Acts 22:30-25:12
Key Verse – “My
brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because
of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6b).
Today’s
passage is about Paul’s three trials - before the Sanhedrin under Commander
Lysias’ supervision, before Governor Felix in Caesarea, and before Emperor Festus
in Caesarea as well. During these trials, what Paul believed, how he lived, and
what risks he was willing to take to prove his innocence and truth, were all on
the chopping block of the religious leaders’ and governors’ principles,
authority, and power. Through today’s passage, I pray that we may come to know
what worldly forces challenge our faith and also, what we may learn from Paul regarding
how to uphold the truth through life’s trials.
In our review
of what had happened up to this point, we know that, in Ephesus, Paul’s
preaching of the Gospel bore tremendous fruit; large numbers of Gentiles came
to faith and Christ’s name was upheld high. The Gospel’s power defeated all
pagan beliefs. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus was so powerful and fruitful that it
could be considered to be one of the greatest successes in his life. Seeing
such great success, he might have felt joy and pride in spirit, similar to that
of Jesus’ disciples while on their mission journey (Luke 10:17). At the end of his
time in Ephesus, God gave Paul great confidence in His grace and power; in this
power, Paul was likely compelled to challenge the unbelief of his people,
particularly the leaders in Jerusalem, for they were headed towards God’s
judgment (Romans 9:1-2). In Jerusalem, while he was following the purification
rite for the week, Paul faced a Jewish mob, who were about to kill him right
there. He scarcely escaped death from this sudden attack, thanks to the
protection of a Roman commander. From that point on, Paul became a prisoner
under Roman power and stood trial under the Roman government. Can the power contained
in the Gospel prevail over the powers of human righteousness and the world?
1.
Paul’s
trial before the Sanhedrin (Ch. 23)
Paul was brought
before the Sanhedrin so that he might be tried in an orderly fashion. In this
court, there were seventy Sanhedrin members, in addition to other Roman
soldiers and officers. The first word he spoke to them was this:
“My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty
to God in all good conscience to this day.” (Acts 23:1).
This was to combat
the charges that these Jews brought against Paul, that he did not follow the Law
of Moses. He had not done anything wrong at all; all of his teachings in the Ephesian
synagogues were right and in line with the Old Testament. As soon as they heard
this, the chief priests had one of their attendants strike Paul’s mouth. From
the high priest’s perspective, Paul was being arrogant, not only in calling
them ‘brothers’, but also for daring to say that he had ‘fulfilled’ his duty to
the Lord; as far as they knew Paul had taught against the Law of Moses, against
the Jews, and calling circumcision useless. But as for Paul, this was a genuine
statement from the depths of his heart. When he was rebuked, he made a far more
bold and daring statement!
“Then Paul said to him, “God will
strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the
law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” (Acts
23:3).
Paul called
the high priest “a whitewashed wall”; in this way, he labeled him as a
hypocrite. The high priest was considered the authority on the law and the most
holy and righteous man in Israel. He rebuked Paul and, in return, Paul labeled
him a hypocrite. Who was right and just before God? This was the theme of Paul’s
letter to the Romans, which was written while he was staying in Macedonia, just
before he set out on his journey to Jerusalem. In this letter, he pointed out
the Jews’ wickedness, because they judged others while they themselves did not
do what the law said (Romans 2). Jesus noted this same problem with the Jews,
and delivered seven woes against the leaders of Israel (Luke 11:37-52). Another
time, the Sanhedrin, the governing body and spiritual leaders of Israel, was
confronted by Stephen (Acts 6). Here, Paul directly charged the high priest,
the head of the Sanhedrin, with being a whitewashed wall. He could do this only
because God had confirmed his faithfulness through the exihibtion of much power
upon so many people in Ephesus. On the other hand, the high priest’s life was
so bad and those around him were corrupted; the nation as a whole elected to
honor him as the spiritual leader. Who was right and just? This is not a matter
of how much one knows or how much authority one has, but rather it is a matter
of if God is with him or not. God is not with the unrighteous and ungodly. Some
years later, the high priest, Ananias, was arrested by one of the rebel groups
and killed, just before a full Jewish war broke out. In this regard, Paul’s
rebuke also bore enormous weight for the high priest’s wellbeing; however, in
his righteousness through the law, he continued to rely on his own way.
After this
initial judgment, Paul called out in a loud voice:
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee,
descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the
resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6b).
This was a
tense and hostile environment. Persuasion might not do much, but one phrase, ‘the
hope of the resurrection’ struck them like thunder. Resurrection was an issue on
which neither the Pharisees nor the Sadducees would relinquish or compromise.
They both honored the Law of Moses, but they differed in their understanding of
its application for their lives. Each of these parties were so right in their
own eyes that none of them were willing
to compromise their belief and position; instead, they fought bitterly against
each other.
“The dispute became so violent that
the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the
troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the
barracks.” (Acts 23:10).
In the midst
of this bitter fight, the commander protected Paul and brought him into the
barracks.
Such bitter fighting
among religious factions continued and corrupted them so much, that many of the
people distrusted their leaders and formed rebel groups.
