September 06, 2023 | Be On Mission
Paul's Nephew Saves Him from Assassination Plot
Scripture: Acts 23:12-22(NIV)
12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him to the commander.
The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”
20 He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”
22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
Devotional
Conspiracies were a way of life – and death – in the Roman world. Less than a hundred years earlier, numerous senators in the Roman Republic conspired to assassinate their dictator Julius Caesar as he entered the senate house in Rome. In much the same way, a network of forty zealous conspirators plotted to assassinate Paul as he entered the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. If you can’t beat ‘em, kill ‘em.
Paul’s nephew saved the day, first reporting the conspiracy to Paul himself, then to the Roman commander, who wanted nothing more than for this uproar to die down. The commander certainly didn’t care much about the tension between Jews and Christians, any more than he cared about the disagreements between Sadducees and Pharisees. All that he wanted was for the Pax Romana to be experienced in his command post of Jerusalem.
Let’s look at this through the eyes of Paul’s nephew. Certainly he cared about his mom’s brother. It makes sense that he told his uncle about the plot on his life. But then the young man went with a Roman centurion, who escorted him to the Roman commander, to whom the Jewish nephew relayed the Jewish plot. He willingly inserted himself between the Roman rock and the Jewish hard place. He risked his life by meddling in the affairs of the Roman occupying authorities and speaking against the Jewish conspirators and religious power brokers.
Sometimes faith and loyalty demand risk.
Is there anybody in your life who needs you to stand in the gap for them? What risks would you run if you did so? How will you determine what course of action you should take?
Poem
Paul's Nephew
"He who saves a single life, saves the world entire.” The Talmud
Apostle Paul
A sister had
Who bore faithful son
This nephew true
Heard hatred news
And thus sprang into action
This small detail
Of family leal
Is often missed in reading
Paul’s nephew’s strife
Saved one lone life
Entire world receiving
Let us embrace
This nephew’s part
Within the Kingdom’s plan
Tell of his work
Ne’er let us shirk
A faithful action span
