Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said:
“Men, brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” If any, and it is certainly not many, who could truly say that. His sin against God and Christ, and His people, had been done as service for God. Jesus Himself had spoken of this in John 16:22They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. (John 16:2). Paul afterward tells it of others as mistaken zeal, not according to knowledge (Rom. 10:2, 32For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. (Romans 10:2‑3)).
This hypocritical high priest who could only judge by himself, commanded them that stood by to “smite him on the mouth.” The warmth of the flesh in Paul is stirred by such gross injustice, and he replied to him, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall (Matt. 23:2727Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. (Matthew 23:27)); for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?”
Some standing by, said, “Revilest thou God’s high priest?” Paul answered, “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.”
Grace had taught the blessed Apostle to judge the risings of the flesh at their first appearance, and to allow the Word of God to judge him.
We also should learn this of him, but more from our blessed Lord, that no injustice of man’s could lead Him out of the way. (John 18:19-2319The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. 20Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. 21Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. 22And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? 23Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? (John 18:19‑23).)
Still Paul is not bearing testimony for Christ here, as one walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, but rather engages the adversaries with their own opposite thoughts, and takes his place as a Pharisee of the class called Pharisees, and says of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. This is Jewish testimony. Christianity goes farther, and would speak of resurrection from among the dead.
It was an apple of discord he threw down for his enemies to fight over, for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither is there any angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both, so the multitude was divided, and they strove with each other. The scribes 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.” The dissension became so great, 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.
And still the blessed Lord was watching over His servant, and the night following He came to Paul, and 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.”
What precious grace of the Lord this is to His servant. He does not speak of any failures, but of his faith. Paul hears he is going to Rome, not as an apostle, but as a prisoner, to testify of the Lord Jesus, the rejected, crucified, now risen and glorified One; and nothing the enemy can do, and nothing that Paul can do or say, will hinder the Lord from carrying out His purposes of grace.
We shall see the way in which it is done—not the direct leading of the Spirit, but God, providentially, working out His will. A conspiracy of over forty Jews is formed, and they bound themselves together under a great curse with an oath that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. They told the chief priests, and elders, and they did not reprove their sin, but fell in with their plan to ask the chief captain to bring Paul down into the council, as if they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly, so that they might assassinate him on the way.
But Paul’s sister’s son, of whom we now hear for the first time, heard of it, and went into the castle and told Paul. Paul called a centurion, and said, “Bring this young man unto the chief captain; for he has something to tell him.” The chief captain took him by the hand, and led him aside, and listened to the story of the conspiracy, and added, “Do not thou yield unto them; . . . and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.”
The captain, who now seems to be favoring Paul, and placing himself in a better attitude, making up for his first mistake, said to Paul’s nephew, “See thou tell no man that thou hast showed these things to me.” Then he called two centurions, and ordered them to prepare a strong escort to take Paul to Cesarea. Two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, to start at the third hour of the night, to bring Paul safely to Felix, the governor. Then he wrote a letter (26th to 30th verses), in which he makes himself safe, representing things falsely to do it.
Still the Lord uses all to take Paul on his way to Rome, and to bring his testimony of the Lord Jesus before men. The governor read the letter, and commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall, till his accusers should come from Jerusalem to accuse him, as the captain had ordered them to do (verse 30).
What comfort Paul, the prisoner, would have in the words of Verse 11, “Be of good cheer, Paul,” words spoken to him by the Lord Himself, to cheer him during all the way.