech. xiii. 10-11). Whichever application we take, the lesson is the same — a solemn warning to those whose lives belie their profession, consequently, to hypocrites in general.
For sittest thou. The Greek, which is more emphatic, expresses very great indignation. It may he rendered, “And art thou sitting judging me ?” St Paul’s question brings out strongly the inconsistency of the high-priest, who breaks the Law in the very act of administering it.
contrary to the law. Better, “ transgressing the law ” (παρανομων).
4. high-priest of God. So called because he was the representative of God. The Law of Moses enjoined great respect for those who sat as judges.
Cf. But he that will he proud, and refuse to obey the commandments of the priest, who ministereth at that time to the Lord thy God, and the decree of the judge, that man shall die, and thou shall take away the evil from Israel (Deut. xvii. 12).
5. I knew not, etc. St Paul, having been in Jerusalem some few days, certainly knew who was high-priest, and that Ananias was sitting on the judgment-seat. Therefore these words must mean that the apostle did not know who had given the order, but he knew that it was given by one of the Sanhedrists who sat there to judge him. To that Sanhedrist St Paul addressed his apostrophe ; but had he known that the high-priest was the speaker, he would have refrained from so doing. The words “Paul said to him” prove nothing contrary, since they come from the pen of St Luke, and were written in the light of subsequent knowledge.
Some commentators take these words to be said ironically, while others are of opinion that St Paul refused to recognize Ananias the high-priest de facto as the lawful high- priest. Of these three views, the first explanation given is the more generally accepted, and it harmonizes best with the context and with what we know of St Paul. Further, as all ex-high-priests continued to wear the white robes proper to the office, St Paul could not have distinguished Ananias by his robes (as some have suggested for the high-priest on this occasion was not discharging a purely religious function, and consequently did not wear the sacred vestments.
Thou shalt not speak evil, etc. By quoting the text, St Paul disculpates himself from the accusation of contempt for the Law. The quotation is from Exod. xxii. 28.
6. Paul knowing that the one, etc, St Paul knew that he was addressing Pharisees and Sadducees. As the former accepted the doctrines of the resurrection and of the existence of a spirit world, it would be comparatively easy to win them over to give him a hearing when he preached Jesus and the Resurrection, whereas the Sadducees, who denied both, were less likely to listen patiently. St Paul shewed great tact and presence of mind in thus dividing his enemies.
I am a Pharisee, etc. For generations his family had been Pharisees, and, as such, St Paul believed in the resurrection of the dead. In this doctrine the Pharisees and the disciples of Christ were united. The Pharisees held, however, that only the Jews would rise again, whereas Christ teaches that all men shall rise again, not by virtue of any special racial privilege, but by His Redemption of mankind.
the hope and resurrection, etc. This is probably a figure of speech for “the hope of the resurrection.”
7. the multitude. The disciples of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were allowed to be present at trials, and in this case the Sanhedrists themselves. According to Josephus, the high-priests at this period were mostly Sadducees.
8. neither angel, nor spirit. This is a single article of belief. The Sadducees denied all manifestations of a spirit world, and held that the apparitions of angels recorded in the Scriptures were not distinct beings, but transitory visions of the Divine Glory.
9. a great cry. The Pharisees and Sadducees now strove with one another concerning these doctrines.
some of the Pharisees. Codices A, B, and C read, “ certain of the scribes of the part of the Pharisees” (των γραμματεων του μερους k.t.k.). The Pharisees were far more numerous and popular than the Sadducees, and they were now desirous to protect St Paul.
strove. There was an animated, vehement discussion, and the strife continued for some time.
We find no evil in this man. A verdict of acquittal like that pronounced by Pilate concerning our Saviour (see St John xix. 4 ; St Luke xxiii. 14, 15, 22).
What if a spirit, etc. This is generally taken as an example of the figure of speech known as aposiopesis, when the speaker is either unable or unwilling to complete his thought, and he leaves his interlocutors to supply it. In this example the unexpressed clause is evidently tantamount to “How, then, should we treat him?” They probably alluded to the vision which he had related the previous day, (See supra, xxii. 17-21.)
A few MSS, add here, “ Let us not fight against God," but these words have no good authority, not being found in A, B, C, E, or the Vulgate.
10. the tribune fearing, etc. As St Paul was a Roman citizen, and had claimed his privileges as such, the tribune was responsible for his safety. We may infer that the tribune was present at the trial, since lie had summoned the assembly, desiring to know more diligently for what cause he was accused by the Jews (ch. xxii. 30).
pulled in pieces. The verb (διαςπαω ) is used of a wild animal tearing its prey asunder. As St Paul was placed among them, they could get at him all the more easily.
the soldiers. Better, the ‘‘army” or “forces” (στρατευμα). The tribune had a large band in readiness, and sending one of his guards, ordered the men to rescue St Paul. Thus, on two consecutive days, the tribune preserved him from imminent peril.
11. the night following. St Paul was kept in the castle, as his trial was not finished, and also as a protection against the Jews.
the Lord standing. To console and strengthen His servant. Thus St Stephen, during his trial, saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Here Jesus descended from His throne to the prison cell where His servant was resting after the perils of that eventful day.
Be constant. By these few words the Lord assured him —
(1) of a safe issue from his present troubles ;(2) of the accomplishment of his intention of visiting Rome ,(3) of the certainty that, however he might be sent thither, he should preach the Gospel and bear testimony there.
So that they upheld and comforted him —
(1) in the uncertainty of his life from the Jews;(2) in the uncertainty of his liberation from prison at Cæsarea ;(3) in the uncertainty of his surviving the storm in the Mediterranean ;(4) in the uncertainty of his fate on arriving at Rome.
“ So may one crumb of divine grace and help be multiplied to feed five thousand wants and anxieties” (Alford, Greek Testament, p. 236).
so must thou hear witness also at Rome. “ St Paul was Christ’s witness in the two great capitals of the world, — first at Jerusalem, the spiritual capital ; then at Rome, the civil metropolis.”
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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