VII. Confirmation
by Nonbelievers and Hostile Eyewitnesses.
A. Satan cited
Scripture as authoritative.
B. Many people
witnessed the miracles and acts of God, Jesus
Christ, the Holy Spirit, the prophets and apostles.
The
apostle Paul, before Governor Festus and King Herod Agrippa II:
25But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak
the words
of truth and reason. 26For the king, before whom I also
speak
freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these
things
escapes his attention, since this thing
was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe
the
prophets? I know that you do believe.”
1. The population of the children of
And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are
six hundred thousand men on foot; yet
You have
said, “I will give them meat,
that they may eat for a whole month.’
2. Miraculous
feeding of over 100 people.
42 Then a man came from Baal Shalisha,
and
brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of
barley bread,
and newly ripened grain in his knapsack. And he said, “Give it to the
people,
that they may eat.”
43But his servant said, “What? Shall
I set this before one hundred men?”
He said again, “Give it to the people, that they may eat; for thus says
the
LORD: “They shall eat and have some left over.”‘ 44So he set
it
before them; and they ate and had some left over, according to the word
of the
LORD.
3. Miraculous feeding of over
5,000 people, plus healings.
Matthew
14:13-21
13 When Jesus heard it, He departed
from there by
boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes
heard it, they followed Him on foot from the
cities. 14And when Jesus went out He saw a great
multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15When it
was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted
place, and
the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go
into the
villages and buy themselves food.”
16But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You
give
them something to eat.”
17And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and
two fish.”
18He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19Then He
commanded
the multitudes to sit down on the
grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to
heaven,
He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the
disciples
gave to the multitudes. 20So
they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of
the
fragments that remained. 21Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and
children.
Mark 6:30-44
30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus
and told
Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
31And
He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest
a
while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even
have time
to eat. 32So they departed to a deserted place in the boat
by
themselves.
33But the multitudes [NU-Text and M-Text read they] saw them departing, and many knew
Him and ran there on foot from all the
cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34And
Jesus, when He came out, saw a great
multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were
like
sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
35When
the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is
a
deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36Send them
away, that
they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy
themselves bread;
[NU-Text reads something to eat and omits the rest of this
verse] for
they have nothing to eat.”
37But He answered and said to them, “You give them something
to eat.”
And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of
bread
and give them something to eat?”
38But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and
see.”
And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups
on the
green grass. 40So they sat down in ranks, in
hundreds and in fifties. 41And when He had taken the
five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke
the
loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two
fish He
divided among them all. 42So they all ate and were filled.
43And
they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44Now
those who had eaten the loaves were about [NU-Text and M-Text omit about] five thousand men.
Luke
9:10-17
10 And the apostles, when they had
returned, told
Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately
into a
deserted place belonging to the city called
13But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless
we go and
buy food for all these people.” 14For there were about
five thousand men.
Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”
15And
they did so, and made them all sit down.
16Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking
up to
heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to
set before
the multitude. 17So they all ate and were filled, and twelve
baskets
of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
John 6:1-14
1 After these things Jesus went over the
4Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5Then
Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great
multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy
bread,
that these may eat?” 6But this He said to test him, for He
Himself
knew what He would do.
7Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is
not
sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said
to Him,
9”There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small
fish, but
what are they among so many?”
10Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was
much
grass in the place. So the men sat down,
in number about five thousand. 11And Jesus took the
loaves, and
when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the
disciples [NU-Text omits to the disciples, and the disciples] to those sitting down; and likewise
of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12So when they were
filled, He
said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that
nothing is
lost.” 13Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve
baskets
with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by
those who
had eaten. 14Then those men,
when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the
Prophet
who is to come into the world.”
4. Followed
by the miraculous feeding of over
4000 people, plus healings.
Matthew 15:29-39
29 Jesus departed from there, skirted
the
33Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough
bread
in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”
34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
35So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
36And
He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and
gave them
to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. 37So
they
all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of
the
fragments that were left. 38Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and
children. 39And He sent away the multitude,
got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. [NU-Text reads Magadan]
Mark 8:1-10
1 In those days, the
multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus
called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2”I have
compassion on
the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and
have
nothing to eat. 3And if I send them away hungry to their own
houses,
they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
4Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these
people
with bread here in the wilderness?”
5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven.”
6So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
And He
took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His
disciples
to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7They
also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them
also
before them. 8So they ate and were filled, and they took up
seven
large baskets of leftover fragments. 9Now those who had
eaten were
about four thousand. And He sent
them away, 10immediately got into the boat with His
disciples, and
came to the region of Dalmanutha.
9Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?--but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
5. Regional
healings involving great multitudes.
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23 And Jesus went about all |
|
Mark 1:35-39 35 Now in the morning, having
risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a
solitary place; and there He prayed. 36And Simon and those
who were with Him searched for Him. 37When they found Him,
they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” |
|
Luke 4:42-44 42 Now when it was day, He
departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and
came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; 43but
He said to them, “I must preach the |
17 And He came down with them and stood
on a
level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great
multitude of people from
all
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when
He was
seated His disciples came to Him.
|
1 When He had come down from the
mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2And
behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are
willing, You can make me clean.” |
|
Mark 1:40-45 |
|
Luke 5:12-16 12 And it happened when He was in
a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus;
and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, “Lord, if You are
willing, You can make me clean.” |
And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a
command to
depart to the other side.
Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled [NU-Text reads were afraid] and glorified God, who had
given such power to men.
24He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. 25But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26And the report of this went out into all that land.
And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes
marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in
But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion
for them,
because they were weary [NU-Text and M-Text read harassed]
and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes
concerning John: “What
did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes
[NU-Text
brackets multitudes as
disputed] followed Him, and He healed them all.
And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the
Son of
David?”
While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His
mother and
brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.
Matthew
13:2
And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He
got into
a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Matthew
13:34
All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and
without a
parable He did not speak to them,
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And
His
disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares
of the
field.”
And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude,
because they counted him as a prophet.
|
34 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of [NU-Text reads came to land at] Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, 36and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well. |
Mark
6:53-56 53 When they had crossed over,
they came to the |
And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.
Now as they went out of
Matthew
20:31
Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but
they cried
out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
|
8And a very great multitude
spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the
trees and spread them on the road. 9Then the multitudes who
went before and those who followed cried out, saying:
Luke
13:35
|
|
So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from
Nazareth of
Galilee.”
Matthew
21:26
But if we say, “From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count
John as
a prophet.”
But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes,
because they took Him for a prophet.
And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His
teaching.
Matthew
23:1
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
3Then they came to Him, bringing a
paralytic who
was carried by four men. 4And when they could not come near
Him
because of the crowd, they uncovered
the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down
the bed
on which the paralytic was lying.
5When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son,
your
sins are forgiven you.”
Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came
to Him,
and He taught them.
7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples
to the
sea. And a great multitude from
Then the multitude came together again,
so that
they could not so much as eat bread.
And a multitude was sitting around Him;
and
they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers [NU-Text
and
M-Text add and Your sisters] are
outside seeking You.”
And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude
was
gathered to Him,
so that He got into a boat and sat in
it on the
sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the
sea.
Now when they had left the multitude, they
took
Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with
Him.
Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great
multitude gathered to
Him; and He was by
the sea.
So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed
Him and thronged Him.
Mark 5:25-26
25Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
29Immediately the fountain of her blood
was dried
up, and she felt in her body that she
was healed of the affliction. 30And Jesus, immediately
knowing
in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My
clothes?”
31But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude
thronging You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”‘
32Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
Then He arose from there and came to the region of
Now they came to
Mark
12:12
And they sought to lay hands on
Him, but feared the multitude, for they
knew He had
spoken the parable against them. So they
left Him and went away.
