Study of Acts – Discussion Notes Chapter 23

Introduction In chapter 23, we see the hatred and viciousness of the Jewish leaders reach a boiling point. They become so resentful of Paul and his teachings that they are willing to commit murder. They are so blinded by their hatred they cannot see they are fight God rather than man. We are reminded of the warning given to them by Gamaliel in Acts 5:39, “But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” This chapter teaches us that God is always in control. God equips us to tackle even the angriest of contenders when we submit to His leadership. We may not always handle the confrontation exactly as we should but God still has a plan and will see His plan through. Content 1. We are but human after all (vs. 1‐10). What was Paul saying in verse 1? Paul was stating that there is nothing he has done for which genuine charges can be brought against him. He is declaring that his conscious is clear as to his conduct and his obedience to God. This is really true before and after his conversion based on the knowledge he had at the time. Paul lived his life zealously based on the truth he had. Can you say the same? Why would this be considered blasphemy? History tells us Ananias was one of the very worst high priests. He was known for his arrogance, cruelty and greed. From the perspective of Ananias, he was the intercessor between man and God. One could only consider himself square with God if the high priest declared him right with God. Only from the perspective of Ananias, would this statement really be considered blasphemy. Do you think Paul reacts with anger and is it justified? Surely the reputation of Ananias was well known and probably angered others in addition to Paul. However, one gets the impression Paul had little to no respect for the man and the smack in the mouth was enough to bring out the human side of Paul. “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” Vs. 3 Paul was promptly scolded for being disrespectful to the high priest. As it turns out, Paul’s words were rather prophetic. Less than 10 years later, Ananias was killed at the hand of Jewish freedom fighters. Paul was also right in that Ananias was violating the law by striking Paul when he had not been formally charged or convicted. At the same time, according to the Jewish law, Paul was out of line too. Paul was right in his assessment of the man but not very tactful in his response. “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” Vs. 5

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Paul seems to acknowledge that he reacted with anger and he clearly acknowledges the instruction of the law. However, the statement of not knowing he was the high priest is very perplexing. I have read several explanations for this verse but remain a bit perplexed. Here are some explanations: 1. Paul had poor eyesight and did not recognize that it was Ananias who gave the order to strike him across the mouth. There would have been at least 70 men in the Sanhedrin. 2. Paul was being sarcastic because though Ananias was the high priest, he was not and had not conducted himself in such a manner deserving of the title. 3. Paul was just angry and smarting off before catching himself and acknowledging the law on the matter. Acts 8 and 9 would lead us to believe Paul knew who the high priest was but we cannot be completely sure of that. The priesthood generally remained in the family. Paul quotes Exodus 22:28 and acknowledges the requirement to respect the position although he obviously has little respect for the person holding the office. Regardless of the explanation for Paul’s response, he does acknowledge his respect for the law but falls well short of apologizing for his remarks. Paul then finds common ground with the Pharisees by bringing up the hope of the resurrection which is Jesus Christ. This stirred the controversy with the Sadducees and caused Paul to be taken away.

2. Christ is the source of our courage (vs. 11). After reading verses 1‐5, one is left wondering if Paul’s words to the Sanhedrin were of the leadership of the Holy Spirit or words spoken out of bitter anger and disgust. Whatever the motive behind Paul’s words, we see in verse 11 that the Lord affirms and strengthens Paul. Assuming Paul spoke out of bitter anger, what can we conclude from verse 11? Christ was willing to overlook Paul’s moment of angry humanity. This did not hinder the Lord’s plans for Paul or hinder his love for him. This is a wonderful reassurance to us that our Lord loves us and does not abandon us when we stumble or speak wrongly. Assuming Paul was not speaking out of anger and genuinely meant the words he said, what can we conclude from verse 11? There may be times when a believer is justified in speaking out and speaking up for himself. There are times when a believer should call sin, sin and not pretend it to be anything short of what it really is. Paul would later prove to be quite bold in his writings about false teachers and false doctrine. What does verse 11 tell us about courage? The Lord is the initiator of the courage we need. He intervenes to provide us the courage we need to face the difficulties of life. We come to Him because He first comes to us. Even the desire to seek Him is ours because He created that desire.

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The ultimate source of courage for Paul clearly rests in the Lord. Notice, “The Lord stood by him.” That in itself is an enormous encouragement. But the Lord had promised He would never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Here Christ is fulfilling that promise to Paul. “Be of good cheer” can also be translated “be of good courage.” Courage is a gift offered by the Lord to enable believers to face what is before them. Remember, Jesus said we can have courage because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

3. You better not get in God’s way (12‐24). Who does God use to disclose the plot to kill Paul? God uses Paul’s Nephew to inform the commander of the plot to kill Paul. Then the commander responds in a way that is quite amazing. Not only did the Lord provide affirmation to Paul that He would witness in Rome, He intervened dramatically to make sure nothing prevented that from happening. One gets the impression that Claudius Lysias was not about to allow the Jews to out‐smart him. He understood how vicious they could be. How many was the number that escorted Paul out of Jerusalem? There was an army of 470 to protect one single prisoner. One can’t help but be amused by the precautions taken to insure Paul’s safety. Can you imagine how Paul must have felt when he looked around at the army of 470 there to escort him out of town? Surely at that moment, he recalled the words of the Lord, “Have courage! For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” Actually there were 471 with Paul that day. The Savior of the world was keeping watch over His own. Paul’s real safety was not in the Roman soldiers but the everlasting arms of his Savior. This account should serve as an enormous encouragement to every Christian serving God. The Lord has unlimited resources and will provide all or more than is needed to accomplish His will. One would be well advised to not stand in the way of the will of God.

Conclusion Notice how the power in each circumstance consistently shifts in Paul’s favor. This is our Lord intervening to see his purpose fulfilled. Considering this, why would we ever want to be anywhere but in the will of God? We have the assurance of knowing our Lord is standing beside us and watching over us when we face difficulty in His name. We can “take courage” in knowing He is always in control and everything is at His disposal to work for His will. We may not realize it at the time but in retrospect, we will see God has been in charge all along.

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