The Plot Against Paul’s Life

This morning, we continue in the book of Acts.

Last we left off, Paul was called before the high priest and the Sanhedrin council, and there was a great commotion as the Pharisees and Sadducees fought with one another, and it says that Paul was about to be torn apart if not for the Roman tribune Claudius Lysias stepping in to rescue him.

And as Paul is the dumps of discouragement, Jesus comes to him at night time and says “Take courage. You need to testify of Me in Rome.” And you can just imagine how Paul’s face lights up at the sound of that.

And so we come to the very next day.

Acts 23:12–15 ESV

12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

So there’s a group of more than forty Jews who hate Paul and his teaching so much that they make a formal oath to neither eat nor drink until they kill Paul.

And so they go to the chief priests and the elders, and tell them about the oath, and they hatch a plan to ask Claudias Lysias to bring Paul again for a second hearing with the Sanhedrin. And as Paul is being transported, we will ambush him and kill him.

And do you see the irony here? They hate Paul’s teaching about freedom from the law, but they themselves make an oath to break the 6th commandment: Thou shall not murder. Why? Because they fear not the law nor giver of the law. That’s why. And the situation ridiculous if you think about it. It’s one thing to be corrupt. It’s another thing for others to know that you’re corrupt.

These chief priests and elders were to the Jews the supreme court of Law. But the group of more than 40 men dare to approach them to get their cooperation for a murder plot. Why? Because they know they’re corrupt. They know, and so does everyone else, that these so-called rulers of the people would happily break the law of Moses for their own agenda. So they get together and hatch a plan to put an end to Paul.

And what happens next is mostly self explanatory, so we can simply read it. Please try to follow along.

Acts 23:16–22 ESV

16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”

Acts 23:23–30 ESV

23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” 25 And he wrote a letter to this effect: 26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”

This letter would have been written in Latin, but recorded here in Greek. So Luke says that he wrote a letter to this effect, meaning it’s been translated.

Notice that Claudius Lysias’ report isn’t entirely honest. He says “The Jews were going to kill him, but I knew he was a Roman citizen, and I stepped in and rescued him.” That’s so typical of work reports isn’t it? When did he find out Paul was a Roman citizen? Right after he gave the command to have him tortured with whips. He left that part out.

Acts 23:31–35 ESV

31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.

Now, that’s the scripture passage for today. And if you were preparing to preach this at 6am on a Saturday morning, you might think, “What kind of sermon can you preach from that?” That’s what I thought. So I looked at how others have preached on this passage, and guess what? They also struggled to preach. Because there is no mention in these verses of God or the works of God. There are no miracles, no supernatural intervention, no bold displays of obedience or courageous acts of faith, nothing to preach from.

But what this does show us is the normal experience of Christian living. It is the normal experience of Christian living. And what is that experience? It is the experience of God’s hand of providence being involved in every circumstance of our lives, in order to fulfil His promises to us.

See, in the evening prior to today’s passage, God had made a promise to Paul.

He said, “As you have testified in Jerusalem, you must also testify in Rome.”

And we know that Paul so dearly wanted to go to Rome. And if I were Paul, I might think, “I’m going to get out of prison, and with my freedom, I’ll get to go to Rome.”

But that’s not what happens. Instead, Paul has a group of fanatical bloodthirsty Jews conspiring to ambush Paul and murder him. When? The very next day. When the sun comes up. And to us that is a terrible thing. And it is. But God doesn’t shy from the terrible things. He’s above them, He’s always in charge.

And He has Paul’s nephew at the right place at the right time, and he discovers this conspiracy. And it occurs to the boy that I should tell uncle Paul he’s in trouble. So he tells Paul, and Paul says to tell the tribune Claudius Lysias.

And the result is that Paul is brought to Caesarea and after two years there he is brought to Rome.

This is the normal experience of Christian living. It is the hand of God being involved in every circumstance of our lives, to bring to fruition His promises to us.

What promises has God made to you? Has He promised you good health? No. Has He promised you a comfortable life? No. He God has promised that He will bring you into the kingdom of heaven, the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem. And He will make all things work for your good. It might not feel good. It might not taste good. But He will bring you to your destination, and nothing can snatch you out of His hand.

John 14:1–3 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

John 10:29 ESV

29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

See, this is the providence of God. The good, the bad, the ugly. It’s all under God’s control, and it’s all according to plan. He’s not the God of plan B. It’s always been plan A, and it always will be plan A.

Not only does God provide Paul’s nephew to overhear the plot. What you and I must come to understand is that the group of more than forty bloodthirsty men plotting Paul’s murder is also part of His providence, as well the group of religious leaders plotting the murder of Jesus Christ decades ago.

And I think another passage from the Old Testament really helps us to understand this.

You remember the story of Joseph. For those long chapters, God doesn’t speak to Joseph at all. God seems to take a backseat. But after Jacob dies, Joseph’s brothers come to him terrified and fearful, thinking Joseph’s going to take revenge on them.

But what does Joseph say?

Genesis 50:20 ESV

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Look here. This does not mean that God took a bad situation and turned it around. This does not mean that God intervened and saved Joseph’s life. What this means is that although Joseph’s brothers meant evil, God meant good. It means that God as much as Joseph’s brothers had him sold off to Egypt. That is the normal experience of God’s hand of providence.

Back to our passage. The 40 men plotting to kill Paul meant it for evil. But we can see by faith that God meant it for good. God meant it to get Paul out of Jerusalem and into Caesarea, and later from Caesarea into Rome.

Do you have a group of 40 bloodthirsty men plotting against your life? I hope not. But you probably do have something that’s a cause for concern do you not? And that thing may be worrying you day and night. But God illustrates for us in today’s passage what’s on the other side of this trial. He’s bringing us closer to our eternal destination, one trial at a time. Amen?

Acts 14:22 ESV

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

So take courage, and let us find new strength to face our trials, and let us receive them with the eyes of faith, knowing that with God, it’s always plan A. Amen?