Luke
5:1
So it was, as the multitude pressed
about Him to hear the word of God,
that He stood by the
Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to
put out
a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes
from
the boat.
However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes
came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
18Then behold, men brought on a bed a
man who was
paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. 19And
when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and
let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before
Jesus.
20When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins
are
forgiven you.”
17 And He came down with them and stood
on a
level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great
multitude of people from all
8For I also am a man placed under
authority,
having soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,’ and he goes; and to
another, “Come,’
and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,’ and he does it.”
9When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and
turned
around and said to the crowd that
followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not
even in
Israel!” 10And those who were sent, returning to the house,
found
the servant well who had been sick. [NU-Text omits who had been sick]
When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes
concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A
reed shaken
by the wind?
And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to
Him from
every city, He spoke by a parable:
Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the
Gadarenes [Spelled Rephaiah
in
So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed
Him, for
they were all waiting for Him.
for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was
dying. But
as He went, the multitudes thronged Him.
And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those
with him [NU-Text
omits and those with him] said,
“Master, the multitudes
throng and press You, and You say, “Who touched Me?”‘ [NU-Text omits and You say, “Who touched Me?” ]
And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the
demon had
gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled.
In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had
gathered
together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His
disciples
first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is
hypocrisy.
Then He also said to the multitudes, “Whenever you see a cloud
rising
out of the west, immediately you say, “A shower is coming’; and so it
is.
And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame;
and all
the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were
done by
Him.
Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to
them,
And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant.
Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives,
the whole multitude
of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for
all the
mighty works they had seen,
And a great multitude of the people followed Him,
and women who also mourned and lamented Him.
In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame,
paralyzed,
waiting for the moving of the water.
But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had
withdrawn, a multitude
being in that place.
Then a great multitude followed Him,
because they
saw His signs which He
performed on those who were
diseased.
Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude
coming
toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these
may eat?”
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when
they
heard that Jesus was coming to
6.
Jesus exorcises a man with an unclean demon, spreading fame.
|
Mark 1:21-28 |
Luke 4:31-37 31 Then He went down to |
7. A
great multitude witnesses the healing of the epileptic.
|
Matthew
17:14-21 14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and
saying, 15”Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an
epileptic [Literally moonstruck] and
suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the
water. 16So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could
not cure him.” |
|
Mark 9:14-29 14 And when He came to the
disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and
scribes disputing with them. 15Immediately, when they saw
Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted
Him. 16And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing
with them?” |
|
Luke 9:37-42 37 Now it happened on the next
day, when they had come down from the mountain, that a great
multitude met Him. 38Suddenly a man from the multitude
cried out, saying, “Teacher, I implore You, look on my son, for he is
my only child. 39And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he
suddenly cries out; it convulses him so that he foams at the mouth; and
it departs from him with great difficulty, bruising him. 40So
I implored Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” |
8.
Acknowledgement of Lazarus’ resurrection; a great multitude
praises
Jesus when He enters
|
John 12:1-19 1 Then, six days before the
Passover, Jesus came to
Matthew
21:9 Luke
13:35
Matthew
21:5 |
|
9. Approximately
120 disciples, post-Resurrection.
And in those days Peter stood up in
the midst of the disciples [NU-Text
reads brethren] (altogether the number of
names was about a hundred and
twenty), and said,
10.
Approximately 3000 people become Christians, post-Resurrection.
And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and
were
confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
Acts
2:41
Then those who gladly [NU-Text omits
gladly] received his word
were baptized; and that day about
three thousand souls were added
to them.
However, many of those who heard the word
believed; and the number of the men came to
be about five thousand.
14And believers were increasingly added
to the
Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
15so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid
them on
beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might
fall on
some of them. 16Also a multitude
gathered from the surrounding cities to
Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied
greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were
obedient to
the faith.
And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by
Philip,
hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
Then the churches [NU-Text reads church ... was edified]
throughout
all
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with
envy; and
contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul.
12. The
ministry of Paul and Barnabas adds multitudes of believers.
Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of
the
Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude
both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed.
Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and
Paul
declaring how many miracles and wonders
God had worked through them among the Gentiles.
Also, many of those who
had practiced magic brought their books together and
burned them in the sight of all.
And they counted up the value of them,
and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
13.
Over 500 witnesses to the resurrected Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-28
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you
the gospel
which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2by
which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached
to
you--unless you believed in vain.
3For I delivered to you first of all that which I also
received:
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4and
that
He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the
twelve.
6After that He was seen by over
five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to
the
present, but some have fallen asleep. 7After that He was
seen by
James, then by all the apostles. 8Then last of all He was
seen by me
also, as by one born out of due time.
9For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be
called
an apostle, because I persecuted the
12 Now if Christ is preached
that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that
there is
no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no
resurrection of
the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14And if Christ is not
risen,
then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15Yes,
and
we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God
that He
raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not
rise.
16For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17And
if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your
sins!
18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19If
in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most
pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the
firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since by
man came
death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22For
as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23But
each
one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are
Christ’s
at His coming. 24Then comes the end, when He delivers the
kingdom to
God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and
power.
25For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.
26The
last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27For “He has
put all
things under His feet.” [Psalm 8:6] But when He says “all things are
put under
Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted.
28Now
when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also
be
subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
See also
Dr. Phil Fernandes. “The Creed of 1 Corinthians 15:3-8: Ancient Evidence for Christ’s Resurrection,”
http://www.biblicaldefense.org/Research_Center/Journals/Vol1No8/vol1no8-1.htm
Webster’s College Dictionary:
Mean(3), “n. 1. Usu. Means, an
agency, instrument, or method used to attain an end. 2.
Means, a.
available resources, esp. money. B. considerable financial resources: a
person
of means.”
Motive: “n. 1. Something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing, etc.; incentive. 2. The goal or object of a person’s actions: Her motive was revenge.”
The
Bible provides examples of individuals, and groups of individuals, with
the
means, motive and opportunity to refute oral and written testimony of
the
historical records. These records circulated throughout the
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Mark
16:14-18 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they [NU-Text reads and in their hands they will] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” |
|
Luke
24:36-49 36 Now as they said these things,
Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to
you.” 37But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed
they had seen a spirit. 38And He said to them, “Why are you
troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Behold
My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.” |
|
John
20:19-23 19 Then, the same day at evening,
being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the
disciples were assembled, [NU-Text omits assembled]
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to
them, “Peace be with you.” 20When He had said this, He
showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when
they saw the Lord. |
|
Acts 1:6-8 6Therefore, when they had come
together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore
the kingdom to |
And the gospel must first be preached
to all the nations.
but now made manifest, and by
the prophetic Scriptures made
known to all nations,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to
the
faith--
Now when this epistle is read
among you, see that it is read also
in the church of
the Laodiceans, and that
you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
I charge you by the Lord that this
epistle be read
to all the holy [NU-Text
omits holy] brethren.
Blessed is he who reads and those
who hear the words of this prophecy,
and
keep those things which are
written in it; for the time is near.
These eyewitness accounts, circulating throughout the region--and ultimately, the world--gave opponents the opportunity to refute those accounts. The following is a list of kings, rulers and other authorities with the means, motive and opportunity to correct what was said about them, their nation, or any historical account with which they were involved. As it turns out, no correction was necessary. The authors of the Biblical accounts told the truth.
1. Pharoah Siamon (Unnamed in 1 Kings) and Queen Tahpenes. Contemporary of King Solomon.
Under
the article titled “
Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king
of
1
Kings 11:17-20
17that Hadad fled to go to
2.
