NOTES for Act 9:24-25

Paul can hardly be accused of fearing death. And yet there were situations when he preferred to avoid it. Clearly, in his life he was guided by far more than fearlessness alone. Of course, in Paul's life, as in the life of every Christian, God's providence played the central role. It was not Paul but God who decided what the apostle should do in one situation or another.

But still, is there any logic in everything that is happening? There is, for a witness can bear witness not only by his own life but also by his own death. Everything depends on how one lives and how one dies.

Yet it makes sense to bear witness only to people who can and want to hear at least something. It is impossible to bear witness to a fanatic wholly absorbed in fanaticism, or, for example, to a raging crowd. In such situations even the Savior Himself was silent. And Paul, judging by all this, also considers witness in such cases absolutely useless. If people have vowed neither to eat nor drink while their enemy is alive, then they hate their enemy to madness, to the point of losing their mind, so there can be no question of witness here. One might as well try to bear witness to a hungry crocodile.

And since suicide bears witness to nothing except the witness's lack of wisdom, Paul does not consider it necessary to sacrifice himself to those who want only his death and nothing more. He escapes from the hands of his potential murderers - escapes precisely so that he may still have time to bear witness to the Kingdom to those who were ready and able to hear.