#1605 Acts 22 Part 2 Flogging Citizens

 

22 And they were listening to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!” 23 And as they were crying out and throwing off their garments and tossing dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, stating that he should be examined by flogging so that he might find out the reason why they were shouting against him that way. 25 But when they stretched him out with leather straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” 26 And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported to him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 And the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 And the commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I have been born a citizen.” 29 Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately withdrew from him; and the commander also was afraid when he learned that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

30 But on the next day, wishing to know for certain why he had been accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them. Acts 22: 22-30 LSB

Acts 22: 22-30 LSB

V. 22 They were listening to him up to this statement - His previous statement was towards the end of his testimony, or at least where they cut him off. He stated that God had sent him to minister to the gentiles, and apparently that was a bridge too far. The Jews did not think much of the Gentiles, wanted the time of Gentile rule to be over, but here is a Jew, Paul, who has met Christ, being a light to the Gentile nations. He is well versed in the Old Testament as well, and could easily show that this was God's intent all along, that Israel was to be a light to the other nations. Paul isn't preaching or bearing testimony to anything that God, through Holy Scripture, has not attested to already. Everything in Jewish tradition, from the sacrificial ordinances, the layout of the temple, the prophets and their genealogies, all pointed to Christ, the deliverer received by faith. 

Barton - They were supposed to be a light to the Gentiles, telling them about the one true God, but they had renounced that mission by becoming separatist and exclusive. Did the Jews hate the Gentiles? No. Continual efforts were made by the Jews to try to convert the Gentiles. The implications of Paul's testimony and Christian gospel were clear, however. He was suggesting that the Gentiles could be saved and made right with God without first subscribing to the law and submitting to Jewish circumcision. In effect, Paul was claiming divine approval for the idea that Jews and Gentiles could have equal standing before God. This message collided head-on with the blindness, pride, and prejudice of the Jews. The results were explosive. (Life Application Bible Commentary – Acts) - Precept Austin

…5This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it: 6“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, 7to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.… Isaiah 42: 5-7

…5And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, that Israel might be gathered to Him—for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and My God is My strength— 6He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.” 7Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”… Isaiah 49: 5-7

…17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis 22: 17-18

V. 22b Away with such a fellow from the earth - Seems a bit harsh, but once people are emotionally charged and set upon hate, they lose regard for human life. Paul could relate to this as Saul, and that was part of the testimony that he just gave. There is zero tolerance here.

V. 23 As they were crying out, and throwing off their garments - An emotional tactic to show just how disturbed they were by this man's existence, much like toddlers when you don't buy them that piece of candy at the checkout. I am not saying that they weren't really mad, I am quite certain they felt anger, but it was not righteous as they would suppose. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self control.

John MacArthur has an interesting thought on what their angry actions represented - Some people would say, “Well, that was just fury, and they were throwing dirt and throwing – you know, like they were mad.” No, I don’t think so. I think they had a very specific purpose. You say, “What do you mean?” Well, you know, I was reading about casting off their clothes, and my mind went back to Acts 22:20, and it says that when Stephen was stoned, Paul was "watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him." You know, whenever they stoned somebody, apparently they took off their outer garment so they could really let the rocks fly. And I think what they were going to do was stone Paul; and since he was clear up at the top of the stairs, it was a long shot. And they started throwing off their outer garments, you see, but they threw dirt. You know why they threw dirt? There weren’t any rocks. They grabbed whatever there was: dirt clods instead of stones. I think they were going to stone him. They were so infuriated. They were in a frenzy, and they began to grab dirt and throw dirt, and threw their clothes off so they could throw it far enough to hit him. What a scene. Can you see how totally stupid and totally irrational they are? All of the logic of Paul’s presentation means nothing. All he does is mention the word “Gentiles” and they go nuts. That’s religious prejudice. - PA

V. 24 Examined by flogging - It's a crazy interrogation method, beat me and then ask me questions. This probably led to many false confessions. 