Pharoah
Sheshonk I/Shishak. Contemporary of King Rehoboam. Also spelled Shoshenq, or Shishak,
first king (reigned 945–924 BC) of the 22nd dynasty of
Encyclopedia
Britannica notes “Sheshonk came from a line of princes or sheikhs
of Libyan
tribal descent whose title was “great chief of the Meshwesh” and who
appear to
have settled in Heracleopolis in Middle Egypt, although another
tradition
placed the line in Bubastis in the eastern Nile River delta. Sheshonk
probably
ascended the throne without a struggle, making
“According
to the Old Testament, “Shishak king of
1
Kings 14:25-26
25It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that
Shishak king
of
3.
Pharoah Shabaka (Unnamed in 2 Kings). Contemporary of the
prophet
Isaish, King Hezekiah flourished , late 8th and early 7th
centuries BC. Hebrew Hizqiyya, Greek Ezekias
son of Ahaz,
and the 13th successor of David as king of
In
the article titled “
4.
Tirhakah, King of
The
article at http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/tirhakah.html
reports that Tirhakah was “the last king of
5.
Pharoah So. Contemporary of Ahaz king of Judah and
Hoshea,
son of Elah and king of
The
article at http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/so.html
discusses So (Nubian, Sabako) as “an Ethiopian king who brought
“He
was bribed by Hoshea to help him against the Assyrian monarch
Shalmaneser (2
Kings 17:4). This was a return to the policy that had been successful
in the
reign of Jeroboam I.”
And the king of Assyria uncovered a conspiracy
by Hoshea;
for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no tribute
to the
king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the
king of
6. Pharoah Necho II. Contemporary of Josiah, king of Judah, Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and the prophet Jeremiah. Flourished 7th century BC
Encyclopedia
Britannica reports that Necho II was “king of
“According
to the Greek historian Herodotus, Necho began the construction of a
canal from
the
“Herodotus
also reports that Necho sent an expedition to circumnavigate
In his days Pharaoh Necho king of
2 Chronicles 35:20-27
20 After all this, when Josiah had
prepared the
temple, Necho king of
23And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his
servants, “Take me away, for I am severely wounded.” 24His
servants
therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second
chariot that
he had, and they brought him to
25Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah. And to this day all the
singing
men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. They
made it a
custom in
26Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness,
according to
what was written in the Law of the LORD, 27and his deeds
from first
to last, indeed they are written in the book of the kings of
Jeremiah 46:1-27
The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the
prophet
against the nations. 2Against
Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of
3”Order the
buckler and
shield,
And draw near to battle!
4Harness the
horses,
And mount up, you horsemen!
Stand forth with your
helmets,
Polish the spears,
Put on the armor!
5Why have I seen
them
dismayed and turned back?
Their mighty ones are beaten
down;
They have speedily fled,
And did not look back,
For fear was all around,”
says the
LORD.
6”Do not let the
swift
flee away,
Nor the mighty man escape;
They will stumble and fall
Toward the north, by the
River
Euphrates.
7”Who is this
coming up
like a flood,
Whose waters move like the
rivers?
8Egypt rises up
like a
flood,
And its waters move like the
rivers;
And he says, “I will go up
and cover
the earth,
I will destroy the city and
its
inhabitants.’
9Come up, O
horses, and
rage, O chariots!
And let the mighty men come
forth:
The Ethiopians and the
Libyans who
handle the shield,
And the Lydians who handle
and bend
the bow.
10For this is the
day of
the Lord GOD of hosts,
A day of vengeance,
That He may avenge Himself
on His
adversaries.
The sword shall devour;
It shall be satiated and
made drunk
with their blood;
For the Lord GOD of hosts
has a
sacrifice
In the north country by the
River
Euphrates.
11”Go up to
O virgin, the daughter of
In vain you will use many
medicines;
You shall not be cured.
12The nations
have heard
of your shame,
And your cry has filled the
land;
For the mighty man has
stumbled
against the mighty;
They both have fallen
together.”
13 The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon would come and strike the land of Egypt.
14”Declare in
Proclaim in Noph [That is,
ancient
Say, “Stand fast and prepare
yourselves,
For the sword devours all
around
you.’
15Why are your
valiant
men swept away?
They did not stand
Because the LORD drove them
away.
16He made many
fall;
Yes, one fell upon another.
And they said, “Arise!
Let us go back to our own
people
And to the land of our
nativity
From the oppressing sword.’
17They cried
there,
“Pharaoh, king of
He has passed by the
appointed time!’
18”As I live,”
says the
King,
Whose name is the LORD of
hosts,
“Surely as Tabor is among
the
mountains
And as
19O you daughter
dwelling
in
Prepare yourself to go into
captivity!
For Noph [That is, ancient
20”
But destruction comes, it
comes from
the north.
21Also her
mercenaries
are in her midst like fat bulls,
For they also are turned
back,
They have fled away
together.
They did not stand,
For the day of their
calamity had
come upon them,
The time of their
punishment.
22Her noise shall
go like
a serpent,
For they shall march with an
army
And come against her with
axes,
Like those who chop wood.
23”They shall cut
down
her forest,” says the LORD,
“Though it cannot be
searched,
Because they are
innumerable,
And more numerous than
grasshoppers.
24The daughter of
Egypt
shall be ashamed;
She shall be delivered into
the hand
Of the people of the north.”
25The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I
will bring
punishment on Amon [A sun god] of No [That is, ancient Thebes and Pharaoh
and
Egypt], with their gods and their kings--Pharaoh and those who trust in
him.
26And I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their
lives,
into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of
27 “But do not
fear,
O My servant Jacob,
And do not be dismayed, O
Israel!
For behold, I will save you
from
afar,
And your offspring from the
land of
their captivity;
Jacob shall return, have
rest and be
at ease;
No one shall make him
afraid.
Jeremiah
30:10-11
10”Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the
LORD,
“Nor be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you
from
afar,
And your seed from the land
of their
captivity.
Jacob shall return, have
rest and be
quiet,
And no one shall make him
afraid.
11For I am with
you,’
says the LORD, “to save you;
Though I make a full end of
all
nations where I have scattered you,
Yet I will not make a
complete end
of you.
But I will correct you in
justice,
And will not let you go
altogether
unpunished.’
7.
Pharoah Apries/Hophra. Contemporary of Zedekiah,
king of
Encyclopedia
Britannica reports “Apries failed to help his ally King Zedekiah of
Jeremiah 37:5-12
5Then Pharaoh’s army came up from
6Then the word of the LORD came to the prophet Jeremiah,
saying,
7”Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, “Thus you shall say to
the king
of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army
which
has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land. 8And
the Chaldeans shall come back and fight against this city, and take it
and burn
it with fire.”‘ 9Thus says the LORD: “Do not deceive
yourselves,
saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us,” for they will not
depart.
10For though you had defeated the whole army of the Chaldeans who
fight
against you, and there remained only wounded men among them, they would
rise
up, every man in his tent, and burn the city with fire.”‘
11 And it happened, when the army of the Chaldeans left the
siege of
Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army, 12that Jeremiah went
out of
Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to claim his property there
among the
people.
“Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra
king
of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of
those who
seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand
of
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.”
8. Naaman, Syrian commander. Meaning: pleasantness.
At
http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/naaman.html,
the article notes Naaman was “a Syrian, the commander of the armies of
Benhadad
II in the time of Joram, king of
“He
was afflicted with leprosy; and when the little Hebrew slave-girl that
waited
on his wife told her of a prophet in
2 Kings 5:1-19
1 Now Naaman, commander of the army of
the king
of
5Then the king of
So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand
shekels of
gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6Then he brought the
letter to
the king of
Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman
my
servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.
7And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter,
that he
tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this
man
sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please
consider, and
see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”
8So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king
of Israel
had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you
torn your
clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a
prophet
in Israel.”
9Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood
at the
door of Elisha’s house. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to
him,
saying, “Go and wash in the
15And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides,
and came
and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no
God in
all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from
your
servant.”
16But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I
will
receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
17So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be
given
two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either
burnt
offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. 18Yet
in this
thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the
temple of
Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the
temple
of Rimmon--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please
pardon
your servant in this thing.”
19Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from
him a
short distance.
And many lepers were in
9.
Nebuchadnezzar/Nebuchadrezzar
II, King of Neo-Babylonian Empire (605 – 562 B.C.) Contemporary
of King
Zedekiah, Pharaoh Necho, Jehoiachin, and the prophets Jeremiah and
Daniel.
The
biography in Encyclopedia Britannica, written by Henry W.F.
Saggs,
reports that Nebuchadrezzar II was “the second and greatest king of the
Chaldean dynasty of
“Nebuchadrezzar
II was the oldest son and successor of Nabopolassar, founder of the
Chaldean
empire. He is known from cuneiform inscriptions, the Bible and later
Jewish
sources, and classical authors. His name, from the Akkadian
Nabu-kudurri-usur,
means “O Nabu, watch over my heir.”
“While
his father disclaimed royal descent, Nebuchadrezzar claimed the
third-millennium Akkadian ruler Naram-Sin as ancestor. The year of his
birth is
uncertain, but it is not likely to have been before 630 BC, for
according to
tradition Nebuchadrezzar began his military career as a young man,
appearing as
a military administrator by 610. He is first mentioned by his father as
working
as a labourer in the restoration of the
“In
607/606, as crown prince, Nebuchadrezzar commanded an army with his
father in
the mountains north of
“On
expeditions in
“Nebuchadrezzar’s
further military activities are known not from extant chronicles but
from other
sources, particularly the Bible, which records another attack on
Jerusalem and
a siege of Tyre (lasting 13 years, according to the Jewish historian
Flavius
Josephus) and hints at an invasion of Egypt. The siege of
“Much
influenced by the Assyrian imperial tradition, Nebuchadrezzar
consciously
pursued a policy of expansion, claiming the grant of universal kingship
by
Marduk and praying to have “no opponent from horizon to sky.” From
cuneiform
fragments he is known to have attempted the invasion of
“In
addition to being a brilliant tactician and strategist, Nebuchadrezzar
was also
prominent in international diplomacy, as shown in his sending an
ambassador
(probably Nabonidus, a successor) to mediate between the Medes and
Lydians in
“Nebuchadrezzar’s
main activity, other than as military commander, was the rebuilding of
“Little
is known of his family life beyond the tradition that he married a
Median
princess, whose yearning for her native terrain he sought to ease by
creating
gardens simulating hills. A structure representing these hanging
gardens cannot
be positively identified in either the cuneiform texts or the
archaeological
remains.
“Despite
the fateful part he played in
“There
is no independent support for the tradition in Daniel of
Nebuchadrezzar’s seven
years’ madness, and the story probably arose from a fanciful later
interpretation of texts concerned with events under Nabonidus, who
showed
apparent eccentricity in deserting
“In
modern times Nebuchadrezzar has been treated as the type of godless
conqueror;
Napoleon was compared to him. The story of Nebuchadrezzar is the basis
of
Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Nabucco, while his supposed madness is the theme
of
William Blake’s picture Nebuchadnezzar.”
Though
expressing doubt in the account of Nebuchadrezzar’s madness, Saggs
fails to
consider Nebuchadrezzar, his contemporaries and his successors had the
means,
motive, and opportunity to correct Daniel’s account had it been in
error.
|
5But the Chaldean army pursued
them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of |
9So they took the king and
brought him up to the king of |
1 The word of the LORD which came to
Jeremiah the
prophet against the nations. 2Against
Concerning the army of Pharaoh Necho, king of
3”Order the
buckler and
shield,
And draw near to battle!
11And Nebuchadnezzar king of
13 And he carried out from there all the treasures of the
house of
the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and he cut in pieces
all the
articles of gold which Solomon king of
1 In the third year of the reign of
Jehoiakim
king of
3Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his
eunuchs, to
bring some of the children of
Daniel’s prophecy of the four
great
empires, of which Nebuchadnezzar is the first.
Daniel 2:26-48
26The king answered and said to Daniel,
whose
name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream
which I have
seen, and its interpretation?”
27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said,
“The secret
which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the
magicians, and
the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. 28But there is a
God in
heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King
Nebuchadnezzar what
will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head
upon your
bed, were these: 29As for you, O king, thoughts came to your
mind
while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who
reveals
secrets has made known to you what will be. 30But as for me,
this
secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than
anyone
living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the
king, and
that you may know the thoughts of your heart.
31”You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image!
This great
image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was
awesome. 32This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and
arms of
silver, its belly and thighs [Or sides]
of bronze, 33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and
partly of
clay. [Or baked clay, and so in
verses
34, 35, and 42] 34You watched while a stone was cut out
without
hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke
them in
pieces. 35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver,
and the
gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer
threshing
floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found.
And the
stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the
whole earth.
36”This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of
it
before the king. 37You, O king, are a king of kings. For the
God of
heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38and
wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the
birds of
the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler
over them
all--you are this head of gold. 39But after you shall arise
another
kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze,
which shall
rule over all the earth. 40And the fourth kingdom shall be
as strong
as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and
like
iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the
others.
41Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and
partly
of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron
shall be in
it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42And
as the
toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom
shall
be partly strong and partly fragile. 43As you saw iron mixed
with
ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not
adhere
to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44And
in the
days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall
never
be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it
shall break
in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
45Inasmuch
as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands,
and that
it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the
gold--the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass
after
this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate
before
Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense
to him.
47The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God
of gods,
the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal
this
secret.” 48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many
great
gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole
The madness of Nebuchadnezzar.
Daniel 4:28-37
28 All this came upon King
Nebuchadnezzar.
29At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal
31While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell
from
heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has
departed
from you! 32And they shall drive you from men, and your
dwelling
shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass
like oxen;
and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High
rules in
the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”
33That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning
Nebuchadnezzar;
he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with
the dew
of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails
like
birds’ claws.
34 And at the end of the time [Literally days] I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes
to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most
High and
praised and honored Him who lives forever:
For His dominion is an
everlasting
dominion,
And His kingdom is from
generation
to generation.
35All the
inhabitants of
the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His
will in the
army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of
the
earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have
You done?”
36At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the
glory of my
kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles
resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was
added
to me. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor
the King
of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And
those who
walk in pride He is able to put down.
“For thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold,
I will bring against
10.
Herod Antipas the
tetrarch, ruler of
The
Encyclopedia Britannica notes that Herod Antipas was “the son of
Herod I
the Great who became tetrarch of
“Around
4 BC Herod Antipas inherited part of his father’s kingdom after the
Roman
emperor Augustus had adjusted his father’s will. He restored the damage
caused
in the period between his father’s death and the approval of the will,
restoring two towns, one of which he renamed in honour of the Roman
imperial
family.
He
divorced his Nabataean wife, daughter of the king of the desert kingdom
adjoining his own, to marry Herodias , formerly the wife of his half
brother.
