23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
30 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.
23:1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
The crowd was in such an angry rage that they threw off their cloaks and flung dust into the air. The Roman commander, who wouldn’t have understood what Paul had said in Aramaic, had him taken back into the barracks where he intended to flog him in order to find out what all this commotion was about. While he was being tied down, Paul asked the centurion if it was lawful for him to flog a man who was a Roman citizen and had not been condemned. Under Roman law, a citizen was protected from punishment until proven guilty. No one would claim citizenship just to avoid a beating because the penalty for lying about one’s citizenship was death. Still, the commander confirmed Paul’s citizenship. Unlike the commander who had purchased his citizenship for a large sum of money, Paul was a citizen by birth. God had providently cared for Paul even through his birthplace. The commander was afraid because he had violated Roman law by putting Paul in chains.
The next day, still desiring to understand why Paul was being accused by the Jews, the commander arranged for Paul to stand before the Jewish council and face his accusers. Paul declared that he had lived in good conscience before God up until that time. Ananias, the high priest, responded to Paul’s claim of innocence and ordered those close to him to strike him on the mouth. This was a violation of Jewish law which presumed the accused to be innocent until proven guilty. Paul responded by saying God would strike him and called him a whitewashed wall. Ananias was sitting in a position expected to fairly evaluate Paul and yet he acted unjustly and in a manner unworthy of the high priest. Those standing by came to the high priest’s defense and asked Paul if he would revile God’s high priest. Paul’s response is difficult to decipher. At face value, it appears Paul didn’t know that Ananias was the high priest and he then apologised. But it’s also difficult to think Paul didn’t know that Ananias was the high priest. It’s probable that Ananias wasn’t wearing his priestly garments and it’s also possible that Paul didn’t know that he was the high priest because the office changed hands frequently. Another possibility is that Paul was referring to Ananias’s character as not befitting the office of a true high priest of God. Either way, Paul did affirm his recognition and respect of the office by quoting Exodus 22:28.
Noticing that the council comprised of both Pharisees and Sadducees he saw an opportunity to cause division amongst his enemy. He cried out that he was a Pharisee, born of a Pharisee and that he was on trial because he had hope in the resurrection of the dead. The assembly was immediately divided because the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledged them all. The Pharisees believed in the entire Old Testament while the Sadducees only believed in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (even though angels are mentioned). The Pharisees then rose to Paul’s defense as a fellow Pharisee conceding that the resurrected Jesus could potentially be a spirit or an angel. The dissension again became violent so the commander had Paul forcibly returned to the barracks.
The next night Paul was encouraged by Jesus who stood by his side and said he would testify to the facts about Him in Rome as he had there in Jerusalem. This validated his decision to travel to Jerusalem on route to Rome (Acts 19:21).
God prepared Paul for his ministry using his place of birth and his education. What situations and experiences has God allowed in your life and how can you use them for His glory today?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Promised Rest: Hebrews 3-4