Acts 23:11-35 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem… Was marked by — I. A VISIT FROM CHRIST (ver. 11). This advent was — 1. Opportune. We may well suppose that Paul's sensitive nature would be subject to many painful memories. gloomy thoughts, boding anxieties, and perhaps sceptical thoughts. 2. Cheering: What a contrast to the words of falsehood, cursing, blasphemy, which during the previous days had been addressed to him! Christ's words were words of — (1) Commendation. Had Paul been allowed the mental agony of questioning whether he had done the right thing in Jerusalem? If so, here is a scattering of the dark thought: "Thou hast testified of Me" — well done. (2) Information. Paul had long been intensely anxious to visit Rome (Acts 19:21; Romans 1:10; Romans 15:23, 24). Perhaps he had given up this long-cherished purpose, and had wept bitter tears of disappointment on the wreck of the loved hope. Christ's words now assured him. 3. Suggestive that great trials in duty — (1) Are no evidence of unfaithfulness. (2) Are all known to Christ. (3) Do not release us from the obligation to persevere. II. A CONSPIRACY OF ENEMIES (vers. 12-16). This conspiracy was — 1. Malignant. The sufferings to which he was already subject did not satisfy them. Like wild beasts they thirsted for his blood. 2. Determined. "They bound themselves under a curse." 3. Strong. "More than forty." 4. Cunning (ver. 14). Being in the charge of the Roman officer, he could only be got at through the Sanhedrin. The fact that these wretches could make such a request demonstrates the immorality that prevailed amongst the rulers. III. AN INTERPOSITION OF PROVIDENCE. In the verses that follow (16-35) we find Divine Providence — 1. Thwarting the evil. In the method here recorded we find three things which generally characterise the procedure of Providence. (1) Simplicity. The agency employed was "Paul's sister's son." This is all we know of the family of Paul. Here is a young man, probably uninfluential and obscure, who does the work. It has ever been Heaven's plan to employ insignificant means for the accomplishment of great ends. (2) Unexpectedness. Little did the conspirators expect that their plan would be defeated by an obscure youth; little did Paul expect that deliverance would come for him from such a quarter. Means often most unlikely are employed to accomplish important results. (3) Naturalness. It was natural (a) for Paul's nephew, having heard of the malignant plot, to seek access to his uncle, and to warn him of it. (b) For his uncle to despatch him to the chief captain. (c) For the chief captain, as a man of honour, to act as he did. 2. Delivering the good. (1) Paul secured a safe journey to Caesarea. God's resources are greater than the devil's. There were forty murderers in quest of Paul's life, but God raised nearly five hundred brave soldiers to protect him. More are they that are for us than they that are against us. (2) Paul secured a good introduction to the Roman judge, in the letter that was written by Lysias to Felix. So far Paul is safe, and on his way to the imperial city he long desired to visit. Truly, "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. |
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