The marriage offended his former father-in-law and alienated his Jewish
subjects. When John the Baptist , one of his subjects, reproached Herod
for
this marriage, Herodias goaded her husband into imprisoning him. Still
unmollified, she inveigled her daughter, Salome, to ask for the
Baptist’s head
in return for dancing at her stepfather’s birthday feast. Antipas
reluctantly
beheaded John, and later, when Jesus’ miracles were reported to him, he
believed that John the Baptist had been resurrected. When Jesus was
arrested in
Some
time earlier, Antipas had built the city of
Herod’s
closeness to the imperial family resulted in his choice as a mediator
in the
Roman–Parthian talks of 36. To his credit the conference was a success,
but
Antipas’ haste to report the news to
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the
reign of
Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being
tetrarch
of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of
Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2while Annas
and
Caiaphas were high priests, [NU-Text and M-Text read in the high
priesthood
of Annas and Caiaphas] the
word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And
he went into all the region around the
18And with many other exhortations he preached to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, [NU-Text reads his brother’s wife] and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
|
1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus 2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 3For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. |
|
Mark 6:14-29 14 Now King Herod heard of Him,
for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is
risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” |
|
7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by Him; and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead, 8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets had risen again. 9Herod said, “John I have beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?” So he sought to see Him. |
Luke 23:7-12
7And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s
jurisdiction, he
sent Him to Herod, who was also in
Now in the church that was at
11. The Jewish Authorities.
The
New Testament accounts name them as “chief priests,” “scribes,” “elders
of the
people,” “the council,” “rulers of the synagogue,” “leaders of the
people,”
among other titles.
See
also Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-20.
|
Matthew 9:18-26 18 While He spoke these things to
them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying,
“My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she
will live.” 19So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did
His disciples. |
|
Mark 5:21-43 21 Now when Jesus had crossed
over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to
Him; and He was by the sea. 22And behold, one
of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he
saw Him, he fell at His feet 23and begged Him earnestly,
saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay
Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24So
Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged
Him. |
|
Luke
8:40-56 40 So it was, when Jesus
returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting
for Him. 41And behold, there came a man named Jairus,
and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’
feet and begged Him to come to his house, 42for he had an
only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. |
Matthew
21:23
Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the
elders of
the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what
authority
are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
Matthew
21:45
Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables,
they perceived
that He was speaking of them.
Matthew
26:3
Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders
of the
people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called
Caiaphas,
Matthew
26:14
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief
priests
Matthew
26:47
And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with
a great
multitude with swords and clubs, came from the
chief priests and elders of the people.
Matthew
26:59
Now the chief priests, the elders, and
all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to
death,
|
Matthew 27:3-10 3 Then Judas, His betrayer,
seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the
thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” |
Jeremiah
32:6-9 6And Jeremiah said, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 7”Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.”‘ 8Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said to me, “Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD. 9So I bought the field from Hanamel, the son of my uncle who was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money--seventeen shekels of silver. Acts
1:18-19 18(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) |
And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders,
He answered nothing.
Matthew
27:20
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the
multitudes that
they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
Matthew
27:41
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes
and elders,
said,
Matthew
27:62
On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief
priests
and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate,
Matthew
28:11
Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city
and
reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.
|
Mark
1:21-28 21 Then they went into |
|
31 Then He went down to |
|
Matthew
9:18-26 18 While He spoke these things to
them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has
just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” 19So
Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples. |
|
Mark 5:21-43 21 Now when Jesus had crossed
over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to
Him; and He was by the sea. 22And behold, one
of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he
saw Him, he fell at His feet 23and begged Him earnestly,
saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay
Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24So
Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged
Him. |
|
Luke
8:40-56 40 So it was, when Jesus
returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting
for Him. 41And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he
was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and
begged Him to come to his house, 42for he had an only
daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. |
Mark
8:31
And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things,
and be
rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes,
and
be killed, and after three days rise again.
“Behold, we are going up to
And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought
how they
might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people
were
astonished at His teaching.
Then they came again to
After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
And the chief
priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by
trickery and put Him to death.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests
to betray Him to them.
And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the
twelve,
with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief
priests
and the scribes and the elders.
And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were
assembled
all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes.
Now the chief priests and all the council sought
testimony
against Jesus to put Him to
death, but found none.
Immediately, in the morning, the chief priests held a
consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and
they bound
Jesus, led Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate.
And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but
He answered
nothing.
For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over
because of
envy.
But the chief priests stirred up
the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among
themselves with
the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.
saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the
elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised the
third day.”
And He was teaching daily in the temple.
But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of
the people
sought to destroy Him,
Now it happened on one of those
days, as He taught the people in
the temple and preached
the gospel, that the chief priests
and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him
And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour
sought to
lay hands on Him, but they feared the people [M-Text reads but they were afraid] --for they knew He
had spoken this parable
against them.
And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour
sought to
lay hands on Him, but they feared the people [M-Text reads but they were afraid] --for they knew He
had spoken this parable
against them.
So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests
and captains,
how he might betray Him to them.
Then Jesus said to the chief priests,
captains of the temple,
and the elders who had come to Him, “Have you come out, as against a
robber,
with swords and clubs?
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and
the elders who had come
to Him, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I
find no
fault in this
And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently
accused
Him.
Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests,
the rulers, and the people,
But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be
crucified. And
the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
[NU-Text omits and of the chief priests]
But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be
crucified. And
the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
[NU-Text omits and of the chief priests]
11Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 12And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 13However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
18He who speaks from himself seeks his
own glory;
but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no
unrighteousness is in Him. 19Did not Moses give you the law,
yet
none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?”
20The people answered and said, “You have a demon. Who is
seeking to
kill You?”
The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him,
and the
Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take
Him.
John
7:45
Then the officers came to the chief priests and
Pharisees, who
said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”
46The officers answered, “No man ever
spoke like
this Man!”
47Then the Pharisees
answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in
Him?
John 8:39-40
39They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the
works of
Abraham. 40But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told
you the
truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
46Which of you convicts Me of sin? And
if I tell
the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47He who is of God
hears God’s
words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
48 Then the Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say
rightly
that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we
know that You
have a demon!
Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You
say, “If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’
Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus
hid Himself and went out of the temple,
[NU-Text omits the rest of
this verse] going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
19Therefore there was a division again among the Jews
because of
these sayings. 20And many of them said, “He has a demon and
is mad.
Why do you listen to Him?”
21Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a
demon. Can
a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
John 10:32-33
32Jesus answered them, “Many good works
I have
shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”
33The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not
stone
You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself
God.”
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a
council and
said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.
John
11:57
Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a
command, that
if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize
Him.
John
12:10
But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,
41These things Isaiah said when
[NU-Text reads because] he saw His glory
and spoke of
Him.
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him,
but because of the Pharisees they did not
confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43for
they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
Then Judas, having received a detachment
of troops, and officers from
the chief priests and
Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests
have delivered You to me. What have You done?”
Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him,
they
cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them,
“You take
Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate
said to
them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests
answered, “We
have no king but Caesar!”
Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not
write, “The King of the Jews,’ but, “He said, “I am the King of the
Jews.”
15But when they had commanded them to
go aside
out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16saying,
“What
shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been
done
through them is evident to all who dwell in
And being let go, they went to their own companions
and reported
all that the chief priests and
elders had said to them.
Now when the high priest, [NU-Text
omits the high priest] the captain of the temple,
and the chief priests
heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.
And here he has authority from the chief priests to
bind all who
call on Your name.”
Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed
those
who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose,
so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
The next day, because he wanted to know for certain why he was accused
by the
Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests
and all their council to appear,
and brought Paul down and
set him before them.
They came to the chief priests and elders, and said,
“We have
bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we
have
killed Paul.
about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews
informed
me, when I was in
This I also did in
12. Nicodemus. Meaning: the people is victor.
The
account at http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/nicodemus.html
notes that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin.
“He
is first noticed as visiting Jesus by night (John 3:1-21) for the
purpose of
learning more of his doctrines, which our Lord then unfolded to him,
giving
prominence to the necessity of being “born again.” He is next met with
in the
Sanhedrin (
John 3:1-21
1 There was a
man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This
man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You
are a
teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless
God is
with him.”
