His Word Today

^6 “Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.” (Acts 23:6–8 (ESV)

One of the distinguishing features of the Jewish council known as the Sanhedrin was that half was comprised of the Sadducees while the other half were the Pharisees. Each group had 35 members. The 71^st member of the council was the current high priest.

The origin of the Sadducees cannot definitely be traced. The first time they are mentioned is in connection with John the Baptist’s ministry. They came out to him on the banks of the Jordan, and he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7.) The next time they are spoken of they are presented as coming to our Lord tempting him. He calls them “hypocrites” and “a wicked and adulterous generation” (Matt. 16:1–4; 22:23). The only reference to them in the Gospels of Mark (12:18–27) and Luke (20:27–38) is when they attempted to ridicule the doctrine of the resurrection, which they denied, as they also denied the existence of angels. They are never mentioned in the Gospel of John.

The Sadducees showed their hatred of Jesus in taking part in His condemnation (Matt. 16:21; 26:1–3, 59; Mark 8:31; 15:1; Luke 9:22; 22:66). They endeavored to prohibit the apostles from preaching the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:24, 31, 32; 4:1, 2; 5:17, 24–28). They were the deists or sceptics of that age.

The origin of the Pharisees is also unknown. They held to a strict adherence to the Mosaic Law. There was much that was sound in their creeds, yet their system of religion was religious formality and nothing more. They had a very lax morality (Matt. 5:20; 15:4, 8; 23:3, 14, 23, 25; John 8:7). On the first notice of them in the New Testament (Matt. 3:7), they are also ranked by our Lord with the Sadducees as a “generation of vipers.” They were noted for their self-righteousness and their pride (Matt. 9:11; Luke 7:39; 18:11, 12). They were frequently rebuked by our Lord (Matt. 12:39; 16:1–4). The Pharisees did believe in the resurrection and the existence of angels.

As we shall see, Paul used the fundamental differences between these two groups in order to play one against the other. More to come.

Soli deo Gloria!

“And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” ⁵ And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ” (Acts 23:1–5)

Immediately following the Apostle Paul’s opening remarks to the Sanhedrin about having a clear conscience before God for ministering the Gentiles, Ananias, the high priest, ordered those who stood near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Luke does not comment as to why Ananias ordered this done. Perhaps he thought Paul’s remarks to be inappropriate or disrespectful.

Ananias the high priest was one of Israel’s cruelest and most corrupt high priests. His pro-Roman policies alienated him from the Jewish people, who murdered him at the outset of the revolt against Rome (A.D. 66).  By ordering Paul struck, Ananias was committing an illegal act during the court proceedings. The verb translated “strike” is used of the mob’s beating of Paul (Acts 21:32) and the Roman soldiers’ beating of Jesus (Matthew 27:30). It was no mere slap on the face, but a continuing and vicious series of blows.

Following this incident, Paul responded by saying, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” The tone of Paul’s comment was one of righteous anger. The phrase “whitewashed wall” is a Jewish figure of speech meaning a hypocrite or an imposter. Paul was saying that Ananias was a religious hypocrite and had no business judging Paul regarding the question of his obedience to God’s Word because as the high priest Ananias violated that very Word of God by ordering Paul beaten.  

Paul’s response to Ananias solicited a response by those who stood by and were watching the scene unfold. They said, ““Would you revile God’s high priest?”

Apparently one’s position, political or religious, permitted an individual to violate the very law they were sworn to uphold. Regardless, Paul immediately apologized and said, ““I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ” Paul’s biblical reference was Exodus 22:28.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Some believe this to be another manifestation of Paul’s eye problems (cf. Gal. 4:15); or that Paul was so angry that he forgot to whom he was speaking; or that he was being sarcastic, since Ananias was not acting like a high priest should. The simplest explanation is to take Paul’s words at face value. He had been gone from Jerusalem for many years and would not likely have recognized Ananias by sight. That this was an informal gathering of the Sanhedrin (see note on Acts 22:30) would have meant the high priest would not have been wearing his official garments.”

God’s Word requires that believers respect their leaders: political, religious, economic and family. This is to be done even when the leader is not behaving respectably. The principle was illustrated by David who honored the LORD’s anointed, King Saul, even though Saul sought to kill David (I Samuel 24:3-15). The principle is also taught by the Apostle Paul (Romans 13:1-7; I Timothy 2:1-4) and the Apostle Peter (I Peter 2:13-17).

Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!                          

^30 “But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. ¹And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” (Acts 22:30–23:1)

The Roman tribune Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:26), in charge of the Apostle Paul’s arrest due to the riot which occurred in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-36), decided to bring the accused to the Jewish chief priests and the council known as the Sanhedrin. Since the Jews accused Paul of crimes, Claudius thought it best to bring Paul to the Roman approved and delegated Jewish authorities. He did so the day after the events recorded in Acts 21:27-22:29.

The Sanhedrin was the Jews’ national ruling body and Supreme Court. It had 71 members, including the high priest. The Sanhedrin is prominent in the Passion narratives of the Gospels as the ruling body that tried and convicted Jesus. It appeared again in Acts as the judicial court that investigated and persecuted the growing Christian church (Acts 4).

It is interesting that Claudius brought Paul to the council unbound and sat him down before them. A wise and astute soldier, he would not have done so if he sensed the apostle was a threat to anyone. The purpose for bringing him to the council was to discover the real reason(s) why the Jews accused Paul.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “By this time the commander knew the accusations against Paul were Jewish (cf. vv. 23–29), and the best way to unearth these was to have a hearing before the Sanhedrin. If the prisoner was found innocent he could be released, but if the charges were valid the case could be remitted to the procurator, the Roman governor (cf. 23:26–30).”

Before going into any details, Paul began his testimony before the council by stating that he had a clear conscience in living his life before the LORD. While the Jews might find him guilty, Paul was confident that God would judge him innocent and righteous. Paul’s confidence was based on God justifying him by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Romans 3:21-26), and his subsequent obedience to the Word and will of God (Ephesians 2:1-10).

May each of us have our confidence, before God and men, rooted and grounded in God’s grace. Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

We will devote each Lord’s Day in 2021 at hiswordtoday.org to present a portion of the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). For those unfamiliar with the WCF, a brief explanation is appropriate. 

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the “subordinate standard” of doctrine (to Scripture) in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

It is to that “most precise and accurate summary of the content of biblical Christianity” that we will give our time and attention to each Lord’s Day in the year of our Lord, 2021. I trust you will be edified and encouraged each week by The Westminster Confession of Faith.

Chapter Three: Of God’s Eternal Decree. Part 2.

4. These angels and men, thus predestinated and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed; and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished.^a

a. John 13:18; 2 Tim 2:19.

5. Those of mankind that are predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto everlasting glory,^a out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any other thing in the creature, as conditions, or causes moving him thereunto;^b and all to the praise of his glorious grace.^c

a. Rom 8:30; Eph 1:4, 9, 11; 1 Thes 5:9; 2 Tim 1:9. • b. Rom 9:11, 13, 16; Eph 1:4, 9. • c. Eph 1:6, 12.

Take the time today to read each attribute along with its corresponding biblical reference. You will be blessed and edified.

Soli deo Gloria!

^25 “But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and un-condemned?” ²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁷ So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” (Acts 22:25–28 (ESV)

You never know when the LORD will use the circumstances of your birth, life and ministry to remind you of His providential care. How could Paul have known, either as a child or as a new believer in Christ and as an apostle about to be flogged by the Romans, that God would use the apostle’s Roman citizenship to prevent such a scourging?  

The Romans stretched Paul out for the whips. The whips in question were made of leather thongs with bits of metal or bone attached at the ends. It could maim for life or kill. Jesus was scourged with such a whip (John 19:1). Thus far, Paul had been beaten (Acts 18:22-23; 2 Corinthians 11:24-25) but never endured this kind of severe punishment, which could not be inflicted on a Roman citizen without due process of law.

Just as the scouring was about to begin, Paul said to the centurion in charge of the scourging, ““Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and un-condemned?” The obvious answer to this rhetorical question was “absolutely not.”

Upon hearing this statement, Luke records the centurion’s reaction. “When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

Luke then recorded the tribune’s response.  ^“So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” Paul’s answer prompted the tribune to ask a follow-up response. The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Roman citizens were exempted (by the Valerian and Porcian laws) from such brutal methods of interrogation. Paul now exerted his rights as a Roman citizen. His claim would not have been questioned, because the penalty for falsely claiming Roman citizenship was death.”

