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Tuesday 20 November 2018

Acts 23:23-30 - Felix the governor

23:23,24
The matter was obviously taken very seriously, with a substantial cohort of soldiers being sent with Paul. Caesarea was the Roman capital of Judea. The commander was intent of Paul being safely delivered to the governor Felix. Felix was governor from about AD 52 to AD 59. He was a freedman, ie a former slave, and other historical documents condemn him as being corrupt.

23:25-30

A letter was sent and this constituted a formal legal referral. The letter had the typical format for letters of that type of the time. The commander stresses that he rescued Paul, and did so because he was a Roman citizen. Then he makes it clear that the cause of the dispute was a matter of Jewish law, and nothing to do with Roman law. He also regarded the man as innocent, and certainly not deserving of death. He had learnt of the death threat, and so sent Paul to Felix for a proper hearing.

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