The Book of Acts: Discipleship In Action Pt. 102 Jesus Stood by His Apostle

Jews demand Paul's death. 

Acts 22:22,23  And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. 23)  And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, 

Paul spoke to the Jewish people and shared the account of his conversion to Christ. He preached of repentant faith in Christ but when he told the people that the gospel was going to include the Gentiles, they erupted with violent protests. 

They demanded that Paul be crucified by the Roman soldiers and they threw off their outer garments and tossed dust into the air. 

Truly, this scene was like a child throwing a spiritual temper tantrum, except the consequences of Christ's rejection are eternal in nature. 

Roman captain prepared to scourge Paul

Acts 22:24  The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 

At this point, the chief captain had witnessed enough of the bedlam and the soldiers entered the fortress and secured the doors. 

The chief captain did not understand Hebrew and was ignorant of the charge brought against Paul. Nor, did he understand Paul's defense. He assumed since the tumult grew in scale, that Paul had somehow provoked the Jews. 

The Roman practice was to scourge prisoners. This was a vicious practice that Jesus Christ was subjected to. Paul's clothing was removed to expose his back and he was tied with thongs to a post. 

A Roman whip imbedded with pieces of glass and stone was used to flog a prisoner until they confessed to a crime. 

Paul asserts his Roman citizenship for protection

Acts 22:25,26  And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26)  When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 

Paul submitted to this treatment, but before the flogging was administered, he asked a question that was like dropping a bomb. Paul asked if it was legal for them to scourge an un-condemned Roman citizen, which of course, was highly illegal. 

The centurion heard Paul's question, and immediately hastened to tell Lysias, the chief captain. It was a capitol offense to scourge an innocent Roman citizen and he did not want to bring that kind of punishment upon himself or his captain. 

Lysias was afraid for treating Paul like a criminal.

Acts 22:27-30  Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28)  And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29)  Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30)  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.   

Lysias came to Paul and asked him about this powerful disclosure. Paul answered "Yes" and Lysias noted that he bought his Roman citizenship for a great sum of money. 

However, Paul was a freeborn Roman citizen, which carried the greatest legal privileges and protections. Fear set in on Lysias and the centurion because they knew they had bound up a free Roman citizen.

Lysias then commanded Paul to be loosed from his bands the next morning. Then, he commanded the chief priests and the Sanhedrin to appear before him to formally plead their charges against Paul.

Paul rebuked the high priest for breaking God's law.  

Acts 23:1-3  And Paul, earnestly beholding 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 them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3)  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? 

Paul carefully viewed the Sanhedrin and may have remembered some of those who served at that time. Not only did Paul observe the Jews, but the Sanhedrin would see the marks they inflicted on Paul by their unlawful beating. 

God made it clear we are not to hit people. 

Exodus 21:12  He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.

Deuteronomy 27:24  Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Paul began by maintaining his integrity but the high priest commanded the officers to strike Paul on his mouth. The high priest was supposed to set a good example for the people but he violated the law, as demonstrated by the two texts above. 

Jewish religious leaders had a pattern of violating the law they claimed to revere. This began during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. They beat Jesus Christ with their own hands. They beat the apostles in violation of their law. 

Paul strongly condemned them for hitting him on the mouth. There is a lot of truth in how he described them. Paul called them a whited wall, which connects to similar words Jesus used when He referred to the Pharisees as whited sepulchres full of dead men's bones (Matthew 23:27-28).

Paul exposed the hypocrisy of the Jews who sat on the seat of judgment, pretending to hear and seriously weigh the defense of an accused person. 

A judge's attitude was to be rooted in justice and equity and the accused was presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. The law protected the accused until all evidence was presented.  

Paul's reply reminded the rulers that God would indeed hold them accountable for their words and actions. They acted as if they were above the law, but that same law placed them under divine condemnation. 

Thus, Paul's reply was a sharp rebuke against a high priest abusing the power of his position.  

Paul submitted to God's law where the Jews did not. 

