Acts 23:16

Acts 23:16. And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. It is singular that this is the only mention in the ‘Acts' of any of Paul's relations. We hear nothing further of this young man. It is not probable that he or his mother-Paul's sister was resident in the Holy City, otherwise the apostle would hardly have lodged with Mnason during the visit (chap. Acts 21:16). It is more likely that, as Paul had been years before, so his nephew now was a stranger student, perhaps from Tarsus, in the great Jerusalem schools; and that there he had heard the plot against the arch-traitor to the old customs of Judaism, as some termed him, discussed.

There were evidently many belonging to the family of the missionary apostle. We know there were some dwelling at Tarsus; here at Jerusalem we meet with his nephew; at Rome, we also read in two passages of his kinsmen (Romans 16:7; Romans 16:11).

Apparently there was no difficulty of access to Paul in his temporary imprisonment in Antonia. Here, as in several other places, the courtesy of the higher Roman officials towards the seemingly friendless and persecuted missionary is noticeable. See especially Acts 16:33; Acts 24:23; Acts 26:32; Acts 27:3; Acts 28:30.