Day 54 - Acts 23

Paul gets the opportunity to speak in front of the Sanhedrin (Jewish high council) to defend himself from the plethora of lies, rumors and accusations that have been tattered his reputation.  Let's see what he has to say.

Let me just tell you this; Paul won't have to say much to show that this group had no intention of listening to a word he says.

Acts 23 (Read it here)

The first thing that Paul says at his trial instigates a direct command from the high priest to have him slapped in the mouth! (v. 2)  Paul is furious, as he should be!  He guarantees divine retribution and calls Ananias (not the same Ananias that restored Paul's sight, obviously) a hypocrite (v. 3)!  In fact, Ananias was accused multiple times for instigating violence himself, hardly the example of a high priest. And Paul's prediction for justice came true when Ananias was killed by his own people at the beginning of the first Roman-Jewish war in 66 AD.

Paul was immediately corrected for speaking to the high priest with such a tone. He instantly apologized because he didn't recognize Ananias was the high priest. Paul even confirms his guilt by quoting the appropriate law from Exodus 22:28. (vs. 4-5)

Even though Paul noticed that the whole council was against him, he saw that the council was comprised of both Sadducees and Pharisees. When he noticed this, he appealed to his identity as a Pharisee and claimed that he was on trial because [his] hope [was] in the resurrection of the dead." (v. 6)

His stroke of genius started a debate between the Pharisees and Sadducees. (v. 7) The attention was diverted from Paul as the two sides argued back and forth about resurrection, angels and spirits. (v. 8) As the debate raged on, some Pharisees started to side with Paul saying, “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” (v. 9)

A full blown riot nearly ensued right then and there. The Roman commander, who called for this session, had to remove Paul from the chambers for his safety. (v. 10)

Its easy to see that the Jews had bigger internal problems than just with Paul. Their leadership, from very top, was fractured and lacking in unity. In essence, the Sadducees didn't even believe in God as a spirit!

That night, Paul gets confirmation from God that he end up preaching the gospel in Rome. (v. 11) In other words, he wouldn't die in Jerusalem.

The leaders couldn't get Paul executed so a group of forty Jews decided to take matters into their own hands.  They even shared their vow to fast until they killed Paul with the leading priests and elders. (vs. 12-14)  They devised a plot to have the high council bring Paul back for more "examination," so that they could kill him on the way. (v. 15)

Somehow that plan got to Paul's nephew. He immediately notified Paul, who had him tell the commander not to send Paul to the council; for it was a trick to kill him. (vs. 16-21) So the commander devised his own plan. To protect Paul from these 40 Jews, the commander ordered 470 men to accompany Paul (who would be given his own horse to ride) to Caesarea in order to safely transport Paul to Felix, the Roman governor of Judea. (vs. 23-24)


We find out in verse 26 that the commander's name was Claudius Lysias. The Greek word for commander (chiliarch) literally means commander of 1,000. If we take this literally, this means that Claudius sent nearly half his army to protect Paul!

Claudius tells Felix that he saved Paul, a Roman citizen, from certain death. (He leaves out the part about how he almost had Paul punished without a trial, of course.) Paul was only guilty of breaking some religious laws, nothing worthy of prison or execution. So, in order for Paul to get a fair trial (and not end up dead beforehand), Claudius has sent Paul's accusers to him. (vs. 27-30)

When Paul arrived in Caesarea and was notified by Felix of his impending trial, he was placed in prison where he would have to wait. (v. 35)

Questions

1.) In Acts we've seen two instances where God has taken revenge for someone's actions. King Herod (Acts 12) died of God-inflicted scabies and today we noted how Ananias would be killed by his own people in a rebellion for his corruption and hypocrisy. Do you think that it is God's job to provide justice by killing or having people killed? If not, how should justice be enacted?

2.) Paul started a debate between the Pharisees and Sadducees regarding the subjects of resurrection, angels and spirits. What side of the debate do you fall on? Do you believe in the resurrection for the purpose of judgement? Can God communicate with people? What do you think about the existence of angels? And, in general, what do you think about the notion of spirits being around us (Holy Spirit, demons, etc.)?

3.) 40 Jews decided to fast because of a vow to kill Paul.  Have you ever thought that God was calling you to do something in which you discovered later had nothing to do with God's wishes or will? If so, what was it and how did you realize it wasn't of God?