Acts, Chapter 23

Please, in your Bible, read this chapter.

Verses 1, 2, 3: “Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said: ’My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day’. At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him: ‘God will strike you, you white washed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck! ‘ “

It may be difficult for us to comprehend.. Exactly as we read it today, so it literally happened on that day. And what happened on that day, is also happening this day.. The gigantic battle between truth and error, the fierce fight between good and evil, the severe struggle between sinfulness and holiness. ‘Strike him on the mouth’. As if that could stop the truth from prevailing. ’Away with him, he is not fit to live’. BUT GOD!

Verses 4, 5: “Those who were standing near Paul said: ‘You dare insult God’s high priest?’

Paul replied: ‘Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people’.”

Verses 6, 7, 8: “Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘my brothers, I am a Pharisee; I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead’. When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all)’.

Paul was a Pharisee and knew how to divide his opposition.

Verse 9: “There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man’ they said. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ “

Suddenly the assembly’s attention shifted away from Paul.. The emphasis moved to that angry argument about spirits and angels.. The ‘teachers of the law’ stirred a wasp’s nest, resulting into ‘a great uproar’.

Verse 10: “The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks”.

In the midst of all that manmade turmoil, a man, full of peace, empty of all of self and filled with the Holy Spirit and power. Empty, suitable to take in a message.

Verse 11: “ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said: ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’ “.

That message in the Lord’s own words was like a solid rock of protection. Now Paul knew that he was safe at least until after he had testified in Rome. The Jews’ growing hatred against the message and the messenger was very real, BUT . . . GOD!

Verses 12: “The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul”.

Well, they did not know, first Paul would have to travel all the way to Rome. There he would need time to testify to the truth and reality of the existence of a holy God and His love and grace as had been expressed in and through Jesus of Nazareth. By the time all this had taken, their oath would have these guys skin over bones in their graves.

Verses 13, 14, 15:”More than forty men were involved in his plot. They went to the chief priests and elders and said: ‘we have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the Sanhedrin, petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here’ “.

How many men? More than forty! How tragic! How futile! How sad! One earthquake could, one lightning strike would, or one hurricane or explosion and none may survive. Whose wisdom, will and power, whose timing and control, whose intelligence rules the earthquake, lightning or hurricane? It all rests in Almighty God, the Great Creator and His prerogative. Forty men or forty thousand cannot stop an earthquake or thunderstorm. Will never stop God.

Verse 16, 17, 18 “But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul; then Paul told one of the centurions and said,’ take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him’.

Verses 19, 20, 21, 22: “The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked ‘What is it you want to tell me?’ He said: ‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the

pretext of wanting more information about him. Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request’. The commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him: ‘Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me’ “.

Paul’s life, as it were, was hanging by the proverbial silk thread. But . . . God! What did He say? ‘ As in Jerusalem . . . so also in Rome! That young man, the Roman commander, a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen (verse 23), yes, very impressive, and totally insignificant when God speaks. Could they stop Him from speaking? Did God need encouragement or protection? God did speak. In the busy hurly burly goings on around Paul, it happened in the peacefulness of a quiet night. ‘The Lord stood near Paul’. Who? THE LORD ! The Lord of lords, the King of kings! Stood near! That glorious, divine presence could not leave much space for doubts and fear! That near presence did not leave any place for nagging questions! ‘Also in Rome’, the Lord said. In Rome, Paul, that ardent traveller, would get his wings clipped. Spend a couple of years in prison and write some precious letters. By the marvellous, powerful grace of God, two thousand years after Paul wrote them, God still speaks and teaches His people, through those letters that were written in a Roman prison cell. ‘‘Take courage’ there still is much more testifying to do.

History has much to teach us. From the days of Paul to the very day of today, powers of darkness have been busily active to hinder and, if that were possible, silence the testifying Church of the Lord Jesus. They never have been, or ever will be able, to succeed, because they are battling the most Holy, Eternal, Almighty God. Today still HE is speaking.

Verses 31, 32, 33: ”So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.

When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.

Verse 35: “He said: ‘I will hear your case when your accusers get here’. Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace”.