Study #71: Paul’s nephew helped him to escape a Jewish conspiracy to kill him

All Bible quotations and the arrangement are found exclusively in the Kingdom Study Bible version, published by Jehovah Has Spoken Publishing Ministries.

It is published for free online at https://https://www.phibible.org/

All Bible quotations and the arrangement are found exclusively in the Kingdom Study Bible (KSB) version, published by Jehovah Has Spoken Publishing Ministries. Currently, the KSB is being prepared for a new edition release in free PDF, and will not be available for download until it is ready.

Acts, Chapter 2.5: Paul the prisoner witnessed to the Gentile Roman government in Caesarea before traveling to Rome (23:12 - 28:31)

§Complement Introduction: Paul’s nephew helped Paul to escape a Jewish conspiracy to kill him (23:12 - 35)

¶Opposite Paul’s nephew reported the conspiracy to kill Paul to the Roman tribune (23:12 - 22)

¶Opposite The Roman tribune sent Paul to Caesarea under heavy guard (23:23 - 35)

§Complement Body: Paul defended himself before the Roman governors and king Agrippa, who sent him to Rome (24:1 - 27:44)

¶Opposite Paul defended himself before Felix against false accusations from a lawyer hired by the Jews (24:1 - 23)

¶Opposite For two years, Felix tried to persuade Paul to bribe him for freedom, but failed (24:24 - 27)

¶Complement Paul appealed to Caesar to prevent his assassination by Jews on the road to Jerusalem (25:1 - 22)

¶Complement Paul appealed to Christ as the reason for all that he did in his life (25:23 - 26:32)

¶Unique Paul was transported under guard by a ship from Asia Minor, which crashed on the island of Malta (27:1 - 44)

§Unique Conclusion: Paul was transported to Rome by ship, where he explained the Kingdom of God to the Jews of Rome (28:1 - 31)

¶Complement Paul was transported to Rome from Malta on a ship of Alexandria, Egypt (28:1 - 16)

¶Complement Paul explained the Kingdom of God to the Jews of Rome (28:17 - 31)

The text of the first paragraph of the Introduction Section, arranged by the Golden Ratio design:

§Complement Introduction: Paul’s nephew helped him to escape a Jewish conspiracy to kill him (23:12 - 35)

¶Opposite Paul’s nephew reported the conspiracy to kill Paul to the Roman tribune (23:12 - 22)

Unique And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul; and they were more than forty who had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore you with the council signify to the tribune that he bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would inquire something more perfectly concerning him; and we, before he comes near, are ready to kill him.”

Complement And when Paul’s nephew heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

Complement Then Paul called one of the centurions to him, and said, “Bring this young man to the tribune: for he has a certain thing to tell him.” So he took him, and brought him to the tribune, and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to say to you.”

Opposite Then the tribune took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, “What is that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you that you would bring down Paul into the council tomorrow, as though they would inquire something of him more perfectly. But do not yield to them! For there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them; who have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, looking for a promise from you.”

Opposite So the tribune let the young man depart, and charged him, “See that you tell no man that you have shown these things to me.”

Comments: Notice the Golden Ratio design of the content of the sub-paragraphs: one unique, two complements, and two opposites.

This is a funny incident in the Bible, where more than forty men place themselves under a great curse, and swear not to eat anything until they have killed Paul.

However, they forgot to keep their plans a secret; and God made sure the nephew of Paul heard of it, and he went to the Roman army to tell them of their plans to kill Paul.

Then the Roman army escorted Paul under heavy guard to Caesarea, which was on the coast of the Mediterranean sea, which prevented these men from killing Paul.

So, what could they do now? Eat and break their oath, or starve to death? Ha ha.

God has amazing ways of making fools of those who plot evil against his servants.

Proverbs 24:8: “He that schemes to do evil shall be called a wicked person.”

Proverbs 12:2: “A good man obtains favor of Jehovah; but a man of wicked schemes will he condemn.”

The text of the second paragraph of the Introduction Section, arranged by the Golden Ratio design:

¶Opposite The Roman tribune sent Paul to Caesarea under heavy guard (23:23 - 35)

Opposite And he called two centurions to him, saying, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and seventy cavalry, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night; and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix the governor.”

Opposite And he wrote a letter after this manner: “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: greeting. This man was taken by the Jews, and would have been killed by them. Then I came with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And when I would have known the cause for which they accused him, I brought him forth into their council, whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their Law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of chains. And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent immediately to you; and I gave command to his accusers also to say before you what they had against him. Farewell.”

Complement Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

Complement On the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle; who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

Unique And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, “I will hear you, when your accusers have also come.” And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

Comments: The Roman tribune (or, commander of the Roman army in Jerusalem) lied about his actions in rescuing Paul. He did not know that Paul was a Roman until after he had taken him into the castle.

In addition, he didn’t mention that he had bound Paul and almost flogged him with a whip, which was illegal for a Roman who had not been condemned yet. In his letter, he skipped over that part.

What was he doing? He was making himself look good to his boss, when the truth was something different.

