The book of Acts
Paul before the Sanhedrin
Chapter 23: 1 to 11
The commander of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem took Paul, a prisoner, to face all the Sanhedrin, which was the highest court of the Jews, and the chief priests in order to ascertain what the Jews had against Paul to cause the great disturbance that occurred in temple.
Paul called those present "my brethren”, and began by stating that he had been consciously faithful to God all his life. Literally, what he said was that he had lived as a citizen of the community of God with a good conscience until this day. The word "conscience" implies knowledge of the thoughts themselves, and can be "good" or "bad" when confronted with the knowledge that the person has of good and evil. Conscience is not an infallible guide, and acts only according to the light you have (1 Corinthians 8:7, 8:10, 1 Peter 2:19).
In 1 Timothy 1:13 Paul admitted that he had been a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an injurious person: but he acted ignorantly and in unbelief, so that Christ Jesus counted him faithful, and so he obtained mercy. Paul always acted with a clear conscience toward God, whether in Judaism in ignorance and unbelief, whether as a servant of Christ, who judged him faithful and put him in His ministry. His statement was a repudiation of the charge of being a renegade Jew, an opponent of the law and the temple. He addressed the Sanhedrin as equals, without offering excuses.
Hearing what Paul said, Ananias ordered his servants to smite him on the mouth. This act, committed before there had been a trial was illegal and especially offensive to a Jew when it came from the hands of another Jew. However, it was not uncommon among the Jews, so the Lord Jesus had commanded, "To him who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other also" (Luke 6:29). He also suffered a blow from one of the high priest's guards, and rebuked him for it (John 18:22,23).
Ananias did not become high priest by birthright, as determined in the Law of Moses, but, according to what historians say, he inherited this position by being the son of Nebedaeus, and was appointed high priest by Herod, the king that the Romans had chosen for the Jews. It was therefore a political position, Ananias being a man of bad character, devoid of the holiness necessary to hold this position in the temple of God.
Soon after the first council of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, Ananias was swept away from the position of high priest and sent to Rome to answer complaints of violence with which he was charged. In his place was named a Jonathan, but this was murdered by order of the Roman procurator Felix, and the position remained vacant until King Agrippa invested another man of his trust, named Ishmael, with the post. It was during this interval that Paul had been brought to trial, and Ananias assumed the position of president of the Sanhedrin.
We do not know if Paul was aware of this, for he had been absent for many years (Chapter 24:17), and perhaps really did not know that Ananias had placed himself as interim chief priest at that meeting. In response to the offense, Paul said that God would smite Ananias, called him a "whitewashed wall", and rebuked him for disobeying the law even though he was there in the position of a judge. Some think that Paul had lost his self-control, but knowing the facts, we see that he told the truth and everyone knew it.
Submissive to Ananias, those who were there rebuked Paul for reviling the high priest of God. Paul promptly replied that he did not know that he was the high priest (although probably he was dressed like one and took a place of prominence), and added that he knew that the law condemned insulting the leaders of the people (Exodus 22:28). Anticipating that everyone's opinion would turn against him because of his gaffe, Paul skilfully promoted a great discord among his enemies. Some of them were Sadducees who claimed that there was no resurrection of the dead, nor angel or spirit while the Pharisees held to the Scriptures and believed these facts. Paul cried loudly that he was a Pharisee (he believed in the Scriptures) and was the son of Pharisees (he would have the solidarity of the Pharisees there, being of the same party).
He added for all to hear that he was being judged for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. This was also true, as the basis of his faith and of his Gospel was precisely the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, who had called him after rising from the dead. That is what convinced him that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of God and His resurrection became the centre of his message (1 Corinthians 15: 13-20). Years earlier the Pharisees had held off when the Sadducees persecuted Peter and the other apostles because they preached the resurrection of Jesus, and even Gamaliel advised to do nothing against them (chapter 5:34-39). Paul knew very well how the Pharisees thought, and correctly judged that they would take his side.
So the crowd was divided, and there was a great outcry. Some of the Pharisees stood up and declared the innocence of Paul, stood at his side and suggested that it was even possible that he had seen a spirit or an angel, which the Sadducees did not believe.
The commander, probably even more confused than before, seeing that Paul was in the midst of those irate Jews and likely to suffer serious assault within that tumult, commanded the soldiers to go down and bring him away by force from among them, taking him to the fortress. The state of spirit of Paul probably would be very low at that point, as he seemed to be alone in front of so many enemies. The approval of the Pharisees had avoided major damage but he could not trust them for his release. There is no mention of any message or visit by the church in Jerusalem.
Paul was still held in the hands of the Roman soldiers, and the commander was indecisive, not knowing whether he was guilty of any crime. So far throughout his missionary experience Paul had never needed more comfort and guidance from the Lord than now. However, the Lord knew everything, both what had happened as what had yet to happen. Paul had not yet fulfilled all his duties, and his present circumstances were part of the path he was destined to tread. So the following night the Lord appeared to Paul. Paul was one of the ablest men that He had for His work, and in every crisis, the Lord appeared to him (chapter 18:9, 22:18). The last time we saw this happen in this book, the Lord commanded him to hurry and leave Jerusalem because his message would not be accepted there (chapter 22:8). This time the Lord told him to "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”
There has been criticism by commentators on the behaviour and words of Paul when he faced the court. Some criticize him for being so offensive to the high priest, or for using human strategy to provoke a conflict between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. However, it is noteworthy that the Lord had not a word of reprimand or counselling, rather, Paul received His approval, for He told him that he would testify in Rome just as he had done there. What better approval could there be? In all Paul showed courage, sincerity, loyalty to his Lord, and used his great talents clearly, his knowledge of Scripture and intellectual training to promote the cause of the Gospel, even at the peril of his life. He became aware that he was able to do that for which he had been chosen, as one born out of time (1 Corinthians 15:8), to be the apostle of the Gentiles, and finally Paul could correctly write: “Therefore I urge you, imitate me.” (1 Corinthians 4:16).
R David Jones
1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until 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 will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?"
4 And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?"
5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'"
6 But when Paul perceived that 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; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"
7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
9 Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God."
10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome."
Acts chapter 23, verses 1 to 11