3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to
you,
unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is
old? Can
he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one
is born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things
be?”
10Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of
18”He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does
not
believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name
of the
only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation,
that the
light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than
light,
because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone practicing
evil hates
the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be
exposed.
21But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds
may be
clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 7:45-52
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why
have you
not brought Him?”
46The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”
47Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived?
48Have
any of the rulers or the Pharisees
believed in Him? 49But this crowd that does not know the law
is
accursed.”
50Nicodemus (he who came
to Jesus by night, [NU-Text reads before]
being one of them) said to them, 51”Does our law
judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
52They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee?
Search
and look, for no prophet has arisen
[NU-Text
reads is to rise] out of
38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
13. Annas / Ananias, the High Priest.
The
WebBible Online from ChristianAnswers.Net, http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/annas.html,
notes that Annas “was high priest A.D. 7-14. In A.D. 25, Caiaphas, who
had
married the daughter of Annas (John 18:13), was promoted to that
office, and
probably Annas was now made president of the Sanhedrin, or deputy or
coadjutor
of the high priest, and thus was also called high priest along with
Caiaphas
(Luke 3:2).
“Under
Mosaic law, the high-priesthood was held for life (Numbers
From
http://www.bible-history.com/HighPriests/NTHIGHPRIESTSAnnas.htm:
“Annas,
whose name means “The grace of Jehovah” was the son of Seth and
appointed high
priest of the Jews in 6 A.D in his 37th year. He was high
priest
from 6 to 15 A.D. but as long as he lived he was the virtual head of
the
priestly party in
“In
the time of Christ high priests were appointed and removed at the
command of
the Roman governors. Although removed from office, Annas’ power and
influence
was so great that five of his sons, as well as his son-in-law Caiaphas
and his
grandson Matthias, also became high priests. Years afterward he lost
the high
priesthood, but even then he was popularly considered as still in
office and
was called “high priest”; even after Pentecost his name appears first
in the
list of priestly leaders” from Acts 4:5-7.
Also
see Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews; XX. ix. 2 [8]
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the
reign of
Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being
tetrarch
of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of
Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, [NU-Text
and M-Text read in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas] the word of God came to John the
son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he went into all
the region
around the
See
also Matthew 3:1-6; Mark 1:2-6; John 1:19-23.
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Jesus questioned by Annas.
John 18:19-22
19 The high
priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.
20Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always
taught
in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, [NU-Text
reads where
all the Jews meet] and in secret I have said nothing. 21Why
do
you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed
they know
what I said.”
22And when He had said these things, one of the officers who
stood
by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”
23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken
evil,
bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”
24Then Annas sent Him
bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
5 And it came to pass, on the next day,
that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 6as
well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as
many as
were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at
Acts 5:17-41
17 Then
the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the
sect of
the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18and
laid
their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. 19But
at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them
out, and
said, 20”Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all
the
words of this life.”
21And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in
the
morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and
called the
council together, with all the elders of the children of
22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the
prison,
they returned and reported, 23saying, “Indeed we found the
prison
shut securely, and the guards standing outside [NU-Text and M-Text omit
outside] before the doors; but when we
opened them, we found no one inside!” 24Now when the high priest, [NU-Text
omits the high priest] the
captain of the temple, and the chief
priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.
25So one came and told them, saying,
[NU-Text
and M-Text omit saying]
“Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and
teaching
the people!”
26Then the captain went with the officers and brought them
without
violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.
27And
when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the
high
priest asked them, 28saying, “Did we not strictly command
you not to
teach in this name? And look, you have filled
29But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We
ought to
obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised up
Jesus
whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31Him God has
exalted to His
right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to
33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to
kill them.
34Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a
teacher
of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put
the
apostles outside for a little while. 35And he said to them:
“Men of
Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these
men.
36For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A
number of
men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed
him were
scattered and came to nothing. 37After this man, Judas of
Galilee
rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him.
He also
perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. 38And now I say to
you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or
this work
is of men, it will come to nothing; 39but if it is of God,
you
cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God.”
40And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the
apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in
the name
of Jesus, and let them go. 41So they departed from the
presence of
the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame
for His [NU-Text reads the name; M-Text
reads the
name of Jesus] name.
The trial continues as the
focus shifts to:
14. Gamaliel I. Flourished 1st century AD.
According
to Encyclopedia Britannica, Gamaliel I was “also called Rabban
Gamaliel
(rabban, meaning “teacher”) a
tanna, one of a select group of Palestinian masters of the Jewish Oral
Law, and
a teacher twice mentioned in the New Testament.
“According to tradition—but not historic fact—Gamaliel succeeded his father, Simon, and his grandfather, the renowned sage Hillel (to whose school of thought he belonged), as nasi (president) of the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish court. It is certain, though, that Gamaliel held a leading position in the Sanhedrin and that he enjoyed the highest repute as teacher of the Law; he was the first to be given the title rabban. Like his grandfather, Gamaliel also was given the title ha-Zaqen (the Elder).
“The
New Testament (Acts 5:34–39) relates that Gamaliel intervened on behalf
of the
Apostles of Jesus when they had been seized and brought to the
Sanhedrin, and
another passage (Acts 22:3) tells how St. Paul, in a speech to the
Jews, tried
to influence them by stating that he had been a student of Gamaliel (“I
am a
Jew, . . . brought up . . . at the feet of Gamaliel”).
“Gamaliel
established a number of lenient ordinances, in particular, laws
affecting women
and non-Jews. Of his teaching, only one saying is preserved in the
Talmud; it
enjoins the duties of study and scrupulous observance of religious
ordinances.
Gamaliel’s renown is summed up in the words recorded in the Talmud:
‘When
Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, regard for the Torah [Jewish Law]
ceased, and
purity and piety died.’”
Acts 5:33-41
33 When they heard this, they were
furious and
plotted to kill them. 34Then one in the council stood up, a
Pharisee
named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law
held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the
apostles
outside for a little while. 35And he said to them: “Men of
40And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the
apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in
the name
of Jesus, and let them go. 41So they departed from the
presence of
the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame
for His [NU-Text
reads the name; M-Text reads the name of Jesus] name.
Paul’s testimony
“I am indeed a Jew, born in
Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up
in this city
at the feet of Gamaliel,
taught
according to the strictness of
our fathers’ law, and was
zealous toward God as you all are today.
15. Joseph Caiaphas, the High Priest. Son in
law of
Annas.
The
article in Encyclopedia Britannica notes that “On a day-to-day
basis
“Thus,
at the time of Jesus’ public career,
2”You know that after two days is the
Passover,
and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests, the scribes, [NU-Text omits the
scribes] and the elders of the people
assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and
kill Him.
57 And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy!
What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His
blasphemy!
1 Now in the fifteenth year of the
reign of
Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being
tetrarch
of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of
Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2while Annas
and Caiaphas were high priests, [NU-Text
and M-Text read in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas] the word of God came to John the
son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3And he went into all
the region
around the
48If we let Him alone like this,
everyone will
believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place
and
nation.”
49And one of them, Caiaphas,
being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,
50nor do you consider that it is expedient for us [NU-Text reads you] that one man should die for the
people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”
12 Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. 13And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. 14Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
John 18:23-24
23Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken
evil,
bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”
24Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas
the high priest.
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was
early
morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they
should
be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.
