Acts 23:22

_ _ So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast showed these things to me....

12-24 False religious principles, adopted by carnal men, urge on to such wickedness, as human nature would hardly be supposed capable of. Yet the Lord readily disappoints the best concerted schemes of iniquity. Paul knew that the Divine providence acts by reasonable and prudent means; and that, if he neglected to use the means in his power, he could not expect God's providence to work on his behalf. He who will not help himself according to his means and power, has neither reason nor revelation to assure him that he shall receive help from God. Believing in the Lord, we and ours shall be kept from every evil work, and kept to his kingdom. Heavenly Father, give us by thy Holy Spirit, for Christ's sake, this precious faith....

EXPOSITION ACTS 23:1 _Looking steadfastly on _for _earnestly beholding, _A.V.; _brethren _for _men and brethren, _A.V._; I have lived before God, _etc., for _I have lived, _etc., _before God, _A.V. LOOKING STEADFASTLY; ἀτενίσας, as in Acts 1:10; Acts 3:4, Acts 3:12; Acts 6:15; Acts 7:55; Acts 10:4;...

SO THE CHIEF CAPTAIN THEN LET THE YOUNG MAN DEPART,.... After he had had the account from him, and was master of the whole affair: AND CHARGED HIM, SEE THOU TELL NO MAN THAT THOU HAST SHOWED THESE THINGS TO ME; which was prudently said; it was a right and wise thing to conceal this matter, that the men might go on with their designs, and an opportunity be taken to convey Paul away, before the time came fixed by them to execute them; for otherwise, should it have been known that their plot was discovered, they would have entered upon new measures....

JEWISH PLOT: REMOVAL OF PAUL. The Jews propose what the tribune, in Acts 22:30 to Acts 23:10, has already done on his own initiative; here we are on historical ground. The hated person being removed from their power, they plan an assassination. Forty of them make themselves a curse (so literally), _i.e._ they are to be accursed if they do not carry out their purpose; and they are to fast till it is done. For this end they apply to the high priests and elders to get the tribune to bring Paul down to a meeting for a further inquiry. No doubt is entertained apparently that the leaders will countenance such a plot. The tribune, who is well disposed to Paul since he discovered his citizenship, at once removes him from danger; but 470 men seem a large force for the purpose. Lysias-' motive in all this apparatus was

THE STRATEGY OF PAUL (Acts 23:1-10)...

SO, &C. The chief captain indeed then. LET... DEPART. sent away. Greek. _apoluo._ App-174. CHARGED. commanded. Greek. _parangello._ See note on Acts 1:4. SEE THOU TELL. to tell. Greek. _eklaleo._ Only here. NO MAN. no one. Greek. _medeis._ SHEWED. Same as "signify", Acts 23:15....

_So the chief captain then let the young man depart_ There is but one conjunction in the original, which is doubly rendered here by _So_and _then_. It is better to omit the latter. _and charged him, See thou tell no man_, &c. The _Rev. Ver._has "charging him, Tell no man, &c." The Greek is literally "charging him to tell, &c." but though this is correct enough in Greek when a sentence like "that thou hast shewed, &c." is to follow it cannot stand in English; so for the infinitive "to tell" an imperative or its equivalent must be substituted. The A. V. has taken the one, the _Rev. Ver._the other way of rendering. _that thou hast shewed_[_Rev. Ver._signified] &c. This change is made because the same word was so rendered in Acts 23:15....

PAUL IS CHEERED BY A VISION. THE JEWS CONSPIRE TO KILL HIM...

_THE JEWS CONSPIRED TO KILL PAUL ACTS 23:12-24:_ There was so much hatred toward Paul that more than forty Jewish men vowed that they would not eat nor drink until they had killed him. They even asked the chief priest and other to join them in their godless plot. They wanted then to request the commander to bring Paul down that they might kill him from ambush. Paul's nephew somehow heard about the plot. He told Paul who then asked an officer to take him to the commander. He told the commander that some men would ask him to bring Paul before the Jewish council tomorrow. They would pretend to desire to question Paul more. However, more than forty men were going to attack Paul. They had made a vow not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. The commander charged the young man not to tell anyone what he had told him. If they knew that their plot had been made known t