Lesson Forty-Four: Paul Before the Sanhedrin

Supplementary Materials

"I Have Lived in All Good Conscience" (23:1) "And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." Aspect Explanation What is conscience? The inner moral sense that approves or condemns our actions; God-given capacity to distinguish right from wrong "Good conscience" Paul had always acted according to what he believed was right — even when persecuting Christians! Limitation of conscience Conscience must be educated by truth; a clear conscience doesn't guarantee right action (cf. 1 Tim. 1:13 — Paul acted "ignorantly in unbelief") "Before God" Paul lived with God as his witness — his life was an open book before the Almighty "Until this day" Continuity — whether as Pharisee or apostle, Paul always acted with integrity before God

Related passages: Acts 24:16 — "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." Also 2 Tim. 1:3; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 1 Pet. 3:16.

The High Priest Incident (23:2-5)

hypocrite who appears righteous but violates the Law he claims to uphold 23:4 Bystanders rebuked Paul: "Revilest thou God's high priest?" 23:5 Paul: "I wist not... that he was the high priest" — quoted Exodus 22:28 showing respect for Scripture even while rebuking injustice

Why Didn't Paul Know He Was High Priest? Several possibilities have been suggested:

• Poor eyesight — Paul may have had vision problems (cf. Gal. 4:15; 6:11)
• Not wearing official robes — this was not a formal Sanhedrin session; high priest may not have been identifiable
• Long absence from Jerusalem — Paul had been away for years and may not have recognized Ananias
• Irony/sarcasm — "I didn't realize someone acting so unjustly could be the high priest" (possible but less likely)

Note on Ananias: This Ananias (not the same as in Acts 5 or 22) was high priest from about AD 47-59. He was known for greed and violence. Josephus records that he was assassinated by Jewish zealots at the beginning of the Jewish War (AD 66).

Pharisees and Sadducees: Their Differences (23:6-9) "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both." — Acts 23:8

Doctrine Pharisees Sadducees Resurrection Believed in it Denied it Angels Believed in them Denied them Spirits Believed in them Denied them Scripture accepted Entire Old Testament + oral Only the Pentateuch (first 5 tradition books) Social class Middle class; popular with Aristocracy; wealthy priestly common people families Political stance More separatist Cooperated with Rome

Paul's strategy: By declaring "I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question" (23:6), Paul divided the council. The Pharisees began defending him: "We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God" (23:9). The Sadducees, who controlled the high priesthood, were his primary opponents.

The Lord's Encouragement (23:11) "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." This is one of the most significant verses in Acts. Consider:

Application: From this point on, Paul knows with certainty that he will survive every danger until he reaches Rome. The conspiracies, trials, shipwreck — none can thwart God's purpose. What confidence this must have given him!

The Conspiracy Against Paul (23:12-15) Element Details The conspirators "More than forty" Jews — determined assassins, possibly zealots The oath "Bound themselves under a curse" (anathema) — they would neither eat nor drink until Paul was dead The accomplices "Chief priests and elders" — religious leaders agreed to participate in the plot! The plan Ask the tribune to bring Paul for "more inquiry"; ambush and kill him en route The irony Religious leaders who claimed to uphold God's Law conspired to commit murder!

Note: If their plot failed (as it did), what happened to the oath? Jewish casuistry allowed release from such vows under certain circumstances. They likely got hungry eventually!

Paul's Nephew: God's Providence (23:16) "And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul." This is the only mention of Paul's family in Acts. Consider:

• Paul had family in Jerusalem — his sister and her son (nephew) lived there
• How did the nephew learn of the plot? Perhaps he was a student in Jerusalem; perhaps he had connections to the Sanhedrin; God providentially arranged it
• Access to Paul — Roman custody was not strict isolation; visitors could come
• Courage — the young man risked his own life to warn Paul; the conspirators would not have been kind to an informer
• God's providence — the Lord had promised Paul would reach Rome (v. 11); He used a young relative to fulfill that promise

Key Cross-References

Lessons from Acts 23:1-16 1. A good conscience is valuable, but conscience must be educated by God's Word.

2. Respect for authority is commanded, even when authorities act unjustly. 3. The resurrection is the heart of Christian hope — it divided even the Sanhedrin. 4. The Lord stands by His servants in dark times with words of encouragement. 5. Religious zeal without truth leads to terrible sin — even murder plots by religious leaders. 6. God's providence works through ordinary means — a nephew's timely warning saved Paul's life.