Acts 4:1-22
1 Now as they spoke to the people, the
priests,
the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 2being
greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the
resurrection from the dead. 3And they laid hands on them,
and put
them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4However,
many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men
came to be
about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers,
elders,
and scribes, 6as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas,
John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of
the high priest, were gathered together at
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
“Rulers of
the people and elders of Israel: 9If we this day are judged
for a
good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,
10let
it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the
name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the
dead, by
Him this man stands here before you whole. 11This is the
“stone
which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief
cornerstone.’ [Psalm
118:22] 12Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is
no other
name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived
that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they
realized
that they had been with Jesus. 14And seeing the man who had
been
healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15But
when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they
conferred
among themselves, 16saying, “What shall we do to these men?
For,
indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to
all who
dwell in
18So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all
nor
teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered
and said
to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more
than to
God, you judge. 20For we cannot but speak the things which
we have
seen and heard.” 21So when they had further threatened them,
they
let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people,
since
they all glorified God for what had been done. 22For the man
was
over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
16.
Pontius Pilate, Governor of
Encyclopedia
Britannica notes that Pilate was “Roman prefect (governor) of
“According
to the traditional account of his life, Pilate was a Roman equestrian
(knight)
of the Samnite clan of the Pontii (hence his name Pontius). He was
appointed
prefect of
“Judgments
of the man himself must be made inferentially, almost entirely on the
basis of
later Jewish and Christian writings, chiefly Josephus and the New
Testament.
Josephus’ references appear to be consistent. They seem to picture a
strong-willed, strict, authoritarian Roman leader who was,
nevertheless, both
rational and practical and who knew how far he should go in a given
case. For
example, Josephus tells us that “in order to abolish Jewish laws,” and
with the
intent of diminishing privileges Jews had hitherto enjoyed, Pilate
ordered his
troops to encamp in Jerusalem and sent them into the city with images
of the
emperor attached to their ensigns. When the Jews demonstrated in
“The
New Testament, however, suggests a weak, vacillating personality. Would
the mob
be just as happy if he released Jesus instead of Barabbas on the feast
day
(Mark 15:6 ff.)? Pilate weakly capitulates. His wife sends him word of
her
dream (Matthew 27:19), and Pilate abdicates his responsibility to the
emperor.
In the Fourth Gospel, Pilate is depicted as having accepted the
Christian
interpretation of the meaning of Jesus (John 19:7–11), and he rejects
the Jews’
reminder that Jesus has merely said that he is “the king of the Jews”
(John
Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius
Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch
of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of
Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,
There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans
whose
blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
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1 When morning came, all the
chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him
to death. 2And when they had bound Him, they led Him away
and delivered Him to Pontius [NU-Text omits Pontius] Pilate the governor.
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Mark
15:1 |
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Matthew 27:11-14 11 Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him,
saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” |
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Mark 15:1-5 1Immediately, in
the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the
elders and scribes and the whole council; and they bound Jesus, led Him
away, and delivered Him to Pilate. 2Then Pilate
asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” |
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Luke 23:1-5 1Then the whole
multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. 2And they
began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the
[NU-Text reads our] nation, and
forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a
King.” |
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John 18:29-38 29Pilate then
went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this
Man?” |
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Matthew
27:15-26 15 Now at the feast the governor
was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they
wished. 16And at that time they had a notorious prisoner
called Barabbas. [NU-Text reads Jesus Barabbas]
17Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release to
you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18For he knew
that they had handed Him over because of envy. |
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Mark 15:6-15 6 Now at the feast he was
accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
7And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his
fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. 8Then
the multitude, crying aloud, [NU-Text
reads going up] began to ask him to
do just as he had always done for them. 9But Pilate
answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of
the Jews?” 10For he knew that the chief priests had handed
Him over because of envy. |
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Luke 23:13-25 13 Then Pilate,
when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the
people, 14said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as
one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your
presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of
which you accuse Him; 15no, neither did Herod, for I sent
you back to him; [NU-Text reads for he sent Him back to us] and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done
by Him. 16I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”
17(for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the
feast). [NU-Text omits verse 17] |
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38Pilate said to Him, “What is
truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and
said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all. |
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Matthew
27:27-31 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. 28And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. 31And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified. |
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Mark 15:16-20 16 Then the soldiers led Him away
into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole
garrison. 17And they clothed Him with purple; and they
twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18and began
to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19Then they struck
Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they
worshiped Him. 20And when they had mocked Him, they took the
purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify
Him. |
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John
19:1-16 1 So then Pilate
took Jesus and scourged Him. 2And the soldiers twisted a
crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple
robe. 3Then they said, [NU-Text reads And they came up
to Him and said] “Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck Him with their hands. |
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Matthew 27:32-44 32 Now as they came out, they
found a man of |
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Mark 15:21-31 21 Then they compelled a certain
man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was
coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. 22And
they brought Him to the place |
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Luke 23:26-43 26 Now as they led Him away, they
laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the
country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after
Jesus. |
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John
19:17-22 17 And He, bearing His cross,
went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in
Hebrew, |
Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should
not
remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day),
the Jews
asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they
might be
taken away.
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57 Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. 59When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, |
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Mark 15:42-47 42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid. |
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Luke 23:50-56 50 Now behold, there was a man
named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51He
had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a
city of the Jews, who himself was also waiting [NU-Text reads who
was waiting] for the |
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John 19:38-42 38 After this, Joseph of
Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the
Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of
Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and
took the body of Jesus. 39And Nicodemus, who at first came
to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes,
about a hundred pounds. 40Then they took the body of Jesus,
and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the
Jews is to bury. 41Now in the place where He was crucified
there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had
yet been laid. 42So there they laid Jesus, because of the
Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. |
Matthew 27:62-65
62 On the next day, which followed the
Day of
Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63saying, “Sir, we
remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, “After
three days I
will rise.’ 64Therefore command that the tomb be made secure
until
the third day, lest His disciples come by night [NU-Text
omits by night] and
steal Him away, and say to the people, “He has risen from the dead.’ So
the
last deception will be worse than the first.”
65Pilate said to them, “You
have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified
His
Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate,
when he was determined to let Him go.
“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both
Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of
And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate
that
He should be put to death.
I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before
Christ
Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate,
17. Saul/Paul
of
born A.D. 10? ,
died 67? ,
In
the Britannica article “Paul,
the Apostle, Saint”, Barnabas Lindars notes that the
original name was Saul of Tarsus, “a 1st-century Jew who,
after
first being a bitter enemy of Christianity, later became an important
figure in
its history.
“Converted
only a few years after the death of Jesus, he became the leading
Apostle
(missionary) of the new movement and played a decisive part in
extending it
beyond the limits of Judaism to become a worldwide religion. His
surviving
letters are the earliest extant Christian writings. They reveal both
theological skill and pastoral understanding and have had lasting
importance
for Christian life and thought.
“In
the time of Paul,
“Serious
persecution of Christians first arose in connection with converts among
the
Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) in
1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
See
also Acts 22:6-16; 26:12-18
Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from
many about
this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in
Acts 9:19-23
19So when he had received food, he was
strengthened. Then Saul spent some
days with the disciples at
20 Immediately he preached the Christ [NU-Text reads Jesus] in
the synagogues, that He is the
Son of God.
21Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he
who
destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here
for
that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22But Saul increased all the more in strength, and
confounded the
Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
23 Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill
him.
Acts
22:3-21
3”I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought
up in
this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness
of our
fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. 4I
persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons
both men
and women, 5as also the high priest bears me witness, and
all the
council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the
brethren, and
went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to
Jerusalem to
be punished.
6”Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near
9”And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were
afraid, [NU-Text omits and were
afraid] but they did not hear the voice
of
Him who spoke to me. 10So I said, “What shall I do, Lord?’
