Paul and Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1-10)
This scene is Paul's defense before the Roman commander and the Sanhedrin. The commander wanted to get to the bottom of the charges the Jews had towards Paul, and convened this meeting. Unlike the closed sessions that Peter, John and Stephen addressed, this is now a Roman legal setting.
 
Text Observations
AC 23:1 And Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day." [2] And the high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. [3] Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?" [4] But the bystanders said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" [5] And Paul said, "I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, `YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'"  Paul begins his defense by stating that he is living with a good conscience as a Christian. 

Ananias' command to have Paul struck illustrates the hostility of the situation. 
AC 23:6 But perceiving that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!" [7] And as he said this, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. [8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. [9] And there arose a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" [10] And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks. In a shrewd attempt to reverse the hostility towards himself, Paul aligns himself with the Pharisees on the matter of resurrection. The tactic divided the assembly and resulted in a postponement of the charges towards Paul.

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Comments Copyright © 2002 John Engler. All rights reserved.