Acts 23:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.”

NIV: Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, 'Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.'

NASB: Paul called one of the centurions to himself and said, 'Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.'

CSB: Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him."

NLT: Paul called for one of the Roman officers and said, 'Take this young man to the commander. He has something important to tell him.'

KJV: Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

NKJV: Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.”

Two days prior, Paul went to the temple to fulfill a religious requirement. His intent was to prove his faithfulness as a Jew (Acts 21:20–24). While there, Jews from the province of Asia, making up much of southwest modern-day Turkey, erroneously accused him of letting a Gentile from Ephesus come into the temple. Paul's accusers incited a mob that tried to kill Paul, but the Roman tribune, a military officer, took Paul into custody for his protection (Acts 21:27–36).

A group of forty Jews—possibly these men from Asia—have made a vow to kill Paul before they eat or drink again. To do so, they've enlisted the help of the Sanhedrin who are more than happy to be rid of the man who has been nothing but a thorn in their side ever since he met Jesus. The plan is for the Sanhedrin to ask the tribune to bring Paul to them again, and for the men to assassinate him while he is in transit (Acts 23:12–15).

However, Paul's nephew hears about their conspiracy and goes to the barracks to tell Paul (Acts 23:16). Paul asks a centurion for help. Throughout his ministry, Paul maintains a seemingly good relationship with members of the Roman military. The tribune has already saved his life twice and now will do so again. One of the centurions stopped Paul from being scourged and another will protect him from being killed during a storm (Acts 22:25–26; 27:42–43). When Paul is under house arrest in Rome, he will lead his guards to Christ (Philippians 4:22).

"Young man" suggests Paul's nephew is past puberty but not yet old enough to marry. A tribune is typically a minor nobleman, around 27 years old, who takes a turn in the military for career broadening before moving on into politics. Centurions are officers in charge of about 100 legionnaires.

Acts 23:12–22 shows Paul just how unwelcoming Jerusalem can be. False accusations and old religious-political differences have conspired to keep him incarcerated in the Roman barracks. Forty men gain the approval of the Sanhedrin to murder Paul. But Paul's nephew hears of their plan and tells the Roman tribune. The tribune swears him to secrecy as he makes plans for Paul to go to the governor: a man with higher legal authority and a larger army.

Acts 23 continues the tribune's attempt to discover why a mob of Jews suddenly turned violent and attacked Paul (Acts 21:27–33). He takes Paul to the Sanhedrin to see if they understand what his crime is. Paul barely begins his story when he is slapped for impudence. He disrespects the high priest and starts a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The next day, a group of forty Jews invite the Sanhedrin to help them murder Paul. Paul's nephew reports the plot to the tribune who gives up and sends Paul to the governor. The governor awaits Paul's accusers for trial.

Jews from near Ephesus accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple and incited a crowd to attack him. The tribune saved Paul but couldn't uncover the reason for the violence; most of the mob didn't know, and Paul was a Roman citizen, so the tribune couldn't beat the truth out of him (Acts 21—22). When the Sanhedrin would rather murder Paul than talk to him, the tribune sends Paul to the governor. The governor holds Paul without charges for so long he invokes his right to a trial before Caesar. The governor agrees, and Paul finally gets to Rome (Acts 24—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.