YOUTH STS LESSON 219 PAUL’S TRIAL BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN
MEMORY VERSE: “And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1).
TEXT: ACTS 23:1-35
The two preceding chapters revealed the accusation against Paul the apostle by the Jews from Asia as “the man, that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place” (Acts 21:28). They stirred the people who almost killed him but for the intervention of the chief captain of the band. He was later brought before the people to defend himself. In his defense, he reflected on his past life and manner in the customs of his elders, his persecution of the church of Christ, his arrest and commission by Christ. He also made known his message drawn from the law and prophets exalting Jesus Christ.
In this chapter, he was brought before the supreme religious body in Israel called the Sanhedrin. According to history, it was a religious council of the final authority on Jewish law and anyone who goes against her decisions was always severely punished. As Paul appeared before this council, he pleaded innocence, he declared that he was a Pharisee. This caused division among them. When the secret that some had banded together to kill him got revealed to the chief captain (Claudius Lysias) in charge of the matter, he sent Paul, under a very tight security to take him safely to Felix in Caesarea. He also put a letter in the hand of the soldiers he sent with Paul. Paul was rescued by divine intervention.
- PAUL TESTIFIES INNOCENCY BEFORE THE COUNCIL (Acts 23:1-5; John 8:46; Acts 26:4-7; Matthew 5:14-16; 2 Timothy 3:10, 11; Psalm 32:2)
”And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day” (Acts 23:1). Paul’s confession here was the continuation of his defence before the people in which the Sanhedrin were available. For this reason, this chapter begins with the conjunction “and“; meaning this has a link with the preceding chapter. Carefully examining this statement, you will discover that Paul was conscious but not fearful of his audience. He knew that the council was made up of Pharisees and the Sadducees who were all highly respected in the land. So, he started by pleading guiltless before God and invariably before man. He was calm and put on a friendly, loving disposition by calling them “Men and brethren“.
Question 1: What lesson can a youth, wrongly accused of an offence, learn from Paul’s comportment before the council?
The first lesson learnt from Paul’s disposition is that he knew his audience to be men and brethren. Any youth falsely accused for an offence he did not commit should endeavour to handle the situation wisely. Youths should not lose control of their temper. They should make sure they are calm and fearless. They should still show real love towards their accusers by using the right language as children of God. They should also know that it is not wrong to prove their innocence when and where necessary.
Paul’s testimony of his innocence was misunderstood by the high priest – Ananias. Normally, when an accused is brought before a court (council) and he declares himself guiltless, the right thing to do is to order his cross examination, ask him to prove his innocence. If there is evidence or witness, such should be tendered. “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death” (Deuteronomy 17:6). Contrarily, “Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth” (Acts 23:2). Paul himself being a lawyer and a former member of the Sanhedrin was irritated with the reaction of Ananias not knowing he was the high priest.
Question 2: Was the reaction of Paul the apostle to the attitude of Ananias right?
Paul the apostle was a man vested with divine authority. He was embarrassed by the attitude of Ananias. An aged man who ought to know the right judgment but was perverting it. Then Paul said, “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?” (Acts 23:3). He was later told that the man was the high priest, and then he said, “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” (Acts 23:4,5). He made restitution immediately (verse 5). Restitution is an act of restoring anything wrongly acquired, refunding anything ill-gotten from someone. It is also an act of making correction for wrong done. It is apologising where you have offended someone. Paul was humble in obeying God by making restitution (Acts 23:4,5). Are you humble to make restitution when necessary? However, he was initially wrong but he corrected himself after realising his error.
Question 3: Answer Yes or No.
- Making restitution is only meant for the elderly.
- Once I confess my sins to God and repent, it is no longer necessary to return items I stole before I got born again which are still in my possession.
- As a mark of genuine repentance, it is good to also make my ways right with men by making corrections for all ills done to them.
- It is necessary to seek counselling for difficult cases from a mature leader before making restitution.
