We discovered last week that although Paul knew that trouble awaited him in Jerusalem, he moved forward with his commitment to share the story of his conversion and calling to bring the gospel to the Gentiles with the agitated crowd that had gathered in the temple. After the crowd became violent which led to Paul being rescued by the Roman commander, Paul now requested permission to address the Jewish Sanhedrin, composed of the so-called “spiritual leaders” of the nation. Certainly, they would not react like the rebellious crowd he had just faced. After all, he was once a committed Pharisee bent on destroying the followers of Jesus. Surely, they would want to hear what Paul had to say! Let’s pick up the action in Acts 23 as Paul addresses the Council:
Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1).
It’s hard to believe that this is all the further Paul got in his address before being struck on the mouth by some of those standing near him, having been ordered to do so by none other than the high priest Ananias. Unaware that Ananias was the high priest (at that time, the office of high priest was changing regularly), Paul said:
“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” (Acts 23:3).
Giving an order to have an accused prisoner struck was against the Law, as Paul pointed out. Furthermore, just as Jesus spoke of “whitewashed tombs,” Paul used the phrase “whitewashed wall.” When limestone oxides, it turns grey, and each year, the tombs would be washed to remove the oxidation in order to reveal the clean limestone underneath. And so, Jesus and Paul used the illustration as the religious leaders’ attempt to cover up the corruption inside, as people get dressed up in order to appear “righteous” on the outside, but inside are full of all form of evil and corruption.
Perceiving that there were two distinct groups that made up the Council, namely Sadducees and Pharisees, Paul intentionally tried to get them at odds with each other by saying:
“Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead” (Acts 23:6).
As Paul anticipated, dissension began in the Council because the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. Consequently, some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying,
“We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him” (Acts 23:9)?
Seeing dissention growing, the Roman commander became afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces and ordered the troops to rescue him and bring him into the barracks. Luke records that the following night, the Lord stood by Paul’s side and said,
“Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also” (Acts 23:11).
These words from the Lord must have certainly been a great comfort to Paul as he now knew that he would not be killed by the Jewish mob but would eventually end up in Rome. How he would get there was still uncertain. This has undoubtedly happened at times in our own lives, that is, knowing that God has called you to do something, but not knowing any of the details about how it would all play out.
While Paul was in the barracks, forty Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. They came to the chief priests and the elders and said,
“We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. Now therefore, you and the Council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near the place” (Acts 23:13-15).
However, Luke records that the son of Paul’s sister who lived in Jerusalem heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul. At this point, Paul called one of the centurions and asked him to take the young man to the commander, at which time the commander asked the young man what he had to report. The young man said:
“The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the Council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him. So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you” (Acts 23:20-22).
At this point, the commander called two of his centurions and told them to get two hundred soldiers, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, ready by the third hour of the night and take Paul to Felix the governor in Caesarea. The letter written by the commander recounted the events of the previous few days, stating:
Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.
“When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came up to them with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Council; and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment. When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you” (Acts 23:27-30).
And so, during the night, the soldiers took Paul to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor. And when Felix had read the letter, he asked Paul what province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said that he would give him a hearing, but only after his accusers arrived from Jerusalem. Paul was then placed in a cell in Herod’s Praetorium to await the arrival of his accusers.
For Paul, God raised up the Roman commander to rescue him in his time of need, and God may also use the most unlikely means to rescue us in our time of need as well. He may use others as well as circumstances to rescue us during those times when we feel there is no escape from our circumstances. David wrote the following words in which he praises God for rescuing him from the hand of Saul, and from all his enemies. Here is a portion of that Psalm:
He rescued me from my enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me and led me to a place of safety because he delights in me” (Psalm 18:17-18).
And from another Psalm of David,
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time (Psalm 34:19).
Writing his last letter to the churches, Peter encouraged Jesus’ followers by saying:
The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials (2 Peter 2:9).
By His very nature, God is a rescuer. He loves to break in and rescue His people out of seemingly impossible situations so that His grace and power are revealed. If you are going through one of those seemingly “impossible situations” now, remember that God is a rescuer, and He loves to do it so that His name will be exalted. All we need to do is the ask Him for deliverance. Let’s always remember to turn our trials and “impossibilities” over to Him, and trust Him to rescue us, just as He did Paul in his time of need.