Robertson on anetazo - Milligan and Moulton's Vocabulary quotes an Oxyrhynchus papyrus of A.D. 127 which has a prefect using the word directing government clerks to "examine" (anetazein) documents and glue them together into volumes (tomoi). The word was evidently in use for such purposes. It was a kind of "third degree" applied to Paul by the use of scourges (mastixin), instrumental plural of mastix, old word for whip, as in Hebrews 11:36. But this way of beginning an inquiry by torture (inquisition) was contrary to Roman law (Page): Non esse a tormentis incipiendum, Divus Augustus statuit.

MacArthur - Scourging by the Roman flagellum (a wooden handle to which were attached leather thongs tipped with bits of metal and bone) was a fearful ordeal from which men frequently died (from loss of blood or infection). Jesus endured it before His crucifixion (John 19:1). Such a beating would have surpassed anything Paul had previously experienced. In preparation, the guards stretched him out with thongs to make his body taut and magnify the effects of the flagellation. (Ibid) - PA

V. 25 When they stretched him out with leather straps - This makes your back come tight and the blows tear deeper into the muscle. If you were a skinny fellow it may expose bone, and being stretched out would go against your bodies response to contract at the pain. Jesus experienced this before the cross. 

V. 25b Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman and uncondemned - Paul knew the law, and sometimes we have to appeal to those who are in authority by way of their own creed. At work I have had to appeal to my companies "Core Values", of honesty, trust and integrity, basically demonstrating that they are outside of this, or they are trying to terminate someone by way of the letter, not understanding the spirit of the law. Amongst fellow believers Paul can appeal to God's word, even when speaking to his Jewish brethren according to the flesh. Sadly, Paul looks like the bad guy here because you have a majority, the mob, throwing a temper tantrum and sighting him as the reason. Again, sadly, in Western Christianity, the person who points out that someone is teaching things that are unsound, or even worse, another gospel, often gets reviled by the crowd, in the name of unity. True brotherly love and compassion would not leave the person unconfronted regarding their error, and it would hope for the sort of unity that comes when we all return to the truth. Our disagreements must be sorted out in Scripture. These Jews are not allowing Paul that grace, and they are the majority, they are louder, but they are wrong. These are not noble Bereans; they are blood thirsty, and they are the actual cause of disunity in that they have not received Christ or His messengers. Paul then moves his appeal to Roman law, for it was a crime to do this to a Roman citizen, which he was. 

Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned - By the Roman law, no magistrate was allowed to punish a Roman citizen capitally, or by inflicting stripes, or even binding him; and the single expression, "I am a Roman citizen," arrested their severest decrees, and obtained, if not an escape, at least a delay of his punishment. - PA

V. 26 This man is a Roman - The commander was being lazy here, trying to pacify the mob. It may seem like the easier rout, but it often doesn't obtain justice when we side with the squeaky wheel. 

MacArthur - To subject a Roman citizen to the flagellum could have destroyed Lysias's military career or even cost him his life. (Ibid) - PA

Vs. 27-28 But I have been born a citizen - Paul didn't have to purchase his. He was born a citizen, and we can see here what a great perk that is, and God's providential hand in getting Paul so far along against such great odds. 

F F Bruce comments - “Something of this sort may have been in the tribune’s mind as he said, It cost me a very large sum of money to obtain Roman citizenship – the implication being that the privilege must have become cheap of late if such a sorry-looking figure as Paul could claim it.”

Longenecker - “The verbal claim to Roman citizenship was accepted at face value; penalties for falsifying documents and making false claims of citizenship were exceedingly stiff – Epictetus speaks of death for such acts.”

John Phillips wrote, “There are times for a believer to claim his civil rights. A believer should be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, but there is no virtue in suffering merely for suffering’s sake.” (Exploring Acts)

Vs. 29-30 Because he had bound him - He had already overstepped his authority, though unbeknownst.