Acts 23:1-10 – Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” 4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” 5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’” 6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) 9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
“Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”” When Paul was before the Sanhedrin he was just where he wanted to be. The Sanhedrin was like the Supreme Court in the United States. Paul was not intimidated because he knew that he was bearing the truth that was for all and because he knew the Lord was with him. In a court we know that usually the prosecution speaks first but here Paul, the accused, spoke first. He could not wait to start on this opportunity to again share the Truth with them in hopes that they would receive salvation. Paul was relentless in his witnessing and his hope in the saving power of the Gospel was untiring.
When addressing the Sanhedrin, which was populated by Sadducees and Pharisees, Paul started out by calling them “brothers.” Normally, a person addressing this august governing body, out of respect, called them “fathers.” Paul was raised as a Pharisee and received his education under the imminently respected Gamaliel. Paul had risen to the upper echelons of Jews and he addressing the Sanhedrin as “brothers” may well be indicative that he once also belonged as a member of them, or at least was considered a peer of them.
Paul states that he has fulfilled the duty God has called him to in “all good conscience to this day.” Some wonder how he could say that he had a good conscience in light of the fact that he once persecuted Christians to have them beaten and killed. Yet we know that Paul is not reticent about his life before becoming as those he persecuted as even in Acts 22:4 he confesses to it. We must remember that Paul was used by the Lord to teach us that all our sins are forgiven because of the substitutionary act of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5;21, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9). Paul is the one who wrote 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Paul was also an expert in the Old Testament and he was well aware of Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgression from us.” Paul was not stating that he never sinned, he never claimed that he did not sin and actually in Romans 7:15-20 revealed that even he carried the desire to sin, and that he did. Surely he did a great job of resisting sin, but he never claimed to be perfect and he was not. And aren’t we glad of that! He was like us and yet increasingly gained victories over the flesh and sin and was mightily used of God. Family, there is hope for us, God forgives our sins and can even use sinners like us! Praise our God who has not only saved us but also brings us into the family business! Praise God!
“At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.” The high priest, whose mind was against God (he opposed the Gospel) ordered that Paul be struck on the mouth. To him Paul was a blasphemer and it seemed obvious that Paul would again be defending The Way. It was not legal under Jewish law that a man should be punished, or struck, without due process revealing the need for punishment (Deuteronomy 25:1-2). But as would later be attested to, Ananias was corrupt and one of the worst high priests ever. He had told priests to reject as imperfect and therefore unworthy sacrifices the animals that travelers had brought to the temple to sacrifice. He did that so that then the priest could say to the disappointed worshipper “That’s too bad but fortunately we just so happen to have a lamb that is pre-approved as acceptable. Of course, such a lamb is costly!” In this way Ananias and his corrupt cohorts lined their pockets with filthy money. Later, in AD 66, Ananias was assassinated by militant Jews for being a pro-Roman conspirator against his own people. This Ananias was not a holy man.
Family are we able to say that we have a clear conscience with God? I hope and for the same reason Paul could say so, all of us likewise can. As Paul did, we can say that we have a clean slate with God that is not based on our works (that are still plagued with sin) but because of the cleansing work of our Savior and Lord Jesus. Family we all have a clean slate with God. As we strive to draw near to God, He will draw near to us and continue to transform us from who we were to become more and more like Him (Hebrews 10:19-23, James 4:7-10). And that not for His benefit, but for ours. So let us approach God without fear because of the mighty cleansing work of Jesus. Praise God who loves us so! Praise God who saves us and continues to sanctify us! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”