The History of Christianity - John S. C. Abbott (bookstand for reading .txt) 📗

The Jews were at that time divided into two highly antagonistic parties,—the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in any future state, or in any spiritual existence. They said, “There is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit.” The Pharisees, on the contrary, believed fully in the resurrection of the dead, and in a future life. Paul took advantage of this division of sentiment among his judges, and, knowing that one of the sources of the bitter hostility excited against him was that he taught that Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the grave, continued his defence by saying,—

“Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”

This caused an immediate division between the two parties, and arrayed the Pharisees on the side of Paul. They said, “We find no evil in this man; but, if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” The dissension between these two rival sects became so intense, that they almost proceeded to blows. “The chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.”

In the night, the Lord Jesus appeared to his devoted apostle, and said to him, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”

Certain of the Jews, finding it difficult to crush Paul by processes of law, entered into a conspiracy, binding themselves by an oath not to eat nor drink till they had killed him. There were forty of these conspirators; and they were so assured of the sympathy of the Jewish rulers in this endeavor, that they went to them, informed them of their resolve, and sought their co-operation. The plan which they proposed to the chief priests and elders was, that they should officially apply to Claudius Lysias that Paul might be once more brought before the Jewish court for further examination. As the prisoner was being conducted from the fortress to the court, the assassins, lying in wait, would fall upon him, and kill him.

A nephew of Paul, the son of his sister, learned of this conspiracy, and, obtaining access to the fortress, informed Paul of his peril. Paul sent the young man by one of the centurions to communicate the intelligence to Lysias. Thus informed, Lysias secretly at night assembled a band of four hundred Roman soldiers and spearmen and seventy cavalry to escort Paul to Cæsarea, and place him under the control of Felix, the governor of Judæa, who resided in that city. It was a journey of seventy-five miles, and would have to be taken rapidly; and therefore more than one horse was provided for Paul.

The escort started with its prisoner at nine o’clock at night, and took with them the following letter to the governor:—

“Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them; then came I with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And, when I would have known the cause wherefore 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 bonds. And, when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.”

Marching rapidly with their prisoner, the escort proceeded that night thirty-eight miles, as far as Antipatris. From this point the foot-soldiers returned to Jerusalem, as their presence was no longer needed for the protection of Paul. The horsemen accompanied Paul the remainder of the way to Cæsarea, and, proceeding directly to the governor, surrendered to him their prisoner. Felix ordered Paul to be held in custody in Herod’s palace, which was the official residence of the governor, until his accusers should come from Jerusalem.

After an interval of five days, Ananias the high priest, with the elders, and a distinguished orator named Tertullus, came to Cæsarea to prefer their charges against Paul in the presence of the governor. Tertullus brought forward their accusations in the following address to Felix:—

“Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, we accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words: for we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes;158 who also hath gone about to profane the temple; whom we took, and would have judged according to our law. But the chief captain, Lysias, came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come unto thee; by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.”159

Paul was then called upon for his defence against these frivolous charges. It was as follows: “Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself; because that thou mayest understand that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city; neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

“But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets; and have hope toward God (which they themselves also allow) that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men. Now, after many years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult. Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had aught against me; or else let these same here say if they have found any evil-doing in me while I stood before the council, except it be for this one voice, that I cried, standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.”

Felix had been governor of Judæa for six years. It was now nearly thirty years since the death of Christ. There were numerous bodies of Christians in churches scattered all over Palestine. He had enjoyed ample opportunities of becoming acquainted with the sentiments of the Christians, was a thoughtful man, and was by no means predisposed to treat Paul with severity. He therefore placed Paul under the custody of a centurion, who was to accompany him wherever he went, but to allow him perfect liberty and free access to his friends.

It would seem that Drusilla, the wife of Felix, had some curiosity to see Paul; for, after a few days, Felix and Drusilla (who was a Jewess) sent for Paul to come to the palace, and in private heard him “concerning the faith in Christ.” Luke records,—

“And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time: when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”

“He had hoped also,” Luke adds, “that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.”160

For two years, Paul was held a prisoner in Cæsarea. How wonderful that God should, at such a time, have allowed such a man so long to be kept in comparative silence! He was doubtless active in the service of his Saviour in Cæsarea every hour of every day; but we have no record of the results of those labors. At length Felix was summoned to Rome, and was supplanted in the office of governor by Festus. The malice of the Jewish rulers towards Paul continued unabated; “and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.” This was in the year of our Lord 60.

Immediately upon the arrival of the new governor at Cæsarea, the sleepless hatred of the Jews made a fresh attempt upon the life of Paul. Three days after Festus landed at Cæsarea, he went up to Jerusalem, the political metropolis of his province. Immediately the high priest, accompanied by several of the most prominent of the Jews, appeared before Festus, and begged that Paul might be sent back from Cæsarea to Jerusalem for trial. They had in the mean time prepared a band of assassins to fall upon Paul by the way, and put him to death.

Festus wisely declined placing an uncondemned person thus in the hands of his enemies, but stated, that, as he was about to return to Cæsarea, they could send his accusers there with whatever charges they had to prefer against him. After remaining in Jerusalem about ten days, Festus returned to Cæsarea, summoned a court of assistant judges, took his seat upon the judicial tribunal, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. The Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. It would seem, from the summary which is given of Paul’s reply, that he was charged with heresy, sacrilege, and treason,—the same charges which had before been brought against him by Tertullus. “Neither against the Jews,” Paul answered, “neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all.”

Festus was anxious to conciliate the favor of the Jews, and suggested that Paul should go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before a tribunal over which he himself would preside. Paul knew that he could expect no justice there, and that he was in danger of being assassinated by the way. He was a Roman citizen, and, as such, had the privilege of appealing to Cæsar at Rome. This was his last resort. He therefore said,—

“I stand at Cæsar’s judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but, if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cæsar.”161

Even Festus had no power to ignore this appeal. By those potent words, “I appeal unto Cæsar,” Paul had transferred his cause from the provincial governor to the emperor at Rome. Nothing remained for Festus but to send Paul to Rome, with all the documents bearing upon the trial, and with his own official report. Festus, however, was still in perplexity. The charges brought against Paul were so extremely frivolous, that he knew not what statement to make. He was ashamed to send a prisoner to Rome with such trivial accusations; and it seemed to him “unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.”

Festus was governor