Author: Charlie Garrett

Lots of marvel and fancy. West Virginia Capitol.

Friday, 5 January 2024

So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.” Acts 23:18

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A literal translation would be, “He, therefore, indeed, having taken him, brought to the commander. And says, ‘The prisoner Paul, having summoned me, asked to lead this young man to you, having something to say to you’” (CG).

Paul had just asked one of the centurions to take his nephew to the commander to relay some important information. Next, Luke says, “He, therefore, indeed, having taken him, brought to the commander.”

There is a note of military obedience here. There was no questioning of Paul by the centurion, just the obedience of such a life under authority. This may be mingled with respect for Paul because he didn’t say, “I’ll let the commander know and will be right back.”

In other words, he may have trusted Paul’s interactions with the commander and the other centurions enough to comply without first receiving verification that Paul’s request was acceptable. Rather, it was understood to be so. And so, he conducts the boy to the commander and advises him of the situation. Luke uses a present tense verb to convey the beginning of the exchange, saying, “And says, ‘The prisoner Paul, having summoned me.’”

Luke brings his audience directly into the narrative with the present tense “says.” It is as if we are watching the event as it unfolds. Also, rather than “called,” the word signifies to call near. Thus, “summoned” conveys the sense. It wasn’t something Paul shouted out from a distance. Rather, it is something that he wanted to keep closely guarded.

The sense may be that Paul was afraid that some of the guards might secretly be on the payroll of the Jewish officials. This would be less likely with a centurion. Also, Paul is called “the prisoner Paul.” It is a name which he will afterward call himself in both Ephesians 3:1 and Philemon 1:1. He will also allude to his status as a prisoner several times elsewhere. The walls of prison became a common sight in his life as an apostle. Vincent’s Word Studies explains Roman imprisonment –

“The prisoner (ὁ δέσμιος) From δέω, to bind. Paul, as a Roman citizen, was held in custodia militaris, ‘military custody.’ Three kinds of custody were recognized by the Roman law: 1. Custodia publica (public custody); confinement in the public jail. This was the worst kind, the common jails being wretched dungeons. Such was the confinement of Paul and Silas at Philippi. 2. Custodia libera (free custody), confined to men of high rank. The accused was committed to the charge of a magistrate or senator, who became responsible for his appearance on the day of trial. 3. Custodia militaris (military custody). The accused was placed in charge of a soldier, who was responsible with his life for the prisoner’s safe-keeping, and whose left hand was secured by a chain to the prisoner’s right. The prisoner was usually kept in the barracks, but was sometimes allowed to reside in a private house under charge of his guard.”

As Paul was guarded in prison, and for whatever reason, he specifically summoned the centurion to personally convey his request to the commander. With that noted, Paul’s request is repeated by the centurion, saying that Paul “asked to lead this young man to you, having something to say to you.”

The matter was important enough for the young man to be taken to the commander personally, not to be transmitted indirectly.

Life application: In both testaments of Scripture, the necessity to not share things that are private is highlighted. For example, in Proverbs 16:28, it says –

“A perverse man sows strife,
And a whisperer separates the best of friends.”

Paul was careful to keep his nephew’s information carefully guarded. If a whisperer can ruin friendships, how much more can he do in a place where there may be spies? The best thing to do is to keep private matters private. No matter how much someone seems trustworthy, the temptation to further pass on personal information or secrets is great.

Eventually, there will be a breakdown in the chain of people sharing with “just one person” who shouldn’t be trusted with even the day’s headline news. To avoid many troubles and grief, remember that if you are told something in private, it should not be repeated to anyone without permission to do so.

Heavenly Father, help us to be trustworthy in our speech and conduct before You. Help us not to be tempted to disclose private matters, even if it seems like it is safe to do so. Rather, let us share those things that need to be shared openly, such as the gospel. Yes, Lord, give us wisdom to keep private things private and to call out the Good News at all times. Amen.

West Virginia House of Delegates.

