Acts 23:12
‘Certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse. Saying that they would neither eat nor drink, till they had killed Paul!’ Acts 23:12.
Calvin comments: “It was necessary for Paul to have his confidence renewed…, so as not to be afraid in very great and unexpected danger. For when he had been warned about such desperate fury on the part of his enemies, he might have been quite convinced that it was all over for him.
“The vow that Luke mentions, was a kind of curse. The reason for a vow, was to make it impossible for them to change their plan or retract what they had agreed upon…. Sometimes, in order to lay themselves under a greater obligation, men adopt specific forms of anathema and solemnly vow fearful things for themselves — which may produce unaccustomed terror.
“Apart from that, this incident teaches that hypocrites have such bloodthirsty zeal that they do not think about what is lawful for them; but they heedlessly rush wherever their passion drives them. Let us grant that Paul was an impious scoundrel deserving to die — yet who had given permission to private individuals to punish him?!
“Now if anyone had asked why they hatred Paul so much, they certainly had a ready answer that he was an apostate and a schismatic. But that was merely a foolish judgment of his case — one based on a vague rumour, and one that had rashly taken possession of their minds! Moreover, in this incident — we see how great the rashness of the ungodly is. Using a curse, they swear that they will take no food — until they had killed Paul. As if his life were really in their hands! Therefore, those madmen were usurping for themselves what the Lord so often in Scripture arrogates to Himself alone, that He is the Arbiter of life and death of the men whom He has created (Deuteronomy 32:39).
“Besides, we do not find two or three partners in this acts of madness — but more than forty!… We…learn what a great propensity men have for wrongful action, when they combine in crowds!…
“Moreover, when Satan violently drives them headlong to their own destruction — how disgraceful is our sloth, in scarcely moving a finger to maintain the glory of God! Indeed, moderation must be preserved — so that we do not attempt anything except by the Commandment of God. But when God expressly calls us, there is no excuse for inactivity!”
Calvin also said in his Institutes IV:13:3: “He who vows what is not within his means or is at variance with his calling, is rash…. Nothing is duly vowed to God, save what we have received from His hand…. Your vows should be adapted to the measure which God by His gifts prescribes to you, lest by attempting more than He permits — you arrogate too much to yourself and fall headlong…. When the assassins of whom mention is made in the Acts (23:12) vowed ‘that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul’ — though it had not been an impious conspiracy, it would still have been intolerably presumptuous as subjecting the life and death of a man to their own power!”
Certain Jews swore not to eat, till they had killed Paul. But God rescued him!
