Thematic Bible: Caesarea


Thematic Bible



But [later on] Philip appeared at Azotus and after leaving there he preached the good news [of Jesus] to all the towns along the way until he reached Caesarea. [Note: Caesarea was a town on the west coast of Palestine, named after the emperor Caesar]. Verse ConceptsMission, Of The ChurchTravelevangelizing

The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip, the evangelist, who had been one of the seven ["deacons" chosen by the Jerusalem church to minister to widows, See Acts 6]. We stayed with him [while there]. Verse Conceptsevangelists, identity ofGuestsHospitality, Examples OfProphetessHospitalityTravellersSeven PeopleThe Next DayEvangelism

When Herod's search for him turned up nothing, he questioned the guards, then ordered them to be led away and executed. He then left Judea and went to Caesarea, where he stayed for awhile. Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon [Note: These were seaport cities not under his jurisdiction]. They came to him as a group, having befriended Blastus, an officer of the king [Herod], and tried to arrange a peaceful relationship [with him] because the country was dependant on him for their food supply. And then, on a particular day, Herod, dressed in his royal robes, delivered a speech [to the people] from his throne. read more.
The people began shouting, "His is the voice of a god and not a man." Suddenly, an angel from God struck him [with a terrible condition] because he refused to honor God [by what he said in his speech], so he was consumed by worms and died.

Then he called two of his officers and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight." [Note: This was calculated according to Jewish time]. And he [also] requested that they furnish animals for Paul to ride so he could be brought safely to Felix, the governor.

Then he called two of his officers and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight." [Note: This was calculated according to Jewish time]. And he [also] requested that they furnish animals for Paul to ride so he could be brought safely to Felix, the governor. The commander then wrote a letter like this: read more.
"Claudius Lysias, [commander of the battalion, is writing] to His Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings: This man [i.e., Paul] was grabbed by the Jews and almost killed by them when I discovered what they were doing and rescued him, after learning that he was a Roman citizen. So, I brought him before the Council because I wanted to know the reasons for the charges [they were] bringing against him. I found out that he was being accused over questions regarding their law, but that they had no charges against him deserving of the death penalty, or [even] of being kept in prison. And when I was told that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, also ordering his accusers to present their case against him in front of you." So, the soldiers took charge of Paul and took him at night to Antipatris [Note: This was a town on the road between Jerusalem and Caesarea] as they were ordered. The next day the soldiers allowed the horsemen to go on with Paul, while they [themselves] returned to headquarters. When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul before him. And when the governor read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, "I will hear your case fully when your accusers also get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept [under guard] in Herod's palace.

Now there was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius. He was [a military man] in charge of one hundred soldiers and belonged to the "battalion of Italy." Verse ConceptsMilitaryArmies, RomanVolunteering

The following day they arrived at Caesarea where they found Cornelius, gathered with his relatives and close friends, waiting for them.

And when the brothers [in the Jerusalem church] learned about this, they brought him down to Caesarea and then sent him on to Tarsus, [his home town].

And when he landed at Ceasarea, he went up [Note: This would mean either up to Ceasarea or up to Jerusalem] and greeted the church [there], then went down to Antioch [in Syria]. Verse ConceptsGreetingsMissionary WorkChurch, Examples Of