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “Roman citizenship was highly prized, usually given only to those of high position or those who had performed some valuable service to the state. It was then passed on to one’s family, as in Paul’s case, since he is a citizen by birth.”

As we will soon see, the scouring plans are stopped and Paul will be held in the barracks while the tribune Claudius Flavius (Acts 23:26), weighs his legal options.

Regarding God’s providential care, the more perceptive you are the more awe you’ll have. May you have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!

^22 “Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” ²³ And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, ²⁴ the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.” (Acts 22:22–24)

You may be wondering what was the crowd’s reaction, both Jew and Roman, to Paul’s passionate defense of the Gospel. Was it reminiscent of the Athenians who were either critical, curious, or convinced (Acts 17:16-34)?

Up to this point, the crowd had listened to him. Then they turned violently vocal and repeatedly said, ““Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”  In other words, they wanted Paul executed.

Luke then introduces a cultural idiom or phrase describing their behavior. “And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air.” First, the Jews were persistently screaming for Paul’s death. Second, their intense anger against Paul was displayed by throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust in the air. The act of throwing and flinging, respectively their outer garments and dust in the air, displayed their uncontrolled spasm of wild rage.

Seeing this scene, the Roman tribune, Claudius Lysias (Acts 23:26), ordered his soldiers to bring the apostle in the barracks. The tribune had every intention of flogging, or whipping, Paul in order to discover why the people were so agitated against him.

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “Lysias realized he would have to interrogate Paul privately. He ordered his soldiers to bring the prisoner into Fortress Antonia, away from the angry mob so that he should be examined by flogging. This was a brutal Roman interrogation method. Prisoners frequently died after being flogged with the Roman flagellum (metal-tipped leather thongs attached to a wooden handle).”

When next we meet, we will discover how Paul avoided such a punishment. Until then, consider reading and meditating upon Ephesians 2:12-19, Hebrews 12:22-24, and I Peter 2:10-11 about what it means that this fallen world is not the believer’s true home.

Soli deo Gloria!  

¹⁷ “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” (Acts 22:17–21)

The Apostle Paul concluded his address to the Jerusalem Jews, and the Roman soldiers stationed in the city, by recalling an event that does not previously appear in Luke’s account of Paul’s conversion to Christianity. It was an event which occurred in Jerusalem, most likely when Paul first returned there from life changing journey to Damascus (Acts 9:26-30).

Paul recounted how when he returned to Jerusalem, following his conversion, he was praying in the temple. This was something every devout Jew would naturally do. This continues to be done in our present day when devout Jews, along with others, pray at the area known as the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall. Paul wanted his audience to know that he respected the temple and would not desecrate it in any way.

It was when Paul was praying in the temple that he fell into a trance, which can either mean a moment of utter amazement or an ecstatic vision (see Acts 10:9-10 and Revelation 1:10). Paul attributed the source of this trance being the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord said to Paul, “‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.” Jesus warned Paul that in spite of his sincere conversion, unbelieving Jews would be as antagonistic about Paul’s message of the Gospel as he had been prior to his spiritual transformation. The Jews would not only reject the Gospel, but they would also seek to kill Paul for preaching the Gospel.

However, Paul remembered not being easily persuaded by the Lord. Amazingly, he argued with the Lord and said, “Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.” Paul wanted to remain in Jerusalem and preach to his fellow Jews, even if it meant forfeiting his own life, like Stephen (Acts 7; Romans 10:1-4).

However, the sovereign Lord Jesus had other plans for Paul. “And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” The Lord’s command to Paul was clear: it was to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even though Paul loved his fellow Jews, he loved the Lord more and would consequently obey Him by becoming a missionary to the Gentiles.

Paul encountered a moment in his Christian life which every believer in Christ experiences. That moment concerns the will of God for your life and discerning between that which is good verses that which is best. It was good for Paul to want to preach to his fellow Jews. However, God’s best was for him to preach to the Jews living in Gentile countries.

We may discover at times that God’s will for us is biblically clear. At other times, it may be unclear regarding a specific situation. Until clarity comes, obey God’s Word and pray for divine guidance.

Soli deo Gloria!

