THE CLOSURE OF ACTS
The Book of Acts sets out in much detail a number of defence orations made before various dignitaries, especially those by the Apostle Paul. But remarkably the Book fails to report, the anticipated ultimate appearance of Paul before Caesar. Such events as are recorded as to Rome seems like an anti-climax after the progress towards this point built up in the Acts narrative, and particularly the details of the voyage and associated journeyings.
The apparent absence of an adequate conclusion to Luke's treatise, however, is an illusion. For the climax of the Book is the outcome of the Roman Jews' rejection of Paul's testimony, the immense significance of which is unperceived by so many readers. This was an event of more far reaching consequence than a mere confrontation with Caesar; for it was an epoch marking the judicial setting aside from Divine recognition of the Jewish nation, namely, the House of Judah to whom the prophecy of Isaiah pertained.
The unavailability of David's royal tribe inhibited the progress of the Kingdom of the Heavens which John the Baptist had announced as imminent and which Paul had "proclaimed" to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:25. It has now to be seen as a future prospect no longer of contemporary relevance: it could still be taught and worked for, but not proclaimed, Col. 4:10, it was the "word" and not the "kingdom" which was now to be proclaimed, 2Tim 4:1/2.
So at that time in Rome it could have been appropriate for Paul to "teach the Kingdom of God and those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ". Only it does not say this in Acts 28: 30/31; it emphatically states that he heralded and proclaimed[kErussO] the Kingdom of God. It was no longer the time to do so, though it had been in Acts 20:25 where the same word is used.
Do these two verses really belong here? If not, then where could they have been displaced from? Consider the following:
And when Felix........commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him ^ have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. ^^ And he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all those coming in to see him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with entire freedom of speech and without restraint. And after certain days, when Felix.......sent for Paul........ and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. * He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul,** that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room:
Observe how well the two closing verses of Acts fit the narrative given in chapter 24. The "two years" show a meaningful link; the freedom of access given to Paul falls into place as the scheme devised by the corrupt Felix to facilitate the "proclaiming of the Kingdom of God" takes place during the time when the rest of Scrpture teaches it was the order of the day.
It is not being suggested that the verses in question are other than part of the inspired original text. It is suggested that they may well have become dislocated from their position in the Lucan autograph during transmission. In the absence of any supporting manuscript evidence the consideration lies in the realm of higher rather than Textual Criticism.
A creditable explanation would probably resolve also the problem of verse 8 in chapter 28, which Moffatt and Wade in their respective versions regard as properly coming between verses 22 and 23 of that chapter. [But parhumin is plural and this verse more suitably fits chapter 23 verse 6(or even chapter 17:32)]. Agrippa was addressed by Paul in the singular.
N.B. Observe the relevance of kOluein[Acts 25:23] to akOlutOs[Acts 28:31]
^ Further research suggests the probability that the first half of verse 26, shown above as * ---**, really belongs at this point. The 'sending for Paul' by Felix thus relates not so much to seeking a bribe as to those matters presented before Agrippa.
^^ MSS 137 & 614, with Ephrem Syrus, here inserts "both Jews and Greeks".
So:
And when Felix........commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him both Jews and Greeks. he hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, And he dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all those coming in to see him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with entire freedom of speech and without restraint. And after certain days, when Felix.......sent for Paul........ and answered, 'Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee'. that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room:
Maurice Lloyd October 1986
Mr. Maurice Lloyd has made a more thorough study of this problem in an article entitled:
TEXT DISPLACEMEMT IN ACTS. It has the following sub-headings:
Part 1. Categories of Evidence.
Part 2. Recovering Autographic Form.
Part 3. Review of Evidence.
Part 4. Biblical Criticism.