Acts 23:29

Tuesday, 16 January 2024

I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. Acts 23:29

The tense of the verbs needs tweaking. The Greek reads, “Whom I found being accused about questions of their law and having no accusation worthy of death or chains” (CG).

The commander’s letter to Felix, the governor, about Paul continues, saying, “Whom I found being accused about questions of their law.”

The words, “questions of their law,” mean that there was nothing involved that Rome would care about. Instead, it was a matter of the interpretation of Jewish law and not something that was defined by the courts of Rome.

The Jewish people had been given authority to worship their God as they chose. Any internal strife concerning rites, interpretations, authorized teachers, etc. in relation to the law was left solely up to those in charge of such religious matters to decide. Because of this, the commander was certain that they were of no concern to Rome. They are what was detailed earlier in this chapter where it said –

“But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!’

7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. 8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. 9 Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, ‘We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.’” Acts 23:6-9

As this was a matter not within the jurisdiction of Roman decision, the commander concluded that Paul was “having no accusation worthy of death or chains.”

None of the things he heard were sufficient to bind him, imprison him, or have him executed. And yet, ironically, the things that they discussed are the most important issues that will ever affect the people of the world.

Because of the Roman system that was in place at the time, the worldly matters seemed to overshadow the more important spiritual ones, at least in order for Paul to be able to continue his ministry. Here and in all other cases in Acts, no magistrate found any wrongdoing in Paul.

Life application: The same situation exists today that existed at the time of Paul’s life under Roman rule. There are those who share the gospel in order to free people from the bonds of sin and the power of the devil. They do this within nations that supposedly have the right to rule over such matters or who are indifferent to such things.

And yet, the problem of sin infects every single person on the earth. At the time of the writing of this commentary, there is a major corruption scandal concerning fundraising in Japan. In Germany, there is a corruption scandal concerning gas supplies from Qatar. In the United States, the person in the White House is being investigated for corruption that literally permeates his political life and his family.

The same type of sinful behavior is found in one nation after another and in religious institutions around the world, including Christian churches and especially the Vatican, from the pope down to all levels. Some of these entities proclaim that they have authority over what believing Christians can say or how they can say it.

This, then, supposedly puts them over God who has given His word and has then instructed believers to share it and teach it. Imagine that! God has allowed humanity to run its own affairs, even if what they decide is set in contrast to His word. This includes churches that are supposed to rightly teach it.

And yet, people call God an ogre for telling them that the problem rests within their hearts and that He has done everything necessary to fix it and bring restoration between them and Him. No wonder the world is devolving into total chaos.

When the people turn from Him and how He has revealed Himself, it means that only sin is left to rule in their lives. Even the very best governments will fail unless the truth of God in Christ is accepted and allowed to flourish within the society.

What a mess the world is in, Lord God. Nations have cast off any sense of Christian morality, and we have turned away from the magnificent message of the gospel. Even churches and denominations are following the path of perversion, accepting profane doctrines to be taught as acceptable. Lord, we know that the coming of Jesus for His people is getting closer each day as we see these things unfold. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.