Acts 23
McGeeCHAPTER 23THEME: Paul’s defense before the SanhedrinPaul is now a prisoner, and we will follow his life as a prisoner. From this point on we find Paul giving a defense of himself and his ministry. He will appear before several rulers. Because the Jews are plotting his death, he will be taken down to Caesarea. He will spend about two years there in prison before he finally appeals and is sent to Rome. You recall we have mentioned that there has always been some controversy, some difference of opinion, as to whether or not Paul should have gone to Jerusalem. Was he in the will of God when he did this? I contend that he was entirely in the will of God. I think that as we move on we will find again and again that Paul is in the will of God. It is true that he has been arrested, and it is true that he is having a rough time, but that does not mean that he is not in God’s will. As we go along we can see the hand of God in the life of this man. The same One who moved in the life of Paul wants to move in your life and in my life today. That is the glory and wonder of it all, friend. Right down here where you and I walk in a commonplace way, God is moving in our lives. In one way we are living a very humble existence and many of us today have a very simple, routine life. Yet God is concerned and interested in us. God wants to give us that leading and guiding that you and I need for today in the complexity that faces us in our contemporary culture. Believe me, we need that help today. There is no question that we need God on the scene. A great many people go to extremes today. They are trying to have some great emotional or revolutionary experience such as Paul had. I don’t think that we need to do that. As a matter of fact, I doubt that you or I will have some great experience. It is by simple faith that one comes to Christ. We are to trust Him and to walk with Him. He will give the leading, the guidance, and direction in our everyday lives. We have seen how the Roman captain arrested Paul and put him in prison and was going to beat him. He refrained from doing that when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen. He was amazed to find that Paul was a Jew who could speak Greek and was a Roman citizen. Paul was a highly educated, cosmopolitan gentleman. Now the Sanhedrin, composed of the religious rulers, wants to try him. Paul makes a futile attempt here to explain his position and his conduct to the Sanhedrin. The Lord encourages Paul. Then we see that the plot to murder Paul leads to his transfer to Caesarea for trial before Felix. This is a remarkable section and a very thrilling account of the experiences of Paul as a prisoner for Jesus Christ.
Acts 23:1
PAUL’S DEFENSE BEFORE THE SANHEDRINPaul is before the Sanhedrin. The chief priest and the council are there. The rudeness of the high priest is appalling. He was not about to let Paul speak until he was ready to hear him.
Acts 23:3
Under Roman law no man was to be punished until judgment had been handed in. Just because a man is arrested and accused of a certain crime does not grant liberty to those who had arrested him to abuse him. In that day the Roman law actually granted a great deal of justice. However, this incident and the trial of Jesus make us recognize that even the Roman law could be twisted and turned. Justice is dependent upon the one who is executing the law. In our day there are a great many people who feel that if we change our form of government, or at least if we change our party from the one that is in powerwhichever it may bethis will give us a solution to all our problems. It has never solved our problems in the past. The men who began our system of government had a great consciousness of God. Although a man like Thomas Jefferson was a deist and could not be called a born-again believer, he had a conviction that the Bible was the Word of God and he respected it. We don’t find that in our leadership today, and yet we wonder why the system won’t work. We think we need to change the system. Do you know what we need? We need to change men’s hearts. It is man that needs changing, not the system. The high priest orders Paul smitten on the mouth, and Paul speaks out against him very strongly. This should dispel the idea that Paul was some sort of pantywaist. The concept that humility makes a person a sort of Mr. Milquetoast is all wrong. Actually, humility and meekness mean that you submit yourself to the will of God, regardless of the cost. Paul is a meek man and a humble man, but he is not about to take injustice lying down. He calls this man a whited wall. “While you are judging me according to the Mosaic Law, you are breaking the Law yourself.” That reveals that Paul also knew the Law. A man cannot be condemned or punished before judgment has been handed down.
Acts 23:4
Paul didn’t know this man was the high priest. Certainly he would recognize the high priest on sight. Before his conversion he had been a Pharisee in judgment. I think this is another evidence that Paul had an eye disease and didn’t see too well. As we go into the Epistles, we will find other statements which indicate that Paul had trouble with his vision.
Acts 23:5
Paul knew the Law. He knew every detail of it. He knew that the Law said that rulers were to be respected. This is something else that we have forgotten today. I personally believe that the president of the United States, regardless of who he is or how bad he is, ought never to be made a subject of a cartoon. He should not be ridiculed because of the position he holds. We should respect the office. We as human beings need to respect authority. Paul wrote: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour” (Rom_13:7). It is interesting that he wrote this at a time when Nero was on the throne in Rome, and Nero was a madman.
