Acts 23 (Wednesday Evening Bible Study)

Acts 23

• Have you been puzzled by a mystery?  Something you want to understand better but you fail to understand it? We will see Claudius Lysias is still looking for answer concerning Paul.
• Context:
  • Last time we saw Paul he was allowed to give a speech on the steps leading to the Romans barracks beside the temple. He was also going to be flogged by the Romans until he spoke up about his Roman citizenship. The Romans are trying to figure out what is going about Paul that has caused such a stir in the temple. Claudius is going to do what he can to understand it. Let’s begin with the last verse of Acts 22.
• Acts 22:30
• 30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them.
  • How do you think the Sanhedrin felt about having an opportunity to investigate Paul?   
  • How would they look at Paul?
• Acts 23:1-8
• Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” 4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?” 5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged 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 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
  • How can Paul say, “…I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day”?
    • Verse 1 Paul is not saying he has never sinned but rather he has carried out his duty consistently with what he thought was the most honoring to God.
  • How well do things start out when Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin?
    • Paul gets slapped for no reason and insults the high priest unknowingly
  • What does Paul mean when he calls the priest a white washed wall?
    • Hypocrite. 
    • Note: By the way the High Priest Ananias was a big hypocrite. He was very pro Roman and bribed the Romans official with lavish gifts to protect him and keep him in that position. He was also one who would use violence to get his way.
  • Why does Paul throw out what he knows is a theological hand grenade, I am Pharisee and believe in the hope of the resurrection?
    • Do you think Paul knows he will not get a fair trial?
  • Do you think Paul tried to start an argument on purpose?
    • See verse 6   
  • What is a Sadducee and a Pharisee?  What is the difference between them?
    • Pharisees related more with the common people and were about keeping the law strictly. The Sadducees came from the leading families of the nation, Priests- Merchants- and the aristocrats. The Sadducees did not believe in the bodily resurrection or angels and spirits.  They rejected the tradition of the elders these things brought them in direct conflict with the Pharisees. Sadducees made up the majority of the Sanhedrin and tended to be more pro Roman, most likely to remain in power.
  • Was Paul on trial because of his hope in the resurrection of the dead?
    • The resurrection of Jesus is central to the gospel.  I think Paul was going to defend himself.  If Jesus had not risen from the dead Paul would not have been in trouble with his fellow Jews.
    • 1st Corinthians 15:17-19 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
• Acts 23:9-11
• 9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks. 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”
  • How bad was the dispute between the two groups?
    • Bad enough for the commander to get Paul out of there before he got hurt or killed. Notice he had to send soldiers in to get Paul out.
  • Does the Roman commander Claudius know any more than what he did about Paul’s situation?
    • Not really. 
  • Considered verse 11, what would these words mean to Paul?
    • “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”  Strength to go on… encouragement. The Lord knew what Paul needed and when.
• Acts 23:12-22
• 12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.” 16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.” 18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.” 19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?” 20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
  • What oath did the men take in the plot against Paul?  Who was in cahoots with these men?
    • Not to eat until Paul was dead. These 40 called a curse on themselves should they fail to kill Paul. So who all is in this? The 40 men and the Sanhedrin or at least some of the leaders…they ask the chief Priest for assistance. 
  • Who learns of the plot against Paul?
    • His nephew. I wonder how that happen? By the way this is the only reference to Paul’s sister. I wonder if they were Christians. If not it would explain how the nephew learned of the plot because he was hanging around Jewish people who were unsympathetic to Paul and the church.
  • How serious did the commander take this news of a plot to kill Paul?
    • Notice he had seen how the crowd responded to Paul and how the Sanhedrin had responded to Paul notice the steps he takes to insure Paul’s safety a Romans citizen.
    • Since Paul’s conversion he has experienced division where ever he has gone. Those for the gospel and those against.  What do you think it was like for his family? They were probably split too.
• Acts 23:23-35
• 23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.” 25 He wrote the following letter: 26 Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. 27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers to state their case against him in your presence. 31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.
  • What kind of armed escort is being provided for Paul?
    • 470 men…almost half the men Claudius Lysias commanded.
  • How does Claudius present himself in the letter?
    • As the rescuer of a Roman citizen. He laid out the facts in the case that painted him in the most favorable light.
  • Who is working behind the scene to see Paul gets to Rome?
    • God is…so in everything that happens. I bet Paul saw the Lord working out things for him in all that was going on.
  • Where is Paul taken?
    • Caesarea…He will be kept locked up as a political prisoner in the Governor’s palace. Does Paul have friends in Caesarea? Sure Phillip and his 4 daughters.
• TAKE AWAY
  • What can we learn from this part of Paul’s life?
    • The Lord knows how and when to encourage us?  
    • How might he do that?
  • If the Lord wants us somewhere He can make it happen.
  • God knows how to protect His people.