Thursday, 4 January 2024

Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.” Acts 23:17

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The words more literally read, “And Paul, having called one of the centurions, said, ‘Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.’”

In the previous verse, it noted that Paul’s nephew heard of the planned ambush, and so he went to the barracks and told Paul. With that remembered, it next says, “And Paul, having called one of the centurions.”

The centurion was probably the head man on duty at the time. The centurion would then have reported to the commander (chiliarchos, thus a chiliarch,) who would have been over ten centurions and in charge of the entire force at the fort. Having called the centurion, Paul then said, “Take this young man to the commander.”

The word translated as “young man” doesn’t tell us much concerning his age, but what will happen later will show that he is probably a very young person. The word in Greek simply means a youth or a young man. At times, it is even used for a man of forty years of age. Having said that, Paul continues, saying, “for he has something to report to him.”

Because of his status as a Roman citizen by birth, the request would not be out of line. The centurion certainly would not want to impede the matter, especially after what previously happened when Paul was illegally bound. Further, the petition for the commander to hear the matter meant that it was above his own pay grade to properly handle.

It should be noted that Paul has already been promised by the Lord that he would be safeguarded and that he would see Rome, but this doesn’t exclude him from acting in order to make that happen. There is nothing contradictory in the two concepts. Rather his efforts will complement the promise already made.

Life application: Quite often, people expect their lives to be without troubles simply because they have accepted Jesus. It is as if the purpose of their faith is for them to be served by God. When something difficult, taxing, or even terrible happens, the first question off of their lips is, “Why is God doing this to me?”

For example, the person has a car, needing it to get to work each day. If the car breaks down, the “Why is God…?” question pops out. Is it God’s responsibility to ensure the car runs forever? Should we expect Him to spend His time changing the oil, greasing the joints, and keeping it filled with gas? If not, then at what point does His responsibility start?

The same person, on the same day, has the home air conditioner fail. Again, the almost accusing question pops forth, “Why is He treating me this way?” How many times was the a/c turned on and a “Thank You for this wonderful a/c!” uttered? If not, then it demonstrates that it was something under that person’s control.

Cars break down, air conditioners fail, and bills must be paid. We cannot expect God to live our lives for us. Rather, we should take the actions necessary to have our lives operate properly. And even if we are responsible for hot water heaters, isn’t it right from time to time to thank the Lord for the hot water we have? Many people in the world have never taken a hot shower.

We should be grateful for every blessing we possess, and yet, we should be responsible enough to care for those things that are under our control without blaming God or questioning His goodness when things stop working as they should.

The more we have this perspective, the less we will be frustrated by the world which casts out frustration at every rising of the sun. Be grateful! Be filled with thanks! And be content, even in times of trouble! Live a life that is tuned into the goodness of God, even as you walk through the troubled valleys of life.

Lord God, how thankful we are for every good and kind blessing of this life. Ultimately, all good things come down from Your open hand of grace. Help us to be appreciative of what we have, responsible for caring for those things, and accepting of the times when they fail or are taken away from us. Above all, thank You, O God, for the giving of Jesus Christ our Lord. Hallelujah and amen.

House of Delegates, West Virginia Capitol.

Wednesday, 3 January 2024

So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Acts 23:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The Greek more literally reads, “And the son of Paul’s sister, having heard of the ambush, having come and having entered into the barracks, reported to Paul” (CG).

The previous verse gave the details of the plot that had been schemed against Paul. Now, Luke continues to record what transpired after that, beginning with, “And the son of Paul’s sister.”

The sister and nephew of Paul are the only named relatives in the book and possibly in the Bible. Romans 16:7 & 11 mention Paul’s kinsmen, but this could refer to kinsmen of the flesh, meaning Jews. That cannot be discerned decidedly in one way or another. However, these two can. Of this nephew, it says, “having heard of the ambush.”

Luke leaves off any details of how he could have heard about this. He simply states it as a fact that he heard. The next words show that despite, or maybe because of, Paul’s faith in Jesus, they were still close as a family. The record says, “having come and having entered into the barracks, reported to Paul.”

