An Outline Of Acts 23

Introduction: This chapter has three specific episodes in Paul's time at Jerusalem. First, he's going to address the "council" or Sanhedrin. Then, some enemies of Paul made a plan to eat or drink nothing until they had killed Paul. When Paul's nephew found out about this, he informed Paul who then asked his nephew to tell all this to the officer in charge (OIC). The chapter closes with Paul being delivered, by over 400 Roman troops, to Felix, the governor.

1 The defense by Paul before the Sanhedrin

Text, Acts 23:1-5, KJV: 1 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? 4 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.

--The OIC had taken Paul to where the Sanhedrin had gathered (22:30). Luke wrote that Paul was "earnestly beholding the council". Some think he was looking to see if there was anyone he knew from the days when he himself had been a member of this group.

--Paul's statement that he had lived "in all good conscience before God until this day" seems to have really upset the members of the Sanhedrin. The high priest, Ananias, ordered "them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth". Compare this with the treatment our Lord had endured when He was on trial before the Sanhedrin per the various Gospel accounts (John 18:19-24, e.g.)

--Paul replied with a classic insult/rebuke, "God will smite YOU, whited wall!" Dr. A. T. Robertson said this was the wrong thing for a prisoner to say to his judge, especially if the judge was the Jewish high priest (https://godrules.net/library/robert/robertact23.htm).

--Why Paul didn't know this Ananias (a different man than the Ananias who was high priest during the days when Jesus walked this earth, per Robertson) is not known. Dake's Annotated Bible has some interesting comments as well.

--Paul promptly apologized after he was told he had insulted the high priest. He had already been in trouble with this group the day before, now he was in deeper trouble. What would he do next?

2 The distraction Paul created among the Sanhedrin

Text, Acts 23:6-11, KJV: 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. 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude 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 cry: and the scribes that were 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. 10 And when there arose a great dissension, 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. 11 And the night following 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 also at Rome.

--Again, there is debate among some of the commentators why Paul used this tactic or played this card, to use a current idiom. He knew that some of the Sanhedrin were Pharisees, the rest Sadducees, about half and half per Robertson.

--The best explanation I've seen is that since Paul knew he'd never get a fair trial in a "kangroo court (loosely explained as a trial where everyone has already declared you guilty, no matter what)" he appealed to the common views he and the other Pharisees held in common. Luke explained the three significant differences in verse 8.

--Even the scribes rose up and said, "We don't find any evil in this man" but that didn't stop the infighting. Fearing the Council would literally tear Paul limb from limb, the Roman OIC ordered the soldiers to rescue Paul and take him back to the barracks ("castle", KJV).