Acts 23:6
We are getting more of Paul’s background. His father had also been a Pharisee, probably a wealthy and influential man. Paul uses the discord between two parties to further his own defense. The issue here is not the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is simply that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of the dead and had this hope, while the Sadducees did not. So Paul turns the trial into a theological argument between the “fundamentalists” and the “liberals.” That is easy to do. There never has been a time when you couldn’t get these two groups at each other’s throats! That is what Paul is doing here.
Acts 23:7
The Pharisees now come to Paul’s defense. When they find out he is a Pharisee, they rally around him to defend him.
Acts 23:10
This is the first time that Dr. Luke says there was “a great dissension.” Knowing how he uses understatement, I am of the opinion that this is the worst dissension recorded in the Book of Acts concerning any group. Paul’s life is so in danger again that the Roman captain reaches in and saves him from the angry Sanhedrin. While I have defended Gallio’s concept of the separation of church and state, the state is protecting the apostle Paul at this point, which is quite proper. So the chief captain rescues Paul again without learning the real nature of the hatred against Paul.
Acts 23:11
THE LORD APPEARS TO PAULThis again shows that Paul was not out of the will of God in going to Jerusalem. The Spirit of God had warned Paul that he could expect bonds and difficulties if he went to Jerusalem. In spite of this, Paul had gone to Jerusalem and had witnessed for the Lord Jesus in that city. Now God tells him that just as he has testified in Jerusalem so he will also bear witness in Rome. This is God’s method. Paul had never had such an opportunity to witness in Jerusalem before. Now God is going to give him the opportunity to witness in Rome. It is God’s will that he should go to Rome also. It is important to note that there is no rebuke to Paul from the Lord. He doesn’t say, “Look, Paul, I told you not to go to Jerusalem because you would get in trouble there.” Rather, the Lord encourages him. He is using this means to get Paul over to Rome.
Acts 23:12
THE PLOT AGAINST PAULI imagine they got pretty hungry and thirsty before this was over!
Acts 23:13
This is the plot to put Paul to death. It’s well that the Lord Himself has made it very clear to Paul that He has a different plan for him; he is going to Rome.
Acts 23:16
Paul is exerting his right as a Roman citizen, which he has a perfect right to do. Also, we learn more about Paul’s family. We see that he has a sister who lives with her family in Jerusalem.
Acts 23:19
In this way the captain is alerted to the plot against Paul. Let’s stop to note something here. I find today that there is a group of super-pious folk, very sincere and very well-meaning, which tells me I should not go to a doctor concerning my cancer or other illnesses but that I should trust the Lord to heal me. Well, I certainly do trust the Lord; I have turned my case over to the Great Physician, and I believe He provides doctors. It would have been a simple thing for Paul to have told his nephew, “Thanks for telling me the news, but I’m trusting the Lordso you can go back home.” But we find here that Paul used the privileges of his Roman citizenship which were available to him. Obviously the Lord provides these means and He expects us to use them. This in no way means that we are not trusting Him. Rather, we are trusting God to use the methods and the means to accomplish His purpose.
Acts 23:23
PAUL SENT TO CAESAREAThe chief captain goes into action. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. A centurion, you remember, had one hundred soldiers under him.
Acts 23:24
This is quite an army that is going to escort Paul down to Caesarea. Is this what one calls trusting the Lord? Of course it is the captain who has ordered it, but Paul has called for this type of protection from him. Certainly Paul is in the will of God in doing this. It certainly reveals the danger that Paul was in. There is no doubt that the Jews had every intention of putting him to death. He is sending Paul to Caesarea to appear before Felix, the governor. The Roman governors had their headquarters in Caesarea and only occasionally went up to Jerusalem. Pilate had had his headquarters there. The ruins of that Roman city are still there today. It has a lovely situation on the coast. I can understand why those Romans would rather live in Caesarea than in Jerusalem. The climate was delightful when I was there, and I got very cold in Jerusalem. Paul is to be sent to Felix in Caesarea. This will remove Paul from the danger in Jerusalem.
Acts 23:25
Although Dr. Luke may have had the actual letter, when he says the letter was “after this manner” it probably means that he didn’t have access to the letter but is giving us the sense of it.
Acts 23:26
Notice the formal manner of address. In those days they didn’t sign letters as we do today. They put their name at the beginning of the letter rather than at the end of the letter.
Acts 23:27
The captain in Jerusalem wants the governor in Caesarea to know that he is performing his duty. He is protecting Roman citizens.
Acts 23:28
It is clear that Claudius Lysias never did know exactly what the charge was against Paul. He knew it pertained to their law. Under Roman law Paul was not guilty of anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
Acts 23:30
We will find that his accusers were quick to come down to Caesarea. They didn’t hesitate to follow Paul. As we move along, I think you will detect that Paul is not defending himself as much as he is witnessing for Christ. The Lord Jesus had said he would witness before governors and rulers and kings. He is being brought before them. This is God’s method. Paul is in the will of God, and God is carrying out His purpose.