Acts 22:5

Thursday, 23 November 2023

“as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Acts 22:5

A more literal rendering would be, “as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the elderhood. From whom also having received letters to the brothers, I went to Damascus even to bring those there being bound to Jerusalem so that they might be punished” (CG).

In the previous verse, Paul noted that he persecuted the Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. He continues that thought now, saying, “as also the high priest bears me witness.”

Scholars enjoy arguing over which high priest is being referred to. Some are adamant that he's speaking of the high priest at the time of his conversion. Others say that he is speaking of the high priest at the time he is speaking.

It could be either, but that is not what is important. Having grown up around these people, they would understand his actions and the authority of the position. Such argumentation distracts from the main point, which is the authority of the office. Along with the high priest, he next says, “and all the elderhood.”

His statement that the high priest, as well as all of the council of elders, knew of his actions could so easily be refuted that it had to be true. Some of them may have been standing there at that moment.

As for the term “elderhood,” it is found only in Luke 22:66, here, and 1 Timothy 4:14. In 1 Timothy 4, Paul uses it concerning the elders of the church. It is a noun indicating an elderhood or presbytery. Of these offices in the leadership of Israel, he next says, “From whom also having received letters to the brothers, I went to Damascus.”

From the body of the high priest and the elders, among whom some were still living at the present time, he received his permission to conduct his persecution of the Christians even as far as Damascus.

In his words about the Jews there, he calls them “brothers.” It is an emphatic way of saying that, even now, he identified himself with the Jewish people as brothers. Implied in this is that the faith he pursued in no way removed him from his status as a Jew.

What he did was with the authority and sanction of Israel’s leaders, and it was in accord with the principles of his Jewish brethren where he traveled. This was specifically, “even to bring those there being bound to Jerusalem.”

One can see that Paul was operating under a greater plan of ending the Way. Those in other locations who believed were bound. Paul went to retrieve them and bring them to the seat of power and authority in Jerusalem “so that they might be punished.”

The word he uses, timóreó, is found only here and in a verse where he again discusses this persecution against the saints, Acts 26:11. Its literal meaning is to assign due retribution. Paul was avenging himself upon the church, and he was working for the elders who would also avenge themselves on it. They believed that the church was committing offenses against their way of life. Thus, suitable atonement through their punishment was necessary.

Life application: Paul never stopped being a Jew when he came to faith in Jesus. However, this does not mean that he had to adhere to everything that he once adhered to. That thinking will be proven completely false in the verses ahead.

Rather than losing his cultural and national identity, he solidified it. As many messianic believers state today, they are now “completed Jews.” They have developed beyond the Law of Moses, having come to the One whom Moses spoke of.

The Law of Moses does not define who the Jewish people are. Their relationship with the Lord, in the context that applies at a given time within His redemptive plans, is what defines them as a people. As the law was fulfilled by Christ, it is by faith in Him alone that defines them as His people. This is explicitly stated in Romans 9-11.

Without national salvation through Messiah, Israel is not in a right standing with the Lord. Pray that they will seek Him out while He may be found. The end times are coming upon the world, and Israel will be here, enduring through that terrible trial because of their rejection of Christ.

The good news, however, is that they shall survive as a people and enter into the millennium with Christ as their Head. God is ever faithful to His faithless people.

Lord God may Your guiding hand be upon Israel during their time of trial and trouble in the years ahead. Open hearts and minds to the truth of who Jesus is before that day comes. And, Lord, we long for the day when You will be glorified through them when they, as Your people once again, hail the exalted name of Jesus Christ. Amen.