Acts 22:30-23:11 - Paul, Pharisees, and Sadducees

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Introduction

Last week we discussed Paul’s testimony and how you and I also have a testimony

After Paul shares his testimony, the people decided they were going to riot and attack Paul because they did not like the message of the gospel

The Romans stepped in and decided to take him away and question him while flogging him.

They thought this would quiet him down

Paul claims his roman citizenship and tells them what they are doing is illegal

They do not beat him and he is simply bound and held

Body

Acts 22:30 ESV

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.

Paul goes before the jewish version of the supreme court.

Pharisees and Sadducees on the counsel

The tribune thought by gathering all these people together they would be able stop figure this out

Lived my life in good conscience up to this day

Acts 23:1 ESV

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.”

Looked intently - he did not hide his face nor turn his eyes from them because he spoke with the boldness of Christ knowing that what he was doing was right!

Let us have this same boldness.

Our conscience is such a strange thing - it can give us boldness but it can also be deceiving!

Paul proclaims that everything he has done he has done all with the best intentions before God

Now was everything that Paul had ever done right before God? NO!

He had persecuted Christians (as we just heard in his testimony) but in doing this he thought that he was pleasing God.

But we know that those actions were not pleasing God

If something clearly is against your conscience avoid it!

It could be tempting for one to try to look at this scripture and say that anything is permissible as long as one’s conscience is ok with it.

In other words, if I have good intentions I can do whatever I would like.

As long as I feel clean within my own conscience I can do as I please

Your conscience can become seared - it can be made callous from sin

This is why we must not simply trust the conscience (though it is good to monitor it)

The United Methodist Church just voted this week to determine if they would allow full acceptance of the ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals. The vote passed with a 92% “Yes”. This is an example where the conscience can betray oneself. These people made this vote in the name of “inclusion” and “acceptance”.

When I have spoken to or read why people would desire to do this even though it is clear the word of God calls such a life style a sin - it is always explained away with usually one of two things:

A complete denial of those scriptures - usually playing hermeneutical gymnastics

OR

It is all feelings based - “I just feel like God does not see this “love” as a sin”

This is an example of a seared conscience.

A callous for sin developed

Our culture is so in love with this movement that we as a country have become calloused to this harmful lifestyle

Which leads for churches becoming calloused to it

This is why we must test these things against the word of God - and

Tear off the callouses

Paul and the High Priest (v.2-5)

You whitewashed wall! (v.2-3)

Acts 23:2–3 ESV

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?”

The “high priest” did not like that Paul was saying what he has been done before God in good conscience.

This man most likely did not appreciate the last words of Paul’s speech - The one’s where God was sending him away to the gentiles - this inclusion to this man would have angered him. So he has Paul slapped on the mouth.

White Washed Wall - Paul insults him in such a way that is quite similar to what Christ had done to the pharisees.

Christ called them “white washed tombs with dead bones inside”

This means (as is the same with the white washed wall) that they looked pure and clean on the outside, but were full of sin and hypocrisy on the inside.

In fact by having Paul struck this man violated the law - for he has been beaten or struck without a proper hearing.

You and I need to be sure to watch our hearts! As we must be careful that we did not become like the high priest and the other pharisees. We do not need to focus so much on the outward appearance, but rather what we need to do is focus on is what is going on in the heart.

If you do all the correct outward things but you are dead on the inside what good does that do?

You might act pious and righteous and show up to church every Lord’s Day, but if you are hidden in sin every other day of the week what good does that do?

“I did not know this is the high priest” (v.4-5)

Acts 23:4–5 ESV

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.’ ”

Paul is rebuked for reviling the high priest and he claims he did not know it was the high priest and quotes the scripture stating that you shall not speak evil of the ruler of the people.

Some have tried to argue that Paul could not see so therefore he did not know it was the high priest or various other theories.

Paul’s sight was not that bad and the “high priest” would have been clearly distinguishable!

I believe there is a bit of sarcasm in Paul here!!

This high priest is not recognizable to him because of his corruption

Paul’s great high priest

Paul’s great high priest was not a white washed wall of a man who violated the law sitting in front of him - Paul’s great high priest is sitting at the right hand of God.

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We need to be sure to follow the great high priest - the true high priest - who is without corruption or sin.

The one who will not let us down - the one who has paid our ransom at a great cost

Things start to get shaky (v.6-10)

Acts 23:6–10 ESV

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.

Paul is as shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove

Paul recognized that there would be no fair trial here so he, being clever just made a statement.

This was not sinful statement (in fact it was a very true statement about the resurrection of the Lord), but he said it knowing it would cause such debate the focus would be removed from him.

This was Paul’s very clever way of bowing out!

Sometimes we just have to let things play out. Paul didn’t try to jump in between them, rather he just let things play out after saying his peace. He was not going to throw his pearls before swine - he is getting out of there.

The divided house of the counsel fell

The defeated men ate themselves and got off of the task at hand.

“Disunity is a characteristic of a conquered people, while unity is a characteristic of a conquering people” - Patrick Schriener

We must always seek to be a unified conquering people - not a people inwardly eating each other over silly stupid things.

The truth will always cause stumbling

Paul stated a fact or Christ and his ressurection and it caused trouble!

Jesus is a stone of stumbling

Take Courage! (v.11)

Acts 23:11 ESV

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.”

Jesus tells Paul to stand strong!

Paul cared for the truth of the gospel given to him well so now Christ was sending him to testify further about him!

Application

Guard your heart and your conscience

Do not be a “white washed wall” (hypocrite)

Cling to the one true great High Priest, Jesus Christ