The Jewish Annotated New Testament (246 page)

22.1
–21
: Paul rehearses the events related to his becoming a believer in Jesus (see 9.1–31; 26.9–18).

3
:
Tarsus
, see 9.11.
Gamaliel
, see 5.34.

4
:
Way
, see 9.2.

5
:
Letters
, 9.1–2.

6
–11
: See 9.3–6.

9
: In the original report Paul’s companions heard the voice (9.7).

12
–16
: See 9.10–19. Previously identified as a disciple (9.10), here Ananias is described in a fashion similar to Paul, as an observant and well-respected Jew.

13
:
Regained my sight
, see 9.18.

14
:
God of our ancestors
, further identifying Paul as a faithful Jew (cf. 18.18).
Righteous One
, see 3.14; 7.52.

15
:
Witness to all the world
, see 1.8; 9.15.

16
:
Be baptized
, see 9.18. On the relation between baptism and removal of sins, see 2.38.

17
–21
: The vision is not mentioned in the other accounts.

20
:
Blood of
…
Stephen
, see 7.60–8.1.

25
:
Roman citizen
, Paul’s claim to be a citizen protects him against torture (see 16.37).

28
:
Born a citizen
, Paul is more “Roman” than the Roman tribune who had to buy his citizenship. Acts does not say how Paul’s family would have acquired citizenship.

22.30
–23.11
: Paul appears before the Jewish council.

23.1
:
Council
, the Sanhedrin.

2
:
Ananias
, high priest ca. 48–59 CE, who continued to remain an influential figure until the Revolt against Rome (66–70).

3
:
Whitewashed wall
, Ezek 13.10–16; Mt 23.27. Acts contrasts Paul and other believers in Jesus who follow the law with Jews and Jewish authorities who do not. It is not clear what
law
the high priest is
in violation of
.

5
:
Paul
, citing Ex 22.28 [Heb 27], affirms his obedience to Torah.

6
: On Paul’s claim to be a Pharisee, see Phil 3.5.
Hope of the resurrection
, resurrection is a central tenet of Acts (2.32; 4.33; 5.30).

8
: Josephus notes that Sadducees rejected belief in bodily resurrection while Pharisees accepted it (
J.W
. 2.163–66;
Ant
. 18.12–17).

9
: The scribes’ declaration of innocence presents, as did Gamaliel (5.33–39), an implicit censure of Jews who condemn Paul.

10
: Acts presents even the Jewish legislature as violence-prone.

23.12
–35: Paul transferred to Caesarea.
The Jews’ plot against Paul prompts the tribune to transfer him to the custody of the Roman procurator.

16
: No other biblical source refers to members of Paul’s family.

22
:
Tell no one
, so that he can move Paul out of the city before the conspirators find out about the change in venue.

23
:
Caesarea
, the residence of the Roman governor. The numbers depict a large force accompanying Paul.

24
:
Felix
, Antonius Felix, a freedman, was procurator of Judea in the mid to late 50s, and possibly as late as 60.

26
–30
: The tribune’s letter describes previous events (21.27–23.23), omitting details such as his own hostile treatment of Paul (22.24).

29
:
Nothing deserving death
, several figures announce Paul’s innocence (25.25; 26.31); the Gospel of Luke has Pilate express a similar opinion about Jesus (Lk 23.15).

31
:
Antipatris
, city on the road to Caesarea.

35
:
Herod’s headquarters
, the palace built by Herod I and taken over by the Roman government.

24.1
–25.12: Paul appears before Roman governors.

24.1
–27: Paul and Felix.

1
:
Ananias
, see 23.2.
Tertullus
, the otherwise unknown person bears a Latin name.

2
–4
: The speech begins conventionally by praising the governor for accomplishments and virtues.

5
:
Agitator
, a serious charge of fomenting rebellion (16.20; 17.6; 19.40).
Sect
, Gk “hairesis” carries the connotation of “party” or “school”; Josephus uses it to describe Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes, which denotes a distinct group (cf. 26.5).
Nazarenes
, Acts frequently uses “Nazarene” for Jesus (2.22; 3.6; 4.10; 6.14; 22.8; 26.9), but only here, in the plural, for Christians.

6
:
Profane the temple
, see 21.28–29. Such an act could have caused an uprising, which would have been a concern of the Roman government.

10
–21
: Paul refutes each charge.

10
:
Cheerfully
, lit., “with a good spirit,” willingly.

14
–16
: Paul presents himself as a faithful and observant Jew; see 22.3; 25.4–5.

14
:
Way
, see 9.2. Paul prefers this term because of the implication that Christianity is the true way of God, rather than a sect (see v. 5n.).
Law
…
prophets
, the Tanakh.

15
:
Resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous
, see Dan 12.2.

17
:
Bring alms
, possibly a continuation of Paul’s self-presentation as a pious Jew, or a reference to a collection of funds, send from Paul’s Gentile congregations to the Jerusalem church (not explicitly mentioned in Acts but described in Paul’s letters: Rom 15.25–29; 1 Cor 16.1–4; Gal 2.10).

19
:
Some Jews from Asia
, see 21.27.

21
:
Resurrection
, see 23.6.

22
:
Lysias
, see 23.26.

24
:
Drusilla
, Julia Drusilla, daughter of Agrippa I (see 12.1n.); known for her beauty, she had been previously married to Azizus, king of Syrian Emesa, who had himself circumcised (
Ant
. 20.139).

26
: Felix had a reputation for corruption and cruelty (
Ant
. 20.160–65; Tacitus,
Ann
. 12.54;
Hist
. 5.9).

27
:
Porcius Festus
, procurator of Judea, in Office from the late 50s until 62.
Grant the Jews a favor
, his successor, Festus, acts from the same motivation; see 25.9.

25.1
–12: Paul and Festus. 1
:
Caesarea
, see 8.40n.

3
:
Ambush
, Jewish leaders renew a previous plot against Paul; see 23.12–35. Once again, Luke presents Jews as conspiring to commit violence.

8
: Paul defends himself, as before, against charges that he violated Torah, the sanctity of the Temple, and public order (22.1–21; 23.1,6; 24.10–21).

9
:
Favor
, see 24.27. The “favor” is presumably aimed at keeping the local populace quiet.

10
:
Emperor’s tribunal
, trial according to Roman law and under Roman jurisdiction. Paul does not want to be tried by a Jewish court. This appeal also serves Acts’ narrative need to get Paul to Rome.

25.13
–26.32: Paul and Agrippa.
The sequence of Paul’s appearances before the Jewish council (22.30–23.11), Roman governor (24.1–23; 25.1–12), and Jewish king (25.23–26.32) parallels Jesus’ appearances before the Jewish council (Lk 22.66–71), Pilate (23.1–5), and Antipas (23.6–12).

13
:
King Agrippa
, Marcus Julius Agrippa (Agrippa II), son of Agrippa I (see 12.1n.), appointed ruler of Syrian Chalcis, and later the Decapolis, Galilee, and Perea (53–ca. 93 CE).
Bernice
, Julia Berenice, daughter of Agrippa I, sister of Agrippa II and Drusilla (24.24), rumored to have carried on romantic liaisons with the future Roman emperor Titus.

14
–21
: Festus summarizes the events previously narrated in 24.27–25.12, adding that the dispute centered on religious matters and Jesus (v. 19; cf. 25.7–8), and omitting mention of political charges (24.5; 25.9).

21
:
Imperial Majesty
, Gk “sebastos,” the standard title for the Roman emperor, equivalent to Latin “Augustus.”