¹² “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:12–16)

The Apostle Paul continued his testimony to the Jews, and the Romans, in the city of Jerusalem following, respectively, his beating and arrest. He recalled how a Christian brother named Ananias came and ministered to him in the city of Damascus following Paul’s encounter with the Lord Jesus on the Damascus Road.

Paul described Ananias as a devout man according to the Mosaic Law of God. He was well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus. It as Ananias who said to Paul, “‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.” It was at the precise moment that Paul received his sight.

Paul also recalled that Ananias said to him, “The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; ¹⁵ for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

Throughout Ananias’ speech, the sovereignty of God is predominant. It was the Jew’s One, True God who had chosen Paul to be His chosen instrument. It was the Jew’s One, True God who had chosen Paul to do the Lord’s will. What was the will of God for Paul?

Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes, “On the basis of seeing and hearing Jesus, Paul became an apostle. When he saw Jesus and heard His voice, he understood the will of God. For Paul then, proclaiming the resurrected Jesus to all men everywhere became equivalent of Doing God’s will.”  

God chose Paul for a great mission (Acts 9:15). However, God also choses believers in Christ today to fulfill His purpose in their lives. It may not be exactly the same as Paul’s mission, but it is no less important. Let each of us resolve to obey the tasks the Lord has set out for each of us, whether it be great or small.

Soli deo Gloria!

^9 “Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. ¹⁰ And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ ¹¹ And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.” (Acts 22:9–11)

Paul continued his personal testimony, and defense of the Gospel, before the Jews and the Romans as today’s text reveals. As he continued to share the events which occurred on the Damascus Road resulting in his conversion to Christianity (Acts 9), he stated that those who were him say the light of God’s glory, but did not understand what the Lord Jesus was saying to Paul. However, Paul (or Saul) certainly did.

Paul told the crowd his response to the Lord Jesus: “What shall I do, Lord?” Whereupon, Paul then recalled what Jesus answered and said to him: “Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.”

Paul then related that he had become blind in his encounter with the risen and glorious Christ. It was necessary, Paul stated, that he be led by the hand by those who were with him. As one pastor comments: “Jesus had radically altered the direction of Paul’s life.”

Much like the man born blind, and the religious leaders who doubted the miraculous event of Jesus giving him sight (John 9), prior to his conversion Paul thought he possessed spiritual sight, but in reality he was spiritually blind. Ironically, it was when he beheld the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and became physically blind, that at that moment he gained spiritual sight and was converted.

John Bunyan’s words ring true in the life of Paul the Apostle, Bunyan himself, along with a host of other believers in Christ.  

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.                                                                    That saved a wretch like me.                                                                                        I once was lost, but now am found.                                                                           Was blind, but now I see.  

Soli deo Gloria!

⁶ “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. ⁷ And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ⁸ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ (Acts 22:6–8)

Falsely accused and brutally attacked by a Jewish mob, resulting in his arrest by the Roman tribune in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul stood before both people groups, Jews and Romans, and made his “defense.” As previously noted, what Paul did at this time he would also do on several other occasions (Acts 24:10; 25:8; 26:1-2; 24). He would defend himself as he defended the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which God requires of each believer (I Peter 3:15).

Having identified who he was (Acts 22:1-5), Paul shared what he became: a follower of Jesus Christ. He shared his experience of traveling on the Damascus Road and encountering a great light from heaven, which was brighter than the noon day sun.

He spoke of having fallen to the ground and hearing a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul told the gathered crowd his question to the source of the voice: “Who are you Lord?” He then related who it was who replied to him: “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.”

Dr. Simon Kistemaker writes, “The Jews knew from the Scriptures that light proceeds from God…and that it is a feature God employs to reveal Himself. From their knowledge of Scripture, the Jews knew that when God calls people, He often repeats their name.”

What the Jews, and the Romans also for that matter, did not know was the identity of the divine person who stopped Paul that day. It was none other than Jesus Christ.

Dr. R. C. Sproul writes, “The lessons for Paul hearers could hardly be clearer—Jesus of Nazareth is divine and He is not at all pleased by the persecution of Christians.”

 In the Scriptures, we read of many people whose lives were radically changed by an encounter with the living God: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David. How has your life changed upon believing in the person and work of Jesus Christ? Take time today to think about that question and also how your life can be changed to be even more Christ like.

Have a blessed day.

Soli deo Gloria!