Plotting (ἐπιβουλή)

"Plotting" (ἐπιβουλή, epiboulē) is derived from βουλή (boulē), which denotes a deliberate resolve. Thus, plotting refers to a plan based upon a determination.

The Apostle Paul was a highly trained Jew, born in Tarsus and raised in Jerusalem. He was educated at the feet of Gamaliel to become a teacher of Israel (Acts 22:3). In his schooling and zeal for God’s word, he excelled above all his peers.

After the resurrected Christ revealed Himself to Paul on the road to Damascus and Paul completed three years of training with Christ in the wilderness, he returned to Damascus. There, he proved from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah and that He had been resurrected from the dead. The accuracy and depth of his scriptural understanding surpassed the ability of the Jews in Damascus to refute him. Rather than accepting the truth of Scripture, they responded by plotting to kill Saul (Acts 9:24).

During Paul’s journey to Jerusalem, he stopped in Greece and spent time encouraging the believers. While there, the local Jews plotted against him as he prepared to depart for Syria. Upon learning of their scheme, Paul chose to return through Macedonia instead (Acts 20:3).

As Paul addressed the Ephesian elders (pastors), he urged them to take heed to themselves and God’s flock, warning that after his departure, many wolves would arise among them, no sparing the sheep. They were well aware of Paul’s trials and sufferings—especially the plots against him by the Jews (Acts 20:19). Yet despite such persecution, Paul never shrank back from declaring the whole counsel of God. He taught publicly and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20–21).

After purifying himself, Paul entered the temple in Jerusalem, only to be confronted by Jews from Asia who stirred up the crowd against him with intent to kill. The Roman commander Claudius Lysias intervened and stopped the beating before they could carry out the execution. After investigating the uproar and determining that Paul had violated no law, Lysias learned of the Jews’ plot to kill him (Acts 23:30). To prevent this scheme from succeeding, he sent Paul under armed escort to Felix the governor.

Because Paul proclaimed the truth about Jesus—including His resurrection from the dead—the unbelieving Jews repeatedly plotted against him. They sought to drive him from their cities and even to kill him, just as their ancestors had done to the prophets of old.