Chapter 38

Paul, The Prisoner

Acts 23

 

"Paul the prisoner" was the name a Roman soldier used for the Apostle in Acts 23:18.  And, that is where we find Paul in Acts 23, under arrest in Jerusalem and on trial before the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, the 70 religious leaders of Israel.  For most of the remainder of his life, Paul would be a prisoner.  Two years in Ceasarea, a long and difficult journey to Rome where there would be two more years under house arrest awaiting trial, a brief time of freedom, follow by another arrest, the dungeon and, eventually, death.

 

A number of his inspired epistles were written while Paul was a prisoner and Paul calls himself the "prisoner" (Acts 28:17; Ephesians 3:1; 4:1; II Timothy 1:8; Philemon 1:1,9). 

 

Having discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen the Roman captain had a problem.  He really didn't even know what the prisoner's crimes were.  And so, he hauled Paul before the Sanhedrin to face a religious trial and, apparently, stayed to watch the proceedings, Acts 22:30.  The events of Acts 23, then surround Paul's illegal trial before the Jewish council.

 

 

An Angry Altercation, vv.  1-5.

 

Paul began in a warm and personal manner.  He looked them earnestly in the eye, called them "men and brethren" and spoke about his clear conscience.  They could not find Paul guilty of a crime, because there was no guilt.  "My conscience is clear," says Paul.

 

Immediately, there was an angry reaction from Ananias the high priest who presided over the council.  He said that the man nearness Paul should smite him on the mouth.  What he said was wrong but also illegal and inhumane.  Paul had yet to be proven guilty of anything.  The responsibility of the high pries was to show honesty and fairness.  Leviticus 19:15  Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. 

 

Paul responded back with an angry verbal outburst, v. 3.  He called the high priest a hypocrite, challenging how the high priest could possibly judge Paul according to the law while he himself violates it.  He, more or less, cursed the high priest with "God shall smite you."  We could say that what Paul said to the man was true and that, under the circumstances, Paul's anger was justified.  We could defend Paul and say that we would probably feel the same way.

 

But the truth is that while Paul told the truth, his words and his response was wrong.  Matthew 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Romans 14:14  Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.  I Peter 3:9  Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.  Paul's emotions and anger got the best of him momentarily.

 

But when confronted with what he had said and to whom he has said it, Paul immediately acknowledged his wrong, pleading ignorance of knowing to whom he was speaking and acknowledging respect for the office of the high priest and knowledge of God's word, vv. 4-5, Exodus 22:28 - Thou shalt not ... curse the ruler of thy people.  Nothing was helped by Paul's angry outburst.  He really only damaged his testimony and his cause.  Read Ephesians 4:26, 29, 31.  I, like Paul, have had angry outbursts, too.  Romans 7 reminds us of our ongoing struggle with the flesh (and Paul's).  It is important that we put off the old man and being renewed in our minds, put on the new man.

 

 

A Manipulating Maneuver, vv. 6-10.

 

To be frank, I have a little bit of trouble with what Paul did next as well.  I suspect that Paul correctly understand that he would not get a fair hearing before this biased Jewish counsel and, thus, that his best chance was to get them angry at each other instead of at him. 

 

There was a long-standing struggle between two sects of the Jewish religion - the Sadducee and the Pharisees.  The Sadducees were the liberals the day denying all the supernatural - the resurrection (life after death), angels, the spirit world.  The Pharisees, on the other hand, were the strict legalists and literalists  - believing all of the above, v. 8. 

 

Both sides were represented on the Council, v. 6a and so Paul starts the religious equivalent of a food fight.  What really bothered me was that Paul said, "I am a Pharisee" - present tense.  Paul had been a Pharisee but was not after becoming a Christian.  I take some comfort in the fact that Strong's Exhaustive Concordance says that the verb translated "I am" (present tense) also means "was, have been" (past tense).  In essence, Paul just said which side he landed on - liberal or literalist.  He sided with the Pharisees as had his father.  He believed in the resurrection from the dead.  Tempers flared, men took sides (v. 7), some of the Pharisees actually defended Paul (v. 9) and it got so bad that the Roman officer had to call his men to rescue Paul from being torn to pieces, v. 10. 

 

It was a maneuver used by Paul, in essence, to end the hearing quickly and to cause the Romans to protect Paul from the Jews.  Did Paul manipulate the situation?  Perhaps.  Was what he did wrong?  I'm not sure, but it does leave me, personally, somewhat unsettled.  The Bible simply reports what happened factually without giving us any commentary as to whether it was good or evil.  I know what a good and godly man Paul was so my tendency is to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

 

Just as our flesh sometimes causes us to respond angrily, our fleshly tendency is also to be clever and to manipulate situations to our own advantage.  We need to be careful of those tendencies.

 

 

The Comfort Of Christ, v. 11.

 

At this point, the Lord appears to Paul.  This is the fourth time in Acts when Paul experienced an appearance of Christ (9:3-6; 18:9; 22:17-21).  There would be more. 

 

I'm sure Paul was discouraged.  He, no doubt, regretted his hostile remark to the high priest.  Perhaps, he doubted his maneuver with the Pharisee / Sadducee thing.  Since arriving in Jerusalem nothing had turned out as planned.  He probably felt like a failure.  It is here that the comfort of Christ came with calm reassurance.  "Be of good cheer" = take courage; cheer up.  "You did what you were suppose to do.  You have testified of me in Jerusalem.  I'm not finished with you yet.  You must bear witness of me also at Rome."  On another occasion Paul wrote "our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.  Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down ... (II Corinthians 7:5-6).

 

 

The Concealed Conspiracy, vv. 12-35

 

Formed, vv. 12-15.

 

Found Out, vv 16-22.  (Providence).

 

Foiled, vv. 23- 31  (Rescued by Romans; the letter).

 

            A promise from the Lord - Providential care - safety and comfort. 

 

Psalm 34

6  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

 

 

Paul was rescued from the Jewish conspirators but was it a safe place to be before Felix?  Find out next time!