Chapter 23

Chapter 23

3. An Inspired Denunciation—Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Paul uttered a prophetic denunciation similar to that which Christ had uttered in rebuking the hypocrisy of the Jews. The judgment pronounced by the apostle was terribly fulfilled when the iniquitous and hypocritical high priest was murdered by assassins in the Jewish war (Sketches from the Life of Paul, 222).

20-23. Lysias Feared for His Own Safety—Lysias gladly improved this opportunity to get Paul off his hands.... A short time previous, a Roman knight of far higher [1066] rank than Lysias himself, had been violently taken and dragged by the maddened Jews around the walls of Jerusalem and finally beheaded, because he received a bribe from the Samaritans. Upon the suspicion of similar crimes, other high officials had been imprisoned and disgraced. Should Paul be murdered, the chief captain might be charged with having been bribed to connive at his death. There was now sufficient reason to send him away secretly, and thus get rid of an embarrassing responsibility (Sketches from the Life of Paul, 227).