February 12th, 2022

This Sunday is the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany. And last week we looked at how, in the book of Acts, the last three uses of that important word ‘grace’ was, in a way, changed to a ‘favor’, and, more specifically, a favor with the hope that this ‘troublemaker’, St. Paul, would die. In a similar way, in a couple of weeks we will be looking at how St. Paul’s detailed boat trip to Rome may be compared to the uneasy life of the Christian Church. We are all on a significant journey, with some ‘hardships’ along the way (pun intended).

We have been seeing how Christianity has been spoken against in different ways, and we also have been seeing how Christians have responded to these accusations. The Epistle Reading for this Sunday continues to be in 1 Corinthians [15:12-20], and the difficulties that those early Christians were going through were many. And so, very appropriately, the good news that comes from Jesus Christ was given to them in many ways. This time it concerns the resurrection of the body, and this good news is also appropriate for Christians today.

In Acts 25, the new governor, Festus, agreed to go to Caesarea in a short while and hear the accusations regarding Paul, to see if there is ‘in the man, anything out of place’ (25:5, a somewhat-literal translation). The text then goes into slightly more detail, although much is summarized within these few words: ‘And when [Paul] arrived, the Jews, having come down from Jerusalem, stood around him, bringing against him many and heavy charges, which they did not have the power to prove (25:7, again, a somewhat-literal translation).’

The defense of St. Paul at this point is quite clear—and is quite significant—within the text (and this is also a somewhat-literal translation). Paul, defending himself: ‘Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar I sinned (25:8).’
Translators usually put the fact that St. Paul says he did not sin early within the sentence. And that certainly makes sense. But given the order of the actual words of the original text, there is a triple emphasis on what St. Paul had not sinned against, and the first of those things is ‘the law of the Jews’. And this is a significant phrase since it appears nowhere else in the New Testament.

Now, certainly, the word ‘law’ appears in many places. And, of course, the word ‘Jew’ also appears in many places. And there are certainly some phrases that come close to these two things when they are together. But the phrase ‘the law of the Jews’ is unique, and, therefore, much could be said about it.

It will be helpful to see the use of the ‘base’ word, the law, before (and after) this text. Here comes another instance where you could look up the following passages in another translation. The translations below are also somewhat literal. And often some words have been added to make it helpful to know what is going on and, more importantly, to help clarify what is understood by the word ‘law’. Some of the phrases below are closer to the phrase ‘law of the Jews’ than others, and sometimes the order of the words is very telling. The Jews are important, the temple is certainly important, and certainly Caesar is also important. But, again, the word law is first. (To help find the word, since some of the quotations are quite long and contain the word more than once, when it is simply the word for ‘law’, that word will be capitalized within the following sentences.)

6:13     And [some people who hated Stephen] stood false witnesses, saying, ‘This man ceases not, speaking words against the place of this holiness and the LAW.’

7:53     This is the very end of Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin: ‘[You are those] who received the LAW by the ordinances of angels, and you did not guard it.’

13:15   St. Paul is about to give a word of exhortation at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, and there was first the ‘… reading of the LAW and of the prophets…’.

13:38f  St. Paul, in his word of exhortation, just brought up Jesus’ death and resurrection. And then he says this: ‘Therefore, let it be known to you, men, brothers, that through this one, to you, forgiveness of sins is announced, and from all things of which you could not, in the LAW of Moses, be justified, in this one, all who believe are justified.’

15:5     ‘But some of the ones from the ‘heresy’ of the Pharisees, having believed, stood forth, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise [the Gentiles] and to charge them to keep the LAW of Moses.”

18:12ff And Galileo, being proconsul of Achaia, the Jews set upon, with one mind, Paul, and they led him to the tribunal, saying ‘Against the LAW, this one urges the men to worship God.’ And Paul, being about to open the mouth, Galileo said to the Jews, ‘If indeed it was some crime or villainy evil, O Jews, according to the word I would endure you. But if it is questions concerning a word and names and LAW—the one according to you—you will see yourselves. I do not intend to be judge of these things.’

21:20… And [the Christian leaders] hearing [Paul’s report], they glorified God and said to him, ‘You are beholding, brother, how many thousands there are in the Jews, having believed, and all are zealots of the LAW. And they were informed about you, that you are teaching apostasy from Moses, throughout the nations, all the Jews, telling them not to circumcise the children nor to walk in the customs. What, therefore, is it? At all they will hear that you have come. Therefore, do this which we tell you: There are to us four men, having a vow upon themselves. These, taking, be purified with them, and spend on them that they will shave the head, and all will know that things of which they have been informed about you, there is nothing, but you also walk, you yourself guarding the LAW….’ And as the seven days [of purification] were about to be fulfilled, the Jews from Asia, beholding him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd, and they laid on him their hands, crying out: ‘Men, Israelites, help! This is the man, the one against the people and the LAW and this place, teaching all everywhere, and even also Greeks he brought into the temple and has made common this holy place.’ For they were, having previously seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, in the city with him, whom they supposed that Paul brought into the temple.

22:3…  Paul has this to say at the beginning of his defense before the Jews in Jerusalem: ‘I am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and having been brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, having been trained according to the exactness of the paternal LAW, being a zealot of God, just as all you yourselves are today…. Later in his defense, he describes Ananias as, ‘a man, devout, according to the LAW, being witnessed by all the Jews dwelling there….’

23:3     Then Paul said to [Ananias, the high priest, after he had commanded Paul to be struck], ‘God is about to strike you, whitened wall, and you sit, judging me according to the LAW, and, contravening law, do you command me to be struck?’

23:29   This is part of the commander’s letter to Felix, the current governor at the time: ‘I found him being accused about questions of their LAW, but having a charge, not worthy of death or of shackles.

24:14   Paul’s defense before Felix included this statement: ‘But I confess this to you, that according to “The Way”, which they say “a heresy”, thus I worship the paternal God, believing all the things according to the LAW and the things in the prophets, having been written….’

25:8     [SEE ABOVE]
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28:23   Right after it is said by the Jews in Rome that Christianity is ‘everywhere spoken against’ (Acts 28:22), the following is said: ‘And arranging with [Paul] a day, they came to him into the lodging many, to whom he set forth, solemnly witnessing the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus from both the LAW of Moses and the prophets, from morning until evening.’