- PAUL’S TESTIMONY CREATES DISSENSION IN THE COUNCIL (Acts 23: 6-22; Luke 21:12-15; Matthew 10:16-20)
The trial of Paul the apostle was a fulfilment of the Scriptures. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:16-18). Paul knew this; therefore, he applied the biblical principle of being wise as the serpent and harmless as the dove. He looked and “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” (Acts 23:6). Many people preach the word of God without assessing their audience to know if the message is penetrating their hearts or otherwise. Paul discovered that the council trying him is divisible, which emanated from their divergent beliefs. Knowing the Pharisees believe in some of the things Christ taught, he declared himself a Pharisee which he was. “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:5, 6).
Question 4: What were the differences between the Sadducees and the Pharisees?
The Sadducees were a religious sect in Israel that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels and spirits. The Pharisees believed in all these (verses 8, 9). Christ dealt with similar issues of Sadducees during His earthly ministry (Matthew 22:22-33). Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? Daniel chapter twelve verse two reveals that there will be resurrection of the dead. While those that fear the Lord and do His will go into everlasting life, the wicked shall go into everlasting contempt. In the meantime, there was division between these sects, some in support of Paul and the others against him. The Pharisees said they found no fault in Paul. They were both pulling Paul until the intervention of the soldiers who took him by force into the castle so that they will not pull him in pieces.
At this time, Paul was not left alone, the Lord Jesus was with him. The Lord knows all things. He knew that “certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul“. So, he came to Paul that same night reassuring him of his safety and that he must also bear witness of Him at Rome. “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). God made it possible for Paul’s nephew to discover the evil plot against him.
- PROTECTION FOR PAUL BY THE CHIEF CAPTAIN (Acts 23: 23-35; Isaiah 43:2-7; Jeremiah 1:18, 19; 36:26; Daniel 3: 23-27; 6: 16, 17, 19-22; 1Timothy 4:16-18; 1Peter 3:13).
”And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night; And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote a letter after this manner” (verses 23-25). After Paul’s nephew had revealed that more than forty men were bound with an oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed him. The chief captain called two military leaders, each leading one hundred soldiers, that they should gather two hundred soldiers to accompany Paul to Caesarea. He wanted to send him to Felix in Caesarea. Besides, he instructed that they should prepare seventy horsemen and two hundred men that drew spears. In total, there were four hundred and seventy men to keep him in his journey to Felix. This was to give him maximum security in order to fulfill God’s plan for his life. Paul recounted later what the Lord told him at the point of conversion: “But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee” (Acts 26:16, 17).
Question 5: What lesson can Christian youths learn from the security given to Paul from the Jewish attack?
It is very obvious that God used the instrument of Lysias, the chief captain to achieve His protection plan for Paul. Hence, Paul was rescued from the cruel hands of the Jews, to take the gospel to the Gentiles as God originally purposed. Christian youths should trust in God’s ability to keep them in the time of persecutions and perils as they faithfully stand firm.
Question 6: How can one become and what are the benefits of becoming a heavenly citizen?
The chief captain said in his letter to Felix the governor that Paul was rescued by him because he was a Roman. This is to say that God also used Paul’s citizenship as a Roman to give him special favour before the chief captain. There are so many peculiar privileges that are attached to being a citizen of a country by the government of that country. When we become born again, we become the citizens of God’s kingdom (Philippians 3:20). Much more than the earthly privileges, we enjoy special heavenly privileges because we are citizens of heaven (Romans 8:14-18). These privileges include divine protection and good health, supernatural provision and dominion over demonic powers, etc.
Claudius explained how the Jews plotted to kill him, for which reason he had sent him over. The four hundred soldiers followed the troop to Antipatris (a city between Jerusalem and Caesarea) which they felt was safely out of the Jews’ control and returned to their castle in Jerusalem. The horsemen took Paul and presented him with the letter to the Governor who decided to wait for his accusers.
In every situation, God determines the means of deliverance and in most cases, He does not follow the same pattern. All you need to do is to wait on the Lord patiently and He will deliver you. “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18). The secret plot of the Jews to kill Paul was known to the chief captain and he was used by God to secure Paul’s life. Today, we still have the promises of God in spite of persecution, life threatening challenges, or any other afflictions. Do not be afraid. God is with you, and no one can take your life if God has not determined it. Keep trusting God’s promise. He says, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee” (Isaiah 43:2).
