Early Church History 

    Paul left Asia to journey to Jerusalem, hoping to arrive there before Pentecost, that is, in late spring/early 

summer. His journey seems to have had no unexpected or lengthy delays (Acts 21:1 15), so Paul likely arrived 

in Jerusalem in late spring/early summer of 

A.D.

 41. Nero was then emperor of Rome and Felix was governor 

of Judea. Ananias was the high priest of the Jews. 

Paul's Arrest 

    Acts of the Apostles mentions a two year period of time that Paul spent in Rome awaiting his appeal to the 

Roman emperor (Acts 29:30 31). Now it should be obvious, since Acts ends at that point, that Paul may have 

spent more than two years awaiting a hearing before the emperor Nero. But the reason for fixing this two year 

time frame is that Luke most probably wrote his Gospel and Acts during those two years. 

    Paul's arrest and his transfer to Rome were the result of events which began with a visit by Paul to 

Jerusalem in late spring/early summer 

A.D.

 41. According to Acts, when Paul was at Caesarea, he stayed with 

 Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven.  (Acts 21:8). This Philip was not the Philip who was one of 

the Twelve Apostles, but rather one of the first seven deacons of the Church (Acts 6:5), referred to in ancient 

times as `the Seven.' He was called `evangelist' because he preached the Gospel with the spoken word; the 

word `evangelist' does not here refer to a written Gospel. While staying with Philip, a prophet named Agabus 

predicted that Paul would be taken captive while at Jerusalem (Acts 21:10 11). The brethren pleaded with Paul 

not to go to Jerusalem. But Paul wanted to do God's will, even if it meant imprisonment and death, and so 

Paul went to Jerusalem (Acts 21:12 15). 

    At Jerusalem, Paul and his traveling companions met with James the Less, one of the Twelve and the leader 

of the church at Jerusalem. They were afraid that the Jews of Jerusalem would do violence to Paul. For it was 

by that time well known that Paul was teaching the Jews who converted to Christ not to follow the Law of 

Moses (Acts 21:20 22). And so it happened that some Jews from Asia recognized Paul and a crowd seized 

him, beat him, and tried to kill him (Acts 21:27 31). Paul was rescued by Roman soldiers and so had to answer 

to the accusations of the Jews before the Roman authorities (Acts 21:32 36). 

    When the Roman tribune found out that Paul was born a Roman citizen, he was afraid lest he be accused of 

depriving a Roman citizen of his legal rights (Acts 22:25 29). The Jewish leaders who opposed Paul came to 

understand that they were not going to be able to prevail over him by making accusations against him before 

the Roman tribune (Acts 23:6 10). So some of the Jews contrived a plan to ambush Paul and murder him; the 

chief priests and elders gave their assent to this plan (Acts 23:12 15). But the Roman tribune discovered their 

plan and sent Paul to Felix, the governor of Judea, with many soldiers to guard him. He also sent word to 

Felix of the plot against Paul (Acts 23:16 35). 

    Now the Jewish high priest at that time was named Ananias (Acts 23:2). Jewish high priests during this time 

in history were frequently replaced by the Roman authorities as often as the Romans wished to replace them. 

They needed little or no reason to replace one high priest with another. When the Romans uncovered this plot 

against Paul, the high priest must certainly have lost favor with the Roman leaders, with the tribune at 

Jerusalem, with the governor, Felix, and with king Herod Agrippa II.  This plot was approved by the Jewish 

chief priests and elders, and involved lying to the tribune and ambushing Paul when he would be traveling 

with Roman soldiers to guard him. In order to kill Paul, they would also have had to kill the Roman soldiers 

guarding him. The plot was made known to Felix the governor through the tribune, and so the high priest, 

Ananias was likely removed from office soon after this scandal. 

    When speaking to the high priest, Ananias, Paul admits that he did not know he was the high priest (Acts 

23:5). Therefore, Ananias became high priest sometime after Paul had been in Jerusalem for his previous visit, 

that is, for his visit after 14 years and the Council of the Church of Acts 15 (

A.D.

 35). Ananias' reign as high 

priest began after 

A.D.

 35 and ended soon after the conflict with Paul and the failed ambush plot. 

    Josephus tells us that Claudius sent Felix to be governor of Judea. Immediately after making this statement, 

Josephus adds that Claudius,  when he had already completed the twelfth year of his reign,  gave Herod 

Agrippa II additional areas to govern.

667

 This phrasing implies that Felix became governor of Judea before 

Agrippa was given those additional areas, perhaps sometime during Claudius' 12th year. According to 

Josephus, Ananias was appointed high priest before Felix became governor.

668

 But Felix was appointed 

governor at the recommendation of Jonathan, one of the Jewish leaders.

669

 So, sometime after Felix and 

161