themselves under a curse to
kill him. The astonishing thing about this conspiracy is
that the conspirators showed what they proposed to do to
the chief priests and elders and asked their aid to bring
Paul down for another examination that they might kill
him. The plot was brought to naught by Paul's nephew,
who heard of it and told Paul. This information was at
once given to the chief captain, who determined to send
Paul away that night to the Roman governor at Caesarea.
It was a large escort, 200 legionaries, 200 light armed
troops, skirmishers, and 70 cavalry, which was sent out
with Paul. This great company of soldiers showed the
immanent danger in which Paul stood at this time.

PAUL AT CAESAREA

_Scripture, Acts 23:33-27:1_

Paul now comes under Roman jurisdiction and remains
for two years (Acts 24:27) a prisoner in Caesarea. He
is not kept in close confinement and his friends are
allowed to see him (Acts 24:23). Who came to see
him of these friends and what they talked about Luke
does not tell us. Our attention seems to be purposely
directed to the defense which Paul made of his faith and
work before the Roman governors, Felix and Festus, and
the Jewish King Agrippa II. As Pilate had seen no just
cause why Christ should be condemned to death, so Felix
and Festus, when Paul had testified of his faith in Christ
before them, saw no reason why he should suffer the
death penalty.

+The First Defense; before Jewish Accusers and the
Roman Governor, Felix+ (Acts 23:33-24:23).--Awaiting
the coming of his accusers from Jerusalem Paul was
kept in Herod's judgment hall. After five days Ananias,
with the elders, and an orator, named Tertullus, came to
Caesarea, and charged Paul with being "a mover of
sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a
ring-leader of the sect of the Nazarenes"; they also accused
him of profaning the temple.

Paul being beckoned by the governor to speak replied
in answer to the charges made against him: (a) That
Felix, who has been governor so long (since 51 A.D.),
must know from personal knowledge, that he had not been
engaged in any sedition and that this charge could not be
proved against him. It had only been twelve days since
he went up to Jerusalem and a number of them had been
spent in Roman custody. During this period there had
been no time to plot against the government. (b) While
he worshipped God after the way that they called heresy,
yet he believed