Acts 25:11

Acts 25:11

For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

a. NLT: If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!” [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is true whereof these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: For if indeed I am unrighteous, and anything worthy of death have done, I deprecate not to die; and if there is none of the things of which these accuse me, no one is able to make a favour of me to them; to Caesar I appeal!' [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.] 

d. Classic Amplified: If then I am a wrongdoer and a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not beg off and seek to escape death; but if there is no ground for their accusations against me, no one can give me up and make a present of me [[c]give me up freely] to them. I appeal to Caesar. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Peshitta Eastern Text: If I had committed any crime or had done anything worthy of death, i should not refuse to die; but if there is no truth in the charges made against me, then no man may deliver me to them just to please them. I appeal to Caesar.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT.Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1961 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1939 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1967  by A.J. Holmon Co.;  Copyright  Ⓒ 1940 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; Copyright  Ⓒ 1957 by A.J. Holmon Co. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

f. NIV: If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die…”

a. For [Strong: 1063. gar gar a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):--and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. if [Strong: 1487. ei i a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether.]

c. [Strong: 3303. men men a primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with 1161 (this one, the former, etc.):--even, indeed, so, some, truly, verily. Often compounded with other particles in an intensive or asseverative sense.]

d. [I be an] offender [Strong: 91. adikeo ad-ee-keh'-o from 94; to be unjust, i.e. (actively) do wrong (morally, socially or physically):--hurt, injure, be an offender, be unjust, (do, suffer, take) wrong.] [Thayer: to act unjustly or wickedly, to sin, to be a criminal, to have violated the laws in some way, to do wrong, to do hurt, to do some wrong or sin in some respect, to wrong some one, act wickedly towards him, to hurt, damage, harm.]

e. or [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

f. [have] committed [Strong: 4238. prasso pras'-so a primary verb; to "practise", i.e. perform repeatedly or habitually (thus differing from 4160, which properly refers to a single act); by implication, to execute, accomplish, etc.; specially, to collect (dues), fare (personally):--commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.]

g. anything [Strong: 5100. tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

h. worthy [Strong: 514. axios ax'-ee-os probably from 71; deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise):--due reward, meet, (un-)worthy.] [Thayer:  weighing, having weight, having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much, befitting, congruous, corresponding to a thing, of one who has merited anything worthy, both in a good and a bad sense.]

i. [of] death [Strong: 2288. thanatos than'-at-os from 2348; (properly, an adjective used as a noun) death (literally or figuratively):--X deadly, (be...) death.]

j. [I] refuse [Strong: 3868. paraiteomai par-ahee-teh'-om-ahee from 3844 and the middle voice of 154; to beg off, i.e. deprecate, decline, shun:--avoid, (make) excuse, intreat, refuse, reject.]

k. not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

l. [Strong: 3588. [to] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [to] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé  hē, hai.]

m. [to] die [Strong: 599. apothnesko ap-oth-nace'-ko from 575 and 2348; to die off (literally or figuratively):--be dead, death, die, lie a-dying, be slain (X with).]

1). Capital punishment was originally given to man by God after the flood.

a). Genesis 9:5, 6 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man.

9:6 Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

b). Institute of Creation Research: This establishment of capital punishment, administered judicially by man, has never been changed or withdrawn. It is still God’s law today, and forms the basic authorization of the institution of human government. It implies also the enactment and enforcement of regulations for those human activities (e.g., stealing, adultery) which if unrestrained, would lead to murder. It does not stipulate the form, but only the fact of government. It extends the primeval mandate by giving man the responsibility to control not only the animals but his own society also. The original commission in effect had authorized the natural sciences and technologies; this new extension incorporated in God’s covenant with Noah in effect authorizes the social sciences and their technologies (e.g., psychology, law, sociology, anthropology, political science, government, police, criminology). Although capital punishment is the proper prerogative of human society (“every man’s brother”) in so far as strict justice is concerned, mitigating circumstances (especially sincere repentance and restitution) may warrant extension of mercy in individual cases. Nevertheless, the basic right of governments to exact capital punishment as penalty for murder cannot legitimately be abrogated as far as God is concerned. This is clear even in the Christian dispensation. The eating of meat (I Timothy 4:3,4), the abstinence from blood (Acts 15:19, 20) and the authority of the governmental sword (Romans 13:4; Acts 25:11) were reaffirmed to the early church, making it clear that the Noahic mandate still applied. https://www.icr.org/bible/Genesis/9:1-7

2). The death penalty was carried out under the Mosaic law for some sins.

a). Tempting others to commit idolatry: Deuteronomy 13:1-10; 17:2-5.

b). Blasphemy: Leviticus 24:10-16.

c). Breaking the sabbath: Exodus 31:14, 15; 35:2.

d). Rebellious son: Deuteronomy 21:18-21; Exodus 21:17.

e). Premeditated murder: Exodus 12:12-14.

f). Sexual fornication: Leviticus 20:10-21.

g). Child sacrifice: Leviticus 20:1, 2.

h). Witchcraft: Leviticus 20:27.

i). Kidnapping: Exodus 21:16.