This is human nature, to lie and make yourself look as good as possible when you are in a difficult situation; but it is a sin against God and wrong to do it.

Why not just tell the truth? Then you don’t have to worry if someone who knows the facts will tell on you and then everyone will know that you are a liar.

But most importantly, GOD KNOWS ABOUT YOUR LIE, and if you are a born-again Christian, then God will chastise you for your sin, and you will have to repent and get right with Him sooner or later; and that will be painful.

Hebrews 12:5-6: “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to children, “My son, despise not the discipline of [Jehovah], nor faint when you are rebuked by him: for whom [Jehovah] loves he disciplines, and scourges every son whom he receives.”

Yes, things could be difficult for a while, but in the end, if you are a born-again Christian, God will bless you for your integrity and honesty.

This is especially important for Christians, because if your friends, family, and coworkers find out that you are a liar, then they will never believe you if you tell them about Jesus! You have poisoned the Gospel for everyone who knows you; and you have made it much more likely that they will all go to Hell, because of you. They will say, “Christians are all hypocrites and liars!” And they will point to you. For their sake, do not be a liar.

Anyone who can tell a lie but never repents of their lie is lost and does not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. A lie is a wicked thing, and must never be told by a Christian. The first liar was Satan; therefore, anyone who lies is following Satan. Jesus said that Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).

When I was in the Navy about 39 years ago, my ship was getting underway and the captain wanted to know whether the equipment on the ship was in working order or not.

So my chief came to me and asked me to sign a report that our equipment was working 100%, but that was not true; we had some problems in the equipment.

I refused to do it; first, because I was a Christian and I refused to lie; but second, because my chief was a lying weasel, and I knew that if the lie were ever discovered, he would deny that he had told me to sign the report; and then it would be his word against mine. Who would they believe? A chief or a lowly petty officer? I might have been kicked out of the Navy, and he would not have cared!

Why did he do this? Because he wanted to hear praise from the captain, and not hear angry words from him about why his equipment wasn’t in working order! So he told a lie to make himself look good, exactly the same as the Roman tribune did in our Scripture text.

He was angry about my refusal, and signed it himself; and the captain never discovered the truth, so he got away with it (at least here on Earth).

As for me, I was very glad that I stood my ground and refused to help make my chief look good with a lie! God was with me and blessed me.

While my chief was not happy with me, what was he going to do? Would he bring me to captain’s mast and say that I refused an illegal order? Hah! No way. So I was safe from any real retaliation. In fact, now I had dirt on him that I could have used if he had tried to do something to me, so he would not dare to retaliate against me. That never happened.

Let that be a lesson for you! Stand your ground and refuse to lie. Always tell the truth, even when it hurts. Afterward, you will be glad that you did the right thing and kept your integrity with the Lord. And others will know that you are a person of integrity, and will listen to you when you tell them about Jesus; and that is VERY important, both for you and especially for them!

Born again Christians are not perfect; but one thing that should describe them is that they always tell the truth, even when it hurts.

Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are abomination to Jehovah; but they that deal truly are his delight.”

Proverbs 20:17 “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”

Proverbs 19:1 “Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.”

Proverbs 17:7 “Excellent speech does not become a fool; much less do lying lips become a prince.”

Proverbs 19:22 “The desire of a man is his kindness; and a poor man is better than a liar.”

Proverbs 13:5 “A righteous man hates lying; but a wicked man is loathsome, and comes to shame.”

The Bible says in Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and witches, and idolaters, and ALL LIARS, shall have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Are you a liar? Always cutting corners on the truth; always covering up the truth with false stories? The Bible says that your future is the Lake that is burning with fire and brimstone!

There is only one remedy for your lies, and that is to repent of your sins and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

First, you must recognize that you are a liar, which makes you a sinner in the eyes of God. God hates lies and liars, but loves the person who acknowledges their sins and turns to Jesus to ask for salvation and forgiveness. God only wants you to admit the truth to Him, which He already knows!

Second, you must recognize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to Earth, was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, and died on a cross to pay for your sins almost 2,000 years ago. Then, He was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day, victorious over sin, Hell, and the grave!

Third, you must recognize that Jesus is the only Way to Heaven, and that you cannot go there any other way.

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.” John 3:16.

Fourth, you must recognize that your good works cannot save you from going to Hell. Your sins, including your lies, will keep you out of Heaven, even if you only had one sin in your entire life! Because God cannot allow even a single sin into his Heaven. It is a place of absolute holiness; no sinner can enter there. Therefore, you must be born again through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, or God will have no choice but to put you in Hell after you die.

Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been permanently saved through faith; and that faith is not out of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of our own works, lest any man should boast”

Romans 10:8-13: “But what does it say? “The Word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart”; that is to say, the Word of faith (which we preach), that if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved: for with the heart man believes into righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made into salvation: for the Scripture says, “Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed.” For there is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him: for [it is written], “whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you want to be saved, and become free from sin and Satan; and have a future in Heaven, here is how you do it: IF you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross for your sins, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, you may pray this prayer to receive Him as your Savior and be saved:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! You are my only hope for salvation! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, you were buried, and you rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”

If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.