Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.” The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” Acts 23:1-5
What Luke describes here is the kind of stuff you just can’t make up. Finally in front of the Council to make his case, Paul’s immediately struck in the mouth on the order of high priest Ananias, after Paul claims in his opening statement to possess a “perfectly good conscience.” In response, Paul calls Ananias “a white-washed wall.”
Then after explaining sarcastically he did not know Ananias was a “high priest,” assuming one occupying such a righteous and lofty position would follow the law and refrain from striking someone, Paul pivots to cause dissension in the assembly with a boobytrapped statement containing the word “resurrection.”
But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!” As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Acts 23:6-8
On cue, the Pharisees and Sadducees went for each other’s throats, with the former forced to “exonerate” Paul on principle. From the Romans’ perspective, it appeared certain Paul “would be torn to pieces” by these crazy people, so they extricated him and moved him back to the barracks.
And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” Acts 23:10–11
Enough was enough at that point, and the following night the Lord appeared to Paul saying his mission in Jerusalem was fulfilled. He would now move on to “solemnly witness” in Rome. This being a prophetic statement to hang his hat on, Paul knew his life would be extended at least until he successfully testified in the environs of the Emperor Nero.
And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.” They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor. Acts 23:23–24
This motivational message would be vitally necessary in light of a sinister plot hatched against him by forty zealots, who vowed neither to eat nor drink until they slayed Paul. Paul’s sister, which is the first we hear of a relative of Paul in biblical accounts, then dispatches her son to tell the commander of the plan, which he does, and the Apostle is whisked away to Caesarea at 9:00 o’clock at night by an overwhelming force, who were also armed with a self-aggrandizing transfer letter from the commander to governor Felix.
It may be good to pause and contemplate the same kind of involvement of the Lord in our lives. He gives us the right words to say, the right people to help us, writes and directs the stage play of sorts to propel His message forward through us, and overwhelmingly but in his timing protects us in light of the clear and present danger that’s always generated in a life lived with His purposes in mind. I did not say His plan is absent pain and suffering, but apparently it can be tolerated with His strength!
Perhaps it’s high time we stepped into the fray?
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