3). Paul definitely is affirming here (Acts 25:11), there are crimes worthy of death, meaning capital punishment, though he knows of course he has done nothing worthy of death. In Romans he speaks of the authority civil government has to execute criminals as given to them by God.

a). Romans 13:1-4 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

4). In a list of laws (there is disagreement if these are Old Testament laws or secular laws), that are sound doctrine and in agreement with the gospel, Paul lists a number of crimes some of which under the Old Testament required the death penalty.

a). 1 Timothy 1:8-11 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

b). We can rightly speculate that these were some of the offences he was referring to in Acts 25:11. We can also rightly speculate that Paul was also referring to the punishments that would be appropriate for each offence.

5). Interestingly, in his second letter to Timothy, Paul declares that in the latter times there would be some in the church who would not uphold sound doctrine. This would include not only the crimes the laws forbid but also the punishments that would accompany the crimes. This could mean that capital punishment itself would not continue to be upheld, even in the church.

a). 2 Timothy 4:1-4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

6). In Acts there are three different Roman officials, Claudius Lysias, Festus and King Agrippa all stated that Paul did nothing worthy of death.

a). Acts 23:29 Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

b). Acts 25:25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

c). Acts 26:31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

2. “...but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.”

a. but [Strong: 1161. de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. if [Strong: 1487. ei i a primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.:--forasmuch as, if, that, (al-)though, whether.]

c. [there] be [Strong: 2076. esti es-tee' third person singular present indicative of 1510; he (she or it) is; also (with neuter plural) they are:--are, be(-long), call, X can(-not), come, consisteth, X dure for a while, + follow, X have, (that) is (to say), make, meaneth, X must needs, + profit, + remaineth, + wrestle.]

d. none [Strong: 3762. oudeis oo-dice', including feminine oudemia oo-dem-ee'-ah, and neuter ouden oo-den' from 3761 and 1520; not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. none, nobody, nothing:--any (man), aught, man, neither any (thing), never (man), no (man), none (+ of these things), not (any, at all, -thing), nought.]

e. [of] these [things] [Strong: 3739. hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.

f. whereof these [Strong: 3778. houtos hoo'-tos, including nominative masculine plural houtoi hoo'-toy, nominative feminine singular haute how'-tay, and nominative feminine plural hautai how'-tahee from the article 3588 and 846; the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated):--he (it was that), hereof, it, she, such as, the same, these, they, this (man, same, woman), which, who.]

g. accuse [Strong: 2723. kategoreo kat-ay-gor-eh'-o from 2725; to be a plaintiff, i.e. to charge with some offence:--accuse, object.]

h. me [Strong: 3450. mou moo the simpler form of 1700; of me:--I, me, mine (own), my.]

i. no man [Strong: 3762. oudeis oo-dice', including feminine oudemia oo-dem-ee'-ah, and neuter ouden oo-den' from 3761 and 1520; not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e. none, nobody, nothing:--any (man), aught, man, neither any (thing), never (man), no (man), none (+ of these things), not (any, at all, -thing), nought.]

j. may [Strong: 1410. dunamai doo'-nam-ahee of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible:--be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power.]

k. deliver [Strong: 5483. charizomai khar-id'-zom-ahee middle voice from 5485; to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue:--deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant.]

l. me [Strong: 3165. me meh a shorter (and probably originally) from of 1691; me:--I, me, my.]

m. [unto] them [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

n. [I] appeal [Strong: 1941. epikaleomai ep-ee-kal-eh'-om-ahee middle voice from 1909 and 2564; to entitle; by implication, to invoke (for aid, worship, testimony, decision, etc.):--appeal (unto), call (on, upon), surname.]

o. Caesar [Strong: 2541. Kaisar kah'-ee-sar of Latin origin; Caesar, a title of the Roman emperor:--Caesar.]