And the
Lord said to me, “Arise and go into
12”Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the
law, having
a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, 13came
to me; and
he stood and said to me, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at
that same
hour I looked up at him. 14Then he said, “The God of our
fathers has
chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and
hear the
voice of His mouth. 15For you will be His witness to all men
of what
you have seen and heard. 16And now why are you waiting?
Arise and be
baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
17”Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was
praying in
the temple, that I was in a trance 18and saw Him saying to
me, “Make
haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your
testimony concerning Me.’ 19So I said, “Lord, they know that
in
every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20And
when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by
consenting to his death, [NU-Text omits to
his death] and guarding the clothes of those who were killing
him.’
21Then He said to me, “Depart, for I will send you far from here
to the
Gentiles.”‘
9”Indeed, I myself thought
I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Galatians 1:11-24
11 But I make known to you, brethren,
that the
gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For
I
neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through
the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
13For you have heard of my
former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the
15But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s
womb
and called me through His grace, 16to reveal His Son in me,
that I
might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with
flesh
and blood, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were
apostles
before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
18 Then after three years I
went up to
and remained with him fifteen days. 19But
I saw
none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. 20(Now concerning the things which I write to
you, indeed, before God, I do not
lie.)
21Afterward I went into the regions of
See also Acts 9:1-31
Am I not an apostle? Am I not
free? Have I not seen
Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
For I am the least of the apostles,
who am not
worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent
man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in
unbelief.
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1 Corinthians 15:1-11 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare
to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and
in which you stand, 2by which also you are saved, if you
hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in
vain. |
Mark 16:9-20 9 Now when He rose early on the
first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom
He had cast seven demons. 10She went and told those who had
been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11And when they
heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
[See also Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:6-8] |
|
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise. 16For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. |
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 13 But I do not want you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you
sorrow as others who have no hope. 14For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who
sleep in Jesus. [Or those who
through Jesus sleep] |
18.
Sergius Paulus, Proconsul of
“In
1877, an inscription was found near Paphos, bearing Sergius Paulus’s
name and
title of proconsul. Ten years later, his name was also found on a
memorial stone in
From http://www.facingthechallenge.org/paulus.htm:
This inscription is displayed in the courtyard of the Yalvac museum. Clearly visible is the whole of “Paulli” and portions of “Sergii.” Online, this can be seen at http://holylandphotos.org/browse.asp?s=1,3,8,21,96&img=TCSCPA28
Acts 13:1-12
1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain
prophets
and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen
who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2As
they
ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate
to Me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3Then,
having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to
6Now when they had gone through the island [NU-Text reads the
whole island] to Paphos,
they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was
Bar-Jesus,
7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man.
This man
called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8But
Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them,
seeking to
turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9Then Saul, who also
is
called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10and
said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you
enemy of
all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of
the Lord?
11And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you
shall be
blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”
And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking
someone to
lead him by the hand. 12Then the proconsul believed, when he
saw
what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
19. Porcius Festus.
The
Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition notes that Porcius Festus was
the
successor of Felix (A.D. 60-A.D. 62) as procurator of Judea (Acts
24:27).
“A few weeks after he had entered on his office the case of Paul, then
a
prisoner at
Copyright © 2002 Columbia University Press
But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix;
and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
Acts 25:1-27
1 Now when Festus
had come to the province, after three days he went up from
6And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he
went
down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he
commanded
Paul to be brought. 7When he had come, the Jews who had come
down
from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against
Paul, which
they could not prove, 8while he answered for himself,
“Neither
against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar
have I
offended in anything at all.”
9But Festus, wanting to
do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up
to
Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”
10So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I
ought to
be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.
11For
if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I
do not
object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these
men
accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
12Then Festus, when he
had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar?
To
Caesar you shall go!”
13 And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to
22Then Agrippa said to Festus,
“I also would like to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”
23So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with
great
pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the
prominent men
of the city, at Festus’ command Paul
was brought in. 24And Festus
said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you
see this
man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at
Jerusalem
and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. 25But
when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that
he
himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. 26I
have
nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have
brought
him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that
after the
examination has taken place I may have something to write. 27For
it
seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the
charges
against him.”
Acts 26:24-25
24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul,
you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!”
25But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak
the words
of truth and reason.
20. King Herod Agrippa II
Of
Herod Agrippa II, Encyclopedia Britannica notes that he was
born A.D.
27, and died A.D. 93, meaning he was alive during the time the New
Testament
documents were written and circulated throughout the region.
The
Britannica notes that Agrippa II was “king
of
“Agrippa
II was raised and educated at the imperial court in
“Between
52 and 60, he appointed several high priests and earned the enmity of
the
conflicting parties. Though he supported the rights of the Jews
at
According
to Luke’s account in Acts 26, Paul tells Agrippa, “you are well
acquainted with
all the Jewish customs and controversies” (verse 3), recalls Christ’s
resurrection from the dead as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies
(verses
21-22) and tells Agrippa, “The king is familiar with these things, and
I can
speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his
notice,
because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the
prophets?
I know you do.” (verses 26-27)
Wow.
Pretty heavy statements to use in addressing a king. Had Paul spoken
falsely,
the book of Acts would have had a different ending (and
beginning, for
that matter). Instead of refuting Paul, Agrippa says, “Do you think
that in
such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (verse 28).
Paul’s
reply (verse 28): “Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but
all who
are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these
chains.”
Agrippa
later tells Governor Festus (verse 32): “This man could have been set
free if
he had not appealed to Caesar.” Would Agrippa had said that if
Paul was
lying in his testimony?
This
was an eyewitness account from the physician Luke, who recorded these
events in
the book of Acts. In Acts 12:23, Luke even records that Agrippa’s
father was consumed
by worms because he had blasphemed against God (in A.D. 44, when
Agrippa II was
17 years old).
There
is a separate, independent account of the death of Agrippa I.
F.F. Bruce writes: “The sudden death of Herod Agrippa
I, narrated by
Luke in Acts
“‘When
Agrippa had reigned three full years over all
“‘The
king did not rebuke them, nor did he repudiate their impious flattery.
But
looking up soon afterwards he saw the owl sitting on a rope above his
head, and
immediately recognized it as a messenger of evil as it had formerly
been a
messenger of good,’ and a pang of grief pierced his heart. There came
also a
severe pain in his belly, beginning with a violent attack.... So he was
carried
quickly into the palace, and the news sped abroad among all that he
would
certainly die before long.... And when he had suffered continuously for
five
days from the pain in his belly, he departed this life in the fifty
fourth year
of his age and the seventh of his reign.’
“The
parallels between the two accounts are obvious, as is also the absence
of
collusion between them. Luke describes the king’s sudden stroke by
saying, in
biblical language, that ‘the angel of the Lord smote him’; it is
unnecessary to
think that there is any significance in the fact that the Greek word
for ‘angel’
in Luke’s account (angelos) is the same as the word for
‘messenger’
applied to the owl by Josephus, though some early Christian Fathers
seem to
have thought so. The Tyrians may well have taken advantage of
this
festival to be publicly reconciled to the king.
“In general, we may sum up the comparison of the two accounts in the words of an unbiased historian, Eduard Meyer: ‘In outline, in data, and in the general conception, both accounts are in full agreement. By its very interesting details, which are by no means to be explained as due to a “tendency” or a popular tradition, Luke’s account affords a guarantee that it is at least just as reliable as that of Josephus.” [10]
Had
Luke or Josephus been in error, King Agrippa had the means, motive, and
opportunity
to squelch these documents as copies circulated throughout the
region, or
to imprison Luke, Paul and Josephus for false testimony. Indeed,
Agrippa had
the means, motive and opportunity to stop the entire New Testament,
written and
circulating within his kingdom, within his lifetime. But he did
not/could not
refute the eyewitness accounts.