Acts 23:25-24:9
Prayer: Father, please grant us Your Holy Spirit now to lead us into all truth: the truth of this Word so that we might have truth in our inward parts, so that the truth might set us free, so that the truth might revive and refresh our land. Do this now because we ask for it in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Truth, Amen.
Introduction
As we have seen throughout out study of the Book of Acts, Jesus is pleased to build His kingdom through the adventures of controversy, mobs, near escapes, false accusations, beatings, and trials. He is the main actor. In the Old Testament, one of the types of this adventurous, unpredictable hero was the Nazirite (like Samson). As we will see today, that is probably related the name of the city Nazareth, where Jesus was from.
The Book of Acts teaches us that our duty is to be faithful to Christ, to Jesus of Nazareth. There are certainly wisdom calls along the way, but faith sees Christ ruling and reigning over history, pushing the story forward, and faith obeys even when the path is through the storm. He rules the wind and the waves, and He turns the hearts of kings. Christ is the Nazarene – the Nazirite, the devoted servant of God, our Judge and the Governor of all Time. And we see this at work even in the pagan courts and the Jews accusing Paul of sedition.
The Text: “And he wrote a letter after this manner: Cladius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting…” (Acts 23:25-35)
Summary of the Text
Remember, a plot to murder Paul was just uncovered and Claudius Lysias has ordered an armed escort of 270 soldiers to take Paul in the middle of the night to Caesarea (Acts 23:23-24). This letter accompanies Paul to the governor, explaining the plot (Acts 23:25-27). Claudius Lysias claims to have rescued Paul since he was a Roman citizen (Acts 23:27), neglecting to mention that he had initially commanded him to be scourged without a hearing (Acts 22:24). Claudius Lysias explained the Jewish council, his judgment, the plot, and his invitation to Paul’s accusers to present their case before Governor Felix (Acts 23:28-30). Having arrived and reading the letter, Felix agreed to hear the case when Paul’s accusers arrived (Acts 23:31-35).
Five days later, the Jews arrived with their lawyer Tertullus to present their case (Acts 24:1). Tertullus is a Roman-trained lawyer and layers the flattery thick, crediting Felix with “great peace” and “worthy deeds” and “providence” and “kindness” (Acts 24:2-4), despite the fact that extrabiblical sources indicate his harsh suppression of the Jews. Tertullus accused Paul of being a “plague,” involved in sedition among the Jews, and a ringleader of a sect of “Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). Like Claudius Lysias, Tertullus spins the story of Paul’s arrest, claiming that they were only in the process of following their Jewish law, when Lysias seized Paul “violently,” which Felix can confirm if he asks the Jews himself, and the Jews all agreed (Acts 24:6-9).
Biblical Principles of Justice
Despite manifest corruptions and paganism in the Roman system, there was nevertheless a semblance of biblical justice: a fair trial required the presence of both the accused and accusers, multiple witnesses, evidence, testimony and cross examination of both sides. “One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established” (Dt. 19:15). “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him” (Prov. 18:17).
Related, is the biblical requirement of “equal weights and measures” “Thou shalt not have in thy bag diverse weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house diverse measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee” (Dt. 25:13-15, cf. Lev. 19:35-36). This applies formally in a court of law, but it also applies informally in how we work out disagreements. God requires His people to treat one another the way they want to be treated and prohibits all spin, lies, flattery, and lynch mobs, whether in person, voice, text, or online. Biblical principles of justice also err on the side of mercy. If there are not two or three witnesses, biblical justice requires us to let it go.
Nazarenes & Nazirites
While Tertullus supplies no evidence, his central accusation against Paul is that he is a leader of a cult called the Nazarenes (Acts 24:5). There’s always been a fair bit of discussion and confusion over this title “Nazarene,” first appearing in Matthew’s gospel, “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene” (Mt. 2:23). The trouble is that there is no verse in the Old Testament that says that exactly. Some take it as something of a pun on the description of the Messiah “branch” [netser] (Is. 11:1), which Child was associated with the northern region of Galilee (Is. 9:1-2) where Nazareth was located.
Others suggest some connection with the Old Testament Nazirite vow (Num. 6, cf. Num. 13), in which a man was “separated” to lifelong or temporary priestly service to the Lord (e.g. Samson). And Paul was sponsoring Nazirite vows in the temple when the riot broke out (Acts 21:24, cf. 18:18). Perhaps the city of Nazareth in Galilee was named after this office and the Messianic themes, blending both into the associations of “Nazarene.”
It is also likely that there were thousand year animosities and rivalries at work: remember the northern and southern kingdoms divided after Solomon’s death and there was periodic civil war until the northern kingdom was conquered in 722 B.C. The Samaritans were syncretistic Jews from the northern kingdom (2 Kgs. 17:27ff). And by the first century, Galilee was a bustling marketplace of trade and productivity with ongoing antagonisms with the wealthy priestly classes associated with the temple in the southern region of Judea. In other words, “sect of the Nazarenes” was probably something of an ethnic and/or political slur. This likely played some part in the blindness of their persecution. In other words, the trouble may not have been merely about religious influence but also cultural and economic.
Applications
Flattery is a form of lying malice, clothed in a veneer of kindness, either avoiding a topic that needs to be addressed or else trying to get something from them. This can take place between friends or in business dealings: spinning the truth, shading the truth, avoiding the truth.
It is double-minded or what we call ulterior motives (Prov. 12:2). “A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin” (Prov. 26:28). Flattery can be a justification for real evil. But Paul was careful not to use flattery in his presentation of the gospel (1 Thess. 2:5).
When “providence” is assumed to be the prerogative of man, the only recourse is human manipulation, flattery, lawfare, and various forms of tribalism and animosity. And all of this is only intensified when real and perceived harm has been done. “They” and “we” and “friend/enemy” distinctions quickly become polarizing and weaponized. Spinning the truth can feel particularly justified when the “other side” seems to be playing fast and loose with the truth and principles of justice.
Think about Peter during the trial of Jesus being questioned: “And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee” (Mt. 26:71-73). Peter lied when he was accused of being associated with the Nazarene. He lied because he at least momentarily believed that things were out of control. But Jesus was still in control even when He was on trial. Even though injustice and lies were being perpetrated, Jesus was ruling even that to bring about justice and truth.
But Jesus is the Lord of history – the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End – and He was guiding this story (the flattery and lies of the Jews, the corruption of the Romans) in order for Paul to preach the gospel, even in the midst of the machinations of unbelievers.
And the same thing is still true for us today. Christ is the true Chief Captain, our Great Nazarene. He is ruling and turning the hearts of kings and judges and CEOs today. So you must tell the truth, do justice, and love mercy – and follow Jesus of Nazareth.
Prayer: Father, please help us to fix our eyes on Jesus so that we might not be distracted by the storms around us. Give us the courage to do our duty, to tell the truth whatever the consequences, to do justice even when it seems like losing, and we ask You to vindicate us, prove to all the world that we belong to You, and we ask this in Jesus’ name, who taught us to pray…
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