ACTS

ACTS 23

• Acts 23:1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God unto this day. 

This continues from the previous chapter 22.

How could Paul say that when he was before a murderer and a persecutor of Christians? How could Paul say that he has lived in all good conscience before God unto this day?

Because when sins are forgiven and cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus Christ is makes us justified which means just as if we had never sinned. Think about it. It means that when we come to Christ repenting of sin, we are cleansed and we are no longer sinners. We were once sinners who have been saved by grace but we are no longer sinners saved by grace. We are saints who were saved by grace. 

One note here is that before Paul's conversion, he did think that he was serving the will of God in all good conscience but he did discover that he was wrong in what he thought was right. 

After Jesus came into the world any true religion will not persecute and kill opponents. Our commission is to preach the gospel, not kill and destroy. We are never given permission to persecute dissenters or those who believe different than what we think is truth. The law of the land has a right given by God to punish evil doers if they steal, kill and break the law that doesn't contradict God's law, but the church has no right to take another life or persecute a person for the sake of their conscience or faith. 

We have a right to forbid false teaching and prevent troublemakers from teaching in our particular church that we have authority over, but we have no right to physically harm anyone and we have no authority to stop what they teach outside of our place of worship. We can stop people by spreading the gospel and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit, not on our physical presence to remove them.

• Acts 23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 

Here is an example of a religious person who thought he represented God commanding that someone smite Paul on the mouth to shut up his testimony. This person did not know God. He had fallen from the truth if he did ever knew God. If this man was of God, he would have known who Jesus was. 

• Acts 23:3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sit thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? 
• 4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 
• 5 Then said Paul, 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. 

This is sometimes hard for us to grasp but we are not to speak evil of our rulers. If they become evil, we must pray for them. If they do not repent, we can ask God to remove them. We are to obey the law of the land except if it opposes God's laws. It really doesn't do much good to speak evil of a person. It never changes their character. Instead start out with prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in what to do about ungodly rulers whether it be in our land or in our churches. I'm sure this commandment does not mean that we blindly follow any church or religious leader without question. We follow God and if they do not follow God we still follow God but with meekness and respect, not in defiance. 

• Acts 23:6 But when Paul 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. 
• 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 
• 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. 

Paul was smart here and gained a little time to speak further of what he was called of God to speak. I'm sure Paul didn't do this to save himself any physical harm. 

• Acts 23:9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 
• 10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. 
• 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. 

Actually God was sending Paul to Rome to preach to the Gentiles as he told Paul before. All this delay and persecution of Paul was actually bringing it about. He would be sent to Rome and along the way bear much witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

• Act 23:12 And when it was day, 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. 
• 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 

Conspiracies do not work on those called of God according to His purpose unless it is their time to be with the Lord. 

• Acts 23:14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 
• 15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. 
• 16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. 

It is nice to have faithful relatives about town. See how God can even use children and young people.

• Acts 23:17 Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 
• 18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 
• 19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? 
• 20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 
• 21 But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. 
• 22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast showed these things to me. 
• 23 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; 
• 24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. 
• 25 And he wrote a letter after this manner: 
• 26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix sendeth greeting. 
• 27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. 
• 28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: 
• 29 Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 
• 30 And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell. 
• 31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. 
• 32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle: 
• 33 Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. 
• 34 And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; 
• 35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall. 

Usually secular rulers are not overly concerned about crimes over religious reasons unless it affects their own political power by pleasing the people that are in arms against the accused. Just as Pilate knew Jesus was not guilty of any crime worthy of death, these rulers knew Paul was innocent of any civil crimes. 

In the United States as of this date, we have always had freedom of religion at least in our constitution. There have always been individuals and groups that have tried to persecute those they considered in error but the government itself allows freedom of religion. It is hard for us that have been used to this freedom to understand the persecution of certain sects. Our thinking is, "Why not let everyone believe how they choose?" It blows our mind to read of history and of people being killed for believing in something when they were innocent in other matters such as stealing, murder, or other capital offenses. Yet it happened even by the so-called church at certain times. Most people who persecute actually think they are doing God a service except in the case of the Communists and other atheistic governments. 

We in the USA sometimes are mistaken in thinking that the days of religious persecution is over. It is not. In many countries in the Middle East and other regions persecution of people that are of a different faith than those in power is happening even as I write. 

I don't know how long God will allow us in the US to live in peace seeing as we have turned our backs on Him and have kicked Him out of our schools, government and even some that are called churches have forsaken the truth of God's word. We as a nation have ignored His laws and commandments and take lightly the bible and warnings of judgment. I really don't know how much time we have left but we really need to pray for our country and pray that we return to the fear of God and acknowledge Him again as our protector because if He removes His hand of protection, we have no protection. No matter how great our navy, army, air force and marines are, without God's hand of protection, they are nothing. We need God folks. There is no way around that fact. 

Our beloved brother Paul suffered for His convictions and faith in Jesus. He could have enjoyed his salvation, bought a house, married a wife and lived in comfort believing in Christ but keeping it to himself.

Paul couldn't do that because that would mean so many others would be lost and on their way to hell. He couldn't do that because it would mean disobeying the heavenly commandment of Jesus Himself in calling Paul to preach to the Gentiles. He couldn't do that because Paul wanted to preach the gospel even if it meant endangering his own life.

Tradition tells us that Paul did die a martyr's death. It is now over 2000 years after the time of Paul and he is in a better place with Jesus. The words of Paul we can remember is, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." Paul is with Jesus as is the other apostles. Because of their faithfulness, we can believe. We must not forget those overseas that are suffering as Paul and the apostles did for believing and preaching the gospel of Jesus. -DC

Acts 24