Acts 23

Acts 23:1-35

66. PAUL AND HIS ENEMIES Acts 23:1-35 It is faith in God’s sovereign providence that enables believers to live in this world of woe with peaceful hearts. “We know,” beyond the least shadow of a doubt, “that all things,” without exception, “work together for good,” eternal, spiritual good, “to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). God is on his throne! Though we cannot always see immediate good in what he does, we know that he is doing good. Therefore, our hearts are kept in peace, even in the midst of troubles, trials, and temptations. One marked feature of the Book of Acts is its evident display of God’s sovereign providence constantly bringing good out of evil for the accomplishment of his own purposes. Acts 23 gives us an instructive example of this fact. Four things are set before us in these thirty-five verses of Inspiration that need to be clearly understood and constantly remembered. First, THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IS TO MEN (Acts 23:1-10). We must always carefully avoid offensive attitudes, actions, and words. But we must never expect natural men and women to receive, embrace, or even be tolerant of the gospel of Christ. Natural men are tolerant of every opinion and every religion of man’s making. But the gospel of Christ, the truth of God, the religion of the Bible, the message of free salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, the message of salvation by blood atonement, imputed righteousness, and divine regeneration is offensive to all unregenerate men (1 Corinthians 1:18-25). It is offensive because men, by nature, hate God (Romans 8:7).

The gospel of Christ exposes man’s depravity, sin, and spiritual impotence (Matthew 15:19; Romans 3:9-19; Ephesians 2:1-4). It nullifies man’s goodness, reveals the evil of man’s righteousness, and denounces man’s religion as a worthless thing (Isaiah 1:2-15; Amos 5:21-23). The gospel proclaims that salvation is by grace alone, without works (Romans 11:5-6; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9). These things the natural man will not tolerate. The terrible uproar at Jerusalem was caused by one thing. Paul had preached God’s sovereign, electing, distinguishing, saving grace and the Jews hated it.

Enraged, they cried, “Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live” (Acts 22:20-22; Luke 4:25-29). With that as the background, read Paul’s speech before the Jewish Sanhedrin and its results again (Acts 23:1-10). Admire the boldness of God’s servant (Acts 23:1-5). The Roman commander brought Paul in and set him before this bloodthirsty mob to be examined by them. But Paul was not intimidated. Even in bonds, he was bold for Christ. He told these men that his life had always been one of integrity, which they all knew to be true (Acts 23:1). Throughout his life, Paul was a man of principle.

He was saying, “I have always done what I thought was right for the glory of God.” Even before he was converted, he did what he did with zeal for God, though his zeal lacked knowledge (Philippians 3:6). As soon as Paul said that, Ananias commanded him to be hit in the mouth (Acts 23:2). Paul responded in a blaze of anger and indignation, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall” (Acts 23:3). He called Ananias a hypocrite (Matthew 23:27) because he pretended to judge according to the law, but commanded him to be smitten contrary to the law. NOTE: Self-righteous men who pretend to live by the law and judge others according to the law are hypocrites, for none of them obey the law (1 Timothy 1:6-7; Galatians 6:12-13). This word from Paul was obviously an inspired word of prophecy. Five years later, this man, Ananias, was stabbed to death. Even so, there is a day coming when God will avenge his elect by smiting their enemies with the rod of his wrath. When Paul was challenged for making this statement about Ananias (Acts 23:4), he responded, “I wist not, brethren, that he was God’s high priest; for it is written, “Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people” (Acts 23:5; Exodus 22:28). No doubt, Paul knew that the Jews regarded Ananias as the high priest. He was not an ignorant man.

But he also knew that the Jewish priesthood had degenerated into nothing but a pretentious show, that the typical priesthood of the Old Testament had been fulfilled and thus nullified by Christ, and that there is no high priest before God but Jesus Christ, the sinners’ Substitute (Hebrews 7:24-25; Hebrews 10:1-14; 1 John 2:1-2). Paul’s words in Acts 23:5 have a tone of sarcasm in them. It is as though he were saying, “Him, a high priest! If that man was God’s high priest, I would not speak evil of him.” Then, the Apostle outwitted his enemies (Acts 23:6-10). He knew the Pharisees and Sadducees were enemies. The Pharisees were self-righteous legalists; but they did believe the letter of the Scriptures and tenaciously defended the doctrines of immortality and the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees were liberals. The only time the two ever got together was to crucify Christ or persecute his people. Knowing their hatred of one another, Paul said, “I am a Pharisee,” and got the two groups fighting one another.

He made no compromise. In all points of doctrine wherein the Pharisees differed from the Sadducees, Paul was still a Pharisee. He hoped for and believed in the resurrection of the dead. Once the two groups started fighting, the chief captain sent his soldiers to bring Paul back into the castle, lest he be pulled into pieces by them. Secondly, while we realize that the gospel of Christ offends men and stirs up their anger, we must never forget that THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS ALWAYS TO HIS OWN (Acts 23:11). After two days of constant harassment, the Lord made himself known to his afflicted servant. Christ never leaves or forsakes his own (Matthew 28:20; Philippians 4:4; Hebrews 13:5). We are never alone; but we do not always sense our Lord’s presence. So in our darkest hours he appears and makes us to know that he is with us (Dan. 3:35). Perhaps Paul had become despondent.

Perhaps he feared he had made a mistake in ignoring the warnings of his friends about coming to Jerusalem (Acts 20:16; Acts 21:13). Perhaps he feared he might never reach Rome. So, “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 of me also at Rome” (Psalms 42:11; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 43:1-5; Isaiah 46:4). Thirdly, read Acts 23:12-35 and understand that OUR GOD WISELY AND RULES ALL THE EVENTS OF FOR GOOD. God rules all things absolutely for the eternal good of his elect and the accomplishment of his eternal purpose, for the glory of his own great name (Psalms 76:10; Psalms 115:3; Psalms 135:6; Romans 8:28-30; Romans 11:36). It was the wrath of wicked men that carried Paul to Caesarea and ultimately to Rome. God took the evil conspiracy of a band of Jewish zealots (terrorists) and brought good out of it. Because they plotted to kill Paul, God moved a pagan Roman commander to send Paul on his way under the protection of 470 soldiers! When he arrived at Caesarea and was brought before Felix, the governor, Felix said, “I will hear thee when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall” (Acts 23:35). Fourthly, it is important for us to observe the fact that THE SAINTS OF GOD IN THIS WORLD ARE A AND PEOPLE (Acts 23:29). The Jews sought every way imaginable to bring an accusation against Paul. But they found none. They hated him. They wanted to kill him. But he was a man of blameless reputation. His life adorned his doctrine. May the same be true of us (Titus 2:10; Philippians 2:14-16). If we faithfully confess Christ before men, we will meet with opposition, as Paul did. When men oppose us, the Lord will stand by us, as he stood by Paul. Let us confidently trust our heavenly Father’s wise and good providence and seek, for the glory of his name, to live blamelessly before men.