Acts 22:30-23:24 The Anvil of Experience
Good morning! Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 22, page 932 in the pew Bibles. We are going to begin with verse 30, the very end of chapter 22.
I want to begin with a couple of poll questions this morning before we get into our text.
First, how many of you have ever heard Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Or some version of that? Raise your hand.
Second question, how many of you have ever been punched in the mouth?
Was it right after you quoted Romans 8:28 to somebody?
This morning we are going to look at an account from the life of the Apostle Paul, who wrote Romans 8:28 from Corinth before he got to Jerusalem. We are going to look at what Alistair Begg called “Hammering out his theology on the anvil of experience.” We are going to look at God working things together for good for one who loved God and was called according to his purpose and also got punched in the mouth.
Let’s pray.
Before we look at our text I want to bring your attention to a couple of other verses concerning Paul and his work.
The first is Acts 9:10-16. This is after the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
For he is my chosen instrument to carry my Name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my Name.
The second verse is Acts 19:21
Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
The Lord Jesus had already determined the mission that He had for the Apostle Paul, who He would send him to and how much he would suffer as a result, in Asia, Macedonia, Achaia, Jerusalem, and Rome.
Let’s look at Acts 22:30-23:24.
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.
23:1 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.’ ”
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. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
Things had not been easy for Paul, he had success in his gospel ministry but he also had met with opposition but up until now he had not been arrested or imprisoned, not until he got to Jerusalem.
Now, in the hands of the Romans who clearly didn’t know what to do with him, he stood trial before the Sanhedrin and gets immediately punched in the mouth.
23:1 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.’ ”
The commentators had a lot to say about this little interaction, none of which was very helpful.
There is a distinct parallel between this event and the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin 27 years prior. Jesus was also struck on the mouth for no reason, at least no good reason.
I don’t know how much of a zinger you consider calling somebody a “whitewashed wall,” but the meaning was an accusation of hypocrisy. Jesus employed the same zinger against the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:27, “For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”
Deuteronomy 25:1-2 says that you don’t get to beat somebody until after they’re declared guilty, and thus Paul’s strong response to being struck while on trial. He was also being prophetic in his response in declaring that God would strike the whitewashed wall of a high priest. Annanias would be murdered ten years later according to the writings of Josephus.
Paul was also employing Jesus’ teaching from Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves…”
Realizing that a fair trial was impossible Paul, as an innocent dove, spoke up as a wise serpent.
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. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
This was the official end of Paul’s “wildly successful” gospel ministry in Jerusalem.
But remember what I said at the beginning, Jesus said, “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” And…
Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”
This “trial” before the Sanhedrin may have been the end of his time in Jerusalem but it was the beginning of his journey to Rome. On the way he would get to testify before Gentiles and kings.
So be encouraged by the truth of Romans 8:28,but be more encouraged by the truth in the verses that follow so that we, like Paul, can hammer out our theology on the anvil of our own experience.
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