Acts 23:4,5  And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 5)  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. 

What happened next is a sharp contrast between the spirit of Paul and the mean spirited Jews. One of the officers of the Sanhedrin verbally reprimanded Paul for saying such a thing to the high priest.

Paul's response was immediate submission to the law, which had a restraint against speaking evil of their rulers (Exodus 22:28). He did not know that this Ananias was high priest, as he had been absent from Jerusalem for may years. 

Apostles given words to say from the Holy Spirit.

Mark 13:9-11  But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. 10)  And the gospel must first be published among all nations. 11)  But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 

Paul did not apologize for saying what he did. He revealed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and put their sin out in the open. 

We can assume that Paul said what God wanted him to say to the Jews. All four gospels tell us that the Spirit of God would supply the words He wanted the apostles to say, when they were persecuted for the name of Jesus Christ (Matthew 10:19-20; Mark 13:9-11; Luke 12:11-12; John 16:4-16). 

Paul split the Jews over the subject of resurrection power.

Acts 23:6  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. 

Paul's keen powers of observation served him well in this case. He noticed that the council was composed of Pharisees and Sadducees. One group believed in miracles and a future resurrection while the other group did not. 

Paul made it clear that the whole focus of his troubles was because of resurrection hope. 

The Sadducees especially hated resurrection preaching. 

Acts 4:1,2  And as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2)  being sore troubled because they taught the people, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 

They did not like to hear preaching about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This angered them because they hated Christ and killed the Messiah. 

They did not want to hear about His resurrection, because if it was true, then they knew in their hearts they were murderers, condemned under the law of God. 

A great argument erupted between the Jews

Acts 23:7-9  And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.  8)  For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.  9)  And there arose a great clamor: and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?

What happened next was a contentious split between the two religious sects. The Pharisees and Sadducees began loudly arguing with each other about the hope of resurrection.

Roman soldiers escorted Paul to safety. 

Acts 23:10  And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle. 

The dispute threatened to spiral out of control and Lysias, the chief captain, feared for Paul's life. He sent his soldiers down again to bring Paul safely back into the Roman fortress. 

Jesus appeared to Paul to encourage His apostle. 

Acts 23:11  And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. 

What wonderful words from the Lord Jesus Christ were given to Paul. The phrase "be of good cheer" means to have courage and be comforted at the same time. In this case it meant Paul had his spirit lifted by hearing from Christ. 

Jesus told a man afflicted with severe palsy, to be of good cheer for Jesus would forgive his sins (Matthew 9:1-9). 

When Jesus walked out to his disciples on the water of a stormy sea, they were afraid but He told them "Be of good cheer" (Matthew 14:22-27).

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples to be of good cheer because He was ready to overcome the world by His vicarious death on the cross (John 16:33). 

Jesus stood by Paul which means He came suddenly and stood right with Paul, ready to encourage his faithful apostle. Jesus gave Paul a clear mission that would map out the rest of his earthly life. 

Paul faithfully testified on behalf of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, even though he knew beforehand that the Jews were going to reject his preaching. Now, Jesus said that Paul's desire to preach at Rome would be granted (Acts 19:21). 

In essence, Jesus told Paul "You have been a faithful witness for Me at Jerusalem and you are going to witness for me at Rome. I will not leave you or forsake you. I will give you strength and comfort." 

Thoughts to Ponder...

Jesus gave us the Great Commission to work on (Matthew 28:20). It is our high privilege to be a witness for Christ, telling sinners that they can be saved and backsliders that they can be restored to God. We are to make disciples of Jesus Christ one at a time.

We may face hostility toward the gospel as we share it with other people, but our Lord will stand by us. He told us that He sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit so that we would not be alone. 

May our hearts be encouraged to live life with a love for Christ and full of joy for the One who saved us from our sins. 

God will use us for His kingdom purposes and He will keep us alive as long as He has work for us to do. May we be faithful workers who press on each day even when it gets really hard.

Bob