When he heard of the plot, it was something he felt needed to be reported immediately. This sister may not have lived in Jerusalem or Paul may have stayed with her rather than Mnason (Acts 21:16). If she lived back in Paul’s hometown, then this young man may have been sent to Jerusalem as a student of the rabbis just as Paul was.

If so, and it is all speculation, then he may have heard of the plot via the people he was studying with because these would be the circles where talk of this would occur. This is especially so when 40 people had come under the same vow and whose vow was known to the rulers. Such a matter could not be kept quiet within the rabbinic circles of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Another possibility is that the nephew was in town for the feast along with all the other Jews, but this would not explain how he came to know of the plot. It is unlikely that it was common knowledge in Jerusalem.

Noting that he entered into the barracks tells us that Paul was given liberties while he was detained. More than this, his detainment at this point would be not so much for the good of the public but for his own good. He had not been charged with any crime. Therefore, being allowed visitors would be acceptable.

Life application: As noted above, Paul’s close kin were allied with him despite (or maybe because of) his faith. If they were not believers, they were willing to help him despite this. If they were, they would be even more willing to help him.

The record does not say either way, and thus it is purposeful. There are cults that ask their followers to not associate with people outside of their circles, including family members. This is wholly unscriptural, and it is a good indication that you should not give them an ear, even for a moment. Get away from such control freaks before you get sucked into their aberrant teachings.

Paul’s words are clear –

“But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
¹² For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³ But those who are outside God judges. Therefore ‘put away from yourselves the evil person.’” 1 Corinthians 5:11-13

It is not those outside of the faith that we need to keep away from. Rather, it is miscreants who call themselves believers that are to be avoided. And avoid them like the plague. They can only damage your walk with the Lord and bring you into whatever bondage they are held by.

Lord God Almighty, give us wisdom when dealing with others. So many people have perverse hidden agendas that will only draw our eyes away from You. And yet, they can be very cunning and convincing in how they present their messages. Help us to not get duped by such people. May our allegiance be directly to You through Jesus! Amen.

House of Delegates, West Virginia Capitol.

Tuesday, 2 January 2024

“Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” Acts 23:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the last verse, the men who were plotting to kill Paul placed themselves under an oath and informed the chief priests and elders of their intentions. With that remembered, it next says, “Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow.”

Some manuscripts leave off the word “tomorrow,” but it is probably correctly placed here. There is a definite sense of urgency concerning the vow. It is, therefore, unlikely that they would simply leave the timing open to the convenience of whenever a general meeting was held. Instead, it would need to be expedited.

The band of men had laid out the plans and made the agreement. And so, they would be conveying their intentions, including the particulars, at this time. Next, they explain why they wanted this request to be made, saying, “as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him.”

This squarely places these leaders in the crosshairs as far as guilt before both Rome and God is concerned. They now know of the ongoing plan and are being directly asked to participate in it. This call for Paul, however, is a pretext for something else. As it next says, “but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

Charles Ellicott notes three reasons for this action being necessary –

“…either (1) because the Sanhedrin had lost, under Roman rule, its power to inflict capital punishment; or (2) because, even if they possessed that power, the chiliarch was not likely to allow its exercise in the case of a Roman citizen; or (3) because the experience of the previous day had shown that the violent party were not likely to obtain a majority in the Council.”

No matter what, the plan is certainly plausible because nothing had been decided in the previous interrogation, and so another one would be both expected and appropriate. The words “kill him before he comes near” are intended to keep the council’s hands free from accusation by the Roman masters. However, there could always be a weak link in this chain that would identify them as a part of the growing conspiracy.

Life application: When those in power want to retain their power, it will often result in harming others. Imagine a party having lost an election and seeing their goals being swept away by a well-respected and honest leader. The only way for them to regain power is to rely on deceit, theft of the popular vote, and using those aligned with them who are still in jobs within the government.

