THURSDAY January 4, 2024
A Council Face-Off
Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
Acts 23:1-3
Paul addressed the Sanhedrin––the government of Israel made up of the High Priest, Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees––which can be likened to our Supreme Court. There were 71 elders who made up the council. They had authority to make important decisions and judgments.
Paul knew many of them, because some were close, childhood friends. Paul was highly educated. He studied with them under Gamaliel: [He was] brought up in this city [Jerusalem] at the feet of Gamaliel [a recognized Jewish Law teacher], taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law... (Acts 22:3). When Paul became a follower of Jesus, he was an outcast; the elders wanted nothing more to do with him.
First, as Paul stood face to face before the council, he shared that his life was one of blamelessness and holiness. He was a man of integrity. That was a bold thing to say! But he knew he stood in God’s righteousness––not his own.
Ananias was a very wicked High Priest. He, along with the other Jewish rulers, were responsible for Jesus’ death. They arrested Him without cause and, after finding false witnesses, condemned Him as guilty. Finally, they handed Him over to the governor Pontius Pilate with other false charges and incited the crowds to call for His death (Matthew 27:20).
As Paul spoke, Ananias ordered him to be struck in the mouth. In turn, Paul called him out for his hypocrisy. It was against the Law to strike a man. These elders were responsible to uphold the Law, not break it. Paul called Ananias a whitewashed wall, which was an insult that marked him as unclean. Why? Hypocrisy is a serious sin.
Hate hypocrisy ... hate oppression, injustice; hate Pharisaism hate them as Christ hated them with a deep, living, godlike hatred.
~Fredrick William Robertson~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
