And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to 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 is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
Canna Lilies | Arbor Gate Nursery, Tomball, Texas | May 2024Hanlon’s Razor is a philosophical rule of thumb. It says, “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” I’m not certain where we are to fall in regard to the situation being played out between Paul and the Council on this occasion. Did Ananias not know that it was completely improper and unlawful to strike Paul? Did Paul know it was Ananias, the high priest to whom he spoke, invoking God’s vengeance upon him? Did perhaps Ananias know who Paul was, and was playing it off, only to have Paul who knew him mock Ananias, saying, “I didn’t know he was the High Priest.” Were each trying to pull the wool over each other’s eyes?
Then comes Paul’s quick-witted proclamation: This is an issue about the resurrection! There is so much going on here.
The Sadducees were the more conservative of the Jewish sects in Paul’s day. They were known for their strict adherence to the written law of Moses, denial of the resurrection and supernatural beings, and their aristocratic status and cooperation with Roman authorities. The Pharisees, on the other hand were very dedicated believers. They were responsible for preserving the faith through the synagogue system, and their high regard for all of Scripture, the Law and the Prophets, history and wisdom literature of the Old Testament.
The Sadducees and Pharisees were not friendly. They tolerated each other. But they had some significant disagreements. So Paul knew that he would get a row out of the people there when he claimed his Pharisaical roots and claimed, “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” The ensuing riot took him out of this fray but into a more dire place. I don’t think I’d want to be a guest in the barracks of the Roman soldiers if I had just made a point of my Jewish heritage.
And Jesus is not afraid to step into the fray. He will stand by Paul in the middle of the night and promise that Paul would give witness to him in Rome. All the intrigue and maneuvering will not thwart God’s plan to bring the Gospel message to Rome and beyond. I’m guessing had Paul not provoked a riot, God would have gotten him out of there. God somehow manages to work around even pettiness for this cause of his mission and kingdom.
I wonder what kinds of pettiness and maneuvering Jesus has gotten around in order to bring the gospel message to you and to me. Thank God he was absolutely committed to doing so.
David Bahn - Reflections 
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