From there, and once the election is stolen, those who were aligned with the now-ousted leader are pursued with reckless abandon by the new government. False charges are made up, sham councils are organized that have highly edited videos to manipulate the truth and malign anyone who disagrees with them.

Lives are ruined, trust in the government is lost, and fear of speaking out becomes the standard for most. Those who are willing to speak out risk their very lives to uphold what is right. Does this sound impossible to you? Then maybe you need to reevaluate what has been going on in the world around you.

You must decide whether you will speak out against what is wrong, or if you will safely and quietly remain in the background, not wanting to upset the applecart. Such decisions must be made by each person in such a nation. Where will you stand when you find yourself in a position like this?

O God, help us to be willing to work against the evil that surrounds us in the world. May we be bold enough to call out wrongdoing, identifying it for what it is. Someone must do so, or the wicked will certainly prevail. Give us the fortitude we need to do what is right. Yes, be with us, O God. Amen.

Fancy roof and chandelier. West Virginia Capitol.

Monday, 1 January 2024

They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Acts 23:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

A literal translation is, “Who, having come to the chief priests and the elders said, ‘Anathema, anathematized ourselves – tasting nothing until that we should kill Paul’” (CG).

In the previous verse, it was noted that forty men had come together against Paul. Of them, it next says, “Who, having come to the chief priests and the elders.” They had made a joint oath to kill Paul. This is often translated as a conspiracy. Now, they will present their intentions to the chief priests and elders. As such, and even if they have not joined in the oath, these rulers are now a part of this conspiracy.

It was said in their midst quite some time earlier, “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; ³⁹ but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God” (Acts 5:38, 39). This was repeated in part in Acts 23:9.

As this movement has taken root, it means that the elders and priests are clearly pitting themselves against God if they agree to what is next said by the forty men, “Anathema, anathematized ourselves.”

The way the Greek is structured in these words follows the pattern of a Hebrew idiom where a verb is repeated while being restructured for emphasis. This intensifies the words being spoken. The word “great” stated in the NKJV may help convey this idea for our English understanding, but it is not a part of the Greek. The idiom itself is sufficient to understand the intensive nature of the statement.

They have irretrievably bound themselves to a particular matter until it is seen through. With that, they next explain what it is they have committed to, saying, “tasting nothing until that we should kill Paul.”

These men know that the faction of the Sadducees would be more than happy to hear this news. The brutality of the high priest, who was a Sadducee, was known, and he would be most displeased with how the events of the inspection of Paul came out. Knowing this, they will use his authority as a pretext to be rid of Paul.

In their oath, and in the fact that they are repeating its substance to the chief priests and elders, there is conveyed a sense of urgency. They would quickly lose their strength and their stamina if their request was not expedited. They are trusting that what they recommend will be approved and acted upon speedily. What is occurring also matches the words of Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14 –

“Then one of the people said, ‘Your father strictly charged [literally: swearing, has sworn] the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ And the people were faint.
²⁹ But Jonathan said, ‘My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?’” 1 Samuel 14:28-30

Life application: If you are plotting to do wickedness and you go to someone in a higher position of authority to get approval for what you are doing, it does not exonerate you from your actions.

For example, if you are planning on murdering your child through abortion, you might go through the court system and get them to declare abortion legal in the land. Should that be approved, it does not mean that you are now absolved from the guilt of murder when you have your child killed.

This goes along with things like voting as well. If you vote for someone who will work to make abortion legal, you are participating in the resulting laws being passed. We all need to understand that just because something is legal, it does not mean it is morally right in God’s eyes. The only way to be freed from the sin debt you bear is to come to Jesus and be cleansed. From there, live rightly and in accord with Scripture. This is what God would have you do.

Lord God Almighty, we are prone to make all kinds of mistakes in life. We may try to hide some of them by claiming what we are doing is legal. But if it is contrary to Your will, we are guilty of our actions, nonetheless. Help us to consider this and to do what is right and good in Your eyes at all times. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.