“On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest? Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people” (Acts 22:30-23:5).
At the beginning of Paul’s service as an Apostle, it is written that he was “filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 13:9); but now, poor Paul! Before the council of Jews, he began to testify, not of Christ, but of himself. He later insulted the high priest, saying: “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall.” Afterwards, reprimanded, he had to confess: “I wist not, brethren.”
This was all a result of not having listened to the Holy Spirit’s warnings that he not go to Jerusalem (read Acts 21:11-14). The Lord Jesus never had to confess: “I did not know.”
“But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question” (Acts 23:6). One wrong step leads to another: Paul, instead of declaring the truth according to the heavenly doctrine which was given to him by revelation — that there was no longer Jew, just Christian — declared himself “a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee.” It appears that this was with the intention of saving himself from the situation, since he himself later wrote: “there is neither Greek nor Jew ... but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11).
“And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle” (Acts 23:7-10).
We still have in Christianity the “Sadducees” — the modernists who do not believe that Christ was raised from the dead — and the “Pharisees” — the Orthodoxes (whether Catholic or Protestant) who accept that there is a resurrection but, confident in their own righteousness, they do not repent of their sins or accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior (Compare Luke 18:9-14).
A true Christian’s confession of faith should be this: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Not hiding yourself with some title or denomination, saying: “I am Catholic” or “I am Protestant” or “I am a Jew.”
Once again, Paul was brought to the castle, a prisoner under the power of the Roman Empire. On the second night that he was in chains, his loving Savior’s great love was shown to him, even after he had failed in his testimony: “And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” (Acts 23:11). How kind the Lord is, to appear to Paul at this moment and give him such an encouraging message! How moving to Paul’s heart when his mood was so depressed! And how comforting for us — believers in the [21st] century — to recognize that the same Lord of Paul is our Lord too. He knows how to make us feel the warmth of His great love, even when we have failed — possibly even more than Paul!
“And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him” (Acts 23:12-15). Here we can apply the common saying: “man proposes, but God disposes.”
“And when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul” (Acts 23:16).
“There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord” (Prov. 21:30). The Lord compelled “Gamaliel” to give his advice to save the apostles’ lives (see Acts 5:29-42). On another occasion, to save Paul and his companions, he did the same with the “Scribe” in the city of Ephesus (see Acts 19:28-40). Now he used Paul’s nephew, who had heard the conspiracy to kill his uncle. We will see what happened.
“Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat of him more perfectly. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee” (Acts 23:17-21).
“And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor” (Acts 23:23-24).
The chief captain — knowing that Paul was a Roman citizen and that his life was in danger — took every precaution to see that he would not be murdered by the 40 Jews (see v. 21). He sent him to the governor of the province, Felix, treating him very humanely.
“And he wrote a letter after this manner:
Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell” (Acts 23:25-30).
Claudius Lysias wrote a lie to the governor Felix: he said, “This man was taken of the Jews, and ... I with an army ... rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.” The truth is that the chief captain had asked Paul: “art thou not that Egyptian ... ?” (Acts 21:38). But to gain favor with Felix he wrote the lie. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9).
“Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle: Who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall” (Acts 23:31-35).
So, Paul began the long journey that would end in Rome. According to the prophecy of Ananias, the disciple in Damascus, he would soon appear before “kings” (Acts 9:15).