Written ~ 07-03-2024
Read Acts Chapter Twenty Three
Acts 23
Today we will see what happens when Paul is brought before the Jewish high council, which is called the Sanhedrin – think of it like today’s Supreme Court, but governs only religious matters with very strict regulations. Overseeing this council was Ananias the high priest, also in attendance were men from both the Pharisees and Sadducees, religious sects of Judaism.
Let’s start with Acts 22:30 and read through Acts 23:10…
30The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.
1Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!”
2Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 3But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”
4Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”
5“I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’”
6Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”
7This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees— 8for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. 9So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” 10As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
Seems like wherever Paul went he caused a bit of a stir! Paul was much more interested in telling the truth, his statements are not politically motivated. And because of that, the statements he made always seemed to cause an uproar. So, by telling the council he “lived before God with a clear conscience” angered the high priest and the rest of the men gathered because they believed Paul was teaching new concepts which were contrary to the law of Moses. Therefore, he could not have been living a conscience clear life in their mind set, they would have believed he was living in direct disobedience to God’s Word, this is what set off the anger of the high priest and initiated the slap on Paul’s mouth.
It does seem like Paul flew off the handle just a little bit after he was slapped, look what he says, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law by ordering me struck like that?”
Whew, yikes! OK… even though Paul should not have spoken out in that manner, he wasn’t wrong! Look at what I found in the “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” about the traits found in Ananias the high priest…
- Ananias served as high priest and was known for his insatiable greediness and liberal use of violence. As a brutal and scheming man, he was hated by Jewish nationalists for his pro-Roman policies.
Doesn’t sound like a religious leader I would want to have governing any kind of high council let alone the Sanhedrin, but that explains his order to have Paul slapped on the mouth. Ananias may have been the high priest, but he was not a godly man.
When Paul finds out that he spoke out against the high priest without prior knowledge of who he was, he is apologetic and quotes Exodus 22:28, “ You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.” After that exchange of insults, I think Paul may have thought he was up against a wall without any way out. So he turned the attention off of himself and created a conflict between the Pharisees and Sadducees.
6“Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”
7This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees— 8for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. 9So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully.
The uproar was so great that Paul was taken by force and brought back to the fortress.
10As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
When I look at this entire scene and the chaos that erupted, it makes me wonder if Paul was discouraged that his trial didn’t go exactly as planned. That was the purpose of being brought before the Sanhedrin, to claim his innocence and be on his way. As we can see that did not happen. What transpired in that great Jewish Temple that day seems almost over the top and how can we identify with Paul in this type of scenario?
God’s plan is always revealed, even if we can’t see it while we are going through a trial. Maybe you are going through something that has you a bit confused as to why that just happened, or maybe your health is declining and you don’t see any change for the better. Or maybe you feel like you are standing before a judge, accused of wrongdoing and saddled with relentless charges. No matter how much you try to defend yourself, the backlash intensifies. It’s possible in those moments we can feel like the Lord has abandoned us, that He has left us to fend for ourselves. But truly, when we have put our complete trust in the Lord, and we do not waver from the promises of God, we can be assured that God has a plan.
Acts 23:11…
11That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to Me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”
Even though we may not see it, the path is paved before us.
It’s very possible you haven’t heard from the Lord in a very long time – could it be it’s because you have chosen not to listen? Paul heard from the Lord and was encouraged, he was able to get up the next day with confidence that God was in control. How long has it been that you have felt confident in the Lord’s presence in your life? Paul wasn’t much different than you, he had a lot going on in his life, just like you, the difference is that he is bound in literal chains, and it’s quite possible you are bound in chains you cannot see. But God is saying, “Be encouraged.” He is not finished with you yet! It’s time to get up and start a new day.
So after an encouraging word from the Lord, look what’s going on in Paul’s life the very next morning after his so called trial.
Acts 23:12-15…
12The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty of them in the conspiracy. 14They went to the leading priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15So you and the high council should ask the commander to bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way.”
And what does Paul have greeting him the next morning? A conspiracy to be killed by some very angry men.
~But God~
It just so happened that Paul’s nephew heard the plot to kill him and was able to get a message to Paul and then to the commander. The only way to explain what had happened is because God intervened, the scheme of that angry group of men was thwarted. (Acts 23:16-22).
Acts 23:23-35…
23Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, “Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. Also take 200 spearmen and 70 mounted troops. 24Provide horses for Paul to ride, and get him safely to Governor Felix.” 25Then he wrote this letter to the governor:
26“From Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings!
27“This man was seized by some Jews, and they were about to kill him when I arrived with the troops. When I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I removed him to safety. 28 Then I took him to their high council to try to learn the basis of the accusations against him. 29I soon discovered the charge was something regarding their religious law—certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death. 30But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I immediately sent him on to you. I have told his accusers to bring their charges before you.”
31So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. 32They returned to the fortress the next morning, while the mounted troops took him on to Caesarea. 33When they arrived in Caesarea, they presented Paul and the letter to Governor Felix. 34He read it and then asked Paul what province he was from. “Cilicia,” Paul answered.
35“I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive,” the governor told him. Then the governor ordered him kept in the prison at Herod’s headquarters.
When the soldiers prepared to move Paul to Caesarea they had a 75 mile journey ahead of them. I don’t really know how long it takes by horseback, it would still be a long trip. I can’t imagine what was going through Paul’s mind during those long hours, but I am convinced he was at peace because he knew God was in control.
We can have things happen in our lives that are completely out of our control. The difference in how you handle these circumstances is whether or not you trust the Lord completely or you rely on your own devices. When we rely on the Lord completely, we have peace, even in the most turbulent of storms. When we rely on ourselves to get us through, the result will more than likely be disastrous. Let’s take our lessons from Paul’s life. He was in and out of prison, beaten and whipped, hated by his fellow Jews and plots to kill him followed him wherever he went. But he never gave into fear, worry or anxiousness, he trusted the Lord. But he was also content in how he was living his life, “…before God his conscience was clear…”
Are you able to say the same thing? Is your conscience clear before the Almighty God? Are you serving the Lord with purpose? Paul knew that by speaking the truth of Jesus Christ everywhere he went wouldn’t go over well with everyone he spoke to, but that never stopped him from moving forward and reaching as many people as he possibly could. When you and I have the same type of mindset, and all of our goals point to how they affect the treasures we are laying up in the Kingdom of Heaven, your life takes on a whole new meaning. If help from the Holy Spirit and the relationship you have with Jesus is what you rely on first, everyday you’ll be continually transformed into the person God created you to be. Your outlook on life will be completely different, because you are looking through the lens of God’s Word and quite astonishingly it is a magnificent way to live! Trials and tribulations will always come along, but it’s how we react to those situations that will reveal the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives or the dependance on our own decisions. Paul relied on the Lord, completely, and I am confident when I say, I believe wholeheartedly that Paul conversed with the Holy Spirit every moment of everyday. That’s how he was able to endure with humility and with great faith, never shrinking back, even though adversity was on his heels every step of the way. You and I can live this very same way when our trust is solely placed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s journey continues in the next few chapters as we see him standing trial, defending himself over and over again. But with every word that proceeds from his mouth, he honors the name of the Lord with the highest reverence.
We should as well…
~AMEN~