The next
day, some Jews came together and conspired to kill Paul. This was an obvious
sign of their refusal to heed his warning against their sins. Their resolve to
kill him had some tones of fervent zeal for God. Any zeal before the Lord must
express itself through or by obedience, but when the zeal is rooted in human
desires or passions, instead of in serving God’s will, it obstructs His purpose
and becomes disobedience (Deuteronomy 1:42-46). Even with such zeal and cunning
schemes, they could not succeed. God foiled their plans through Paul’s nephew, in
order for him to testify in Rome. The Roman commander, Lysias, then sent Paul
immediately to Caesarea.**
For the hope
of the resurrection, Paul was willing to give up everything; however, these two
factions fought against each other on this matter in order to get their own way.
The law does not provide anyone with righteousness. When one relies on the law
for righteousness, they will certainly be led into conflict. Therefore, it is
not the law, but rather the hope of the resurrection through the grace found in
Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection, which leads us to righteousness.
Because of this, it is worthy to risk everything for the hope of the resurrection.
Paul chose to go to Jerusalem, to suffer, and to challenge the Jews’ beliefs,
despite their death threats; this was because of the hope of the resurrection,
not only for him, but also for his people, the Jews. The law brings conflict,
but the hope of the resurrection gives people strength to endure anything. What
will win - the law or the hope of the resurrection? I hope and pray that we all
will put down whatever law to which we are clinging and pick up this hope. The
hope of the resurrection is the only power that can win against all the powers
driven by man-made laws. Setting our hearts on the hope of the resurrection
is the first way to overcome trials.
2.
Paul’s trial
before Felix (ch 24)
Paul was
tried in a controlled setting before the Roman governor, Felix, at Caesarea. The
high priest, Ananias, along with some of the elders, charged him with two crimes:
“We have found this man to be a
troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a
ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we
seized him.” (Acts 24:5-6).
Felix, the
governor, ran the nation with extreme greed and extortion, using various
cunning schemes with which the Jews could not bear. To challenge such a harsh
and unlawful rule, many rebel forces were formed and quite a few people joined
together in attacking the corrupted leaders and government officials through vandalism
or robbery. During Felix’s tenure as governor, rebellion was common and rebels
were dealt with by means of harsh and brutal punishments, such as crucifixion, in
order to suppress them. One of the biggest revolts was caused by an Egyptian
Jew who claimed to be a messiah and drew a large number of people to join him
as a powerful force against the governing authorities. Eventually, this band of
trouble makers was destroyed and their leader ran away. Here, the Jewish
leaders forced the idea that Paul was this kind of leader, inciting a rebellion
against Rome and the governing authorities. They accused him of being a trouble
maker and the ringleader of a violent and rebellious sect. So when Paul
described what he had done, he clearly told them that he was not one of those
kinds of people; instead, he was a godly man, who had brought gifts to many
believers, while many others had lived by vandalism and robbery, causing social
turmoil.
What Paul had
faced in various places, like Asia and Achaia, had some semblance of a violence–induced,
rebellious mob. The Jews acted violently wherever he went. As Luke described in
Acts 19:23-41, there was violence that broke out against Paul and his
companions in Ephesus. It was incited by a silversmith named Demetrius, because
he was losing his business. Nevertheless, such characterization was absurd and
totally wrong; however, Christian principles and beliefs will surely challenge those
of this world. When the world and its forces cannot get their way, it will
resort to violence. They will also label believers as part of various violent
groups or characterize them as ‘rebels’ against the societal norm. A perfect
example of this in the United States is the LGBT movement’s characterization of
believers as ‘bigots’. If such things happen in the United States, where 80% of
the population identifies themselves as Christians, then how much more so in
other nations, where Christians form only a minority. These accusers have no
fear of God and His truth, but only care for their own way of life. In his
defense, Paul said this:
“You can easily verify that no more
than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at
the temple, or stirring up a crowd in
the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you
the charges they are now making against me.” (Acts 24:11-13).
In this way,
Paul denied having caused any violence and denied inciting people to violence.
God’s justice, love, and truth can never be communicated through violence, since
violence always threatens people and is man’s way of communicating his ungodly will;
however, underneath the semblance of such violence, lay the truth about Paul’s
life, which he explained:
“However, I admit that I
worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they
call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is
written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men
themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the
righteous and the wicked.” (Acts 24:14-15).
Paul
worshiped the God of Israel, in accordance with the Law and the Prophets, which
led him to have hope in God and the hope of the resurrection from the dead. This
is the essence of what he believed and lived out. So he summed up his life in
this way:
“So I strive always to keep my
conscience clear before God and man.” (Acts 24:16).
What does this tell us? Our defense does not lie in the
logic or arguments about ideas, but in faith and the life we live by that
faith. The anchor of Paul’s life was God and the hope that God had revealed to
him through the Scriptures. As one stands before God and His revealed truth, he
can keep his conscience clear. This is the basic principle of life for all
humanity; no one can live in clear conscience without genuine fear of the God
of creation, the Lord of heaven and earth, and the Judge of the living and the
dead. As much as those accusers anchored their faith in God, so much more did
Paul. He shared the same faith and hope with the accusers, but one thing was different;
he
sought a life of faith as a follower of the Way, which excluded all
other ways as wrong or incorrect. This is the way to God’s Kingdom and eternal
life, not in judgment but in blessing. Jesus told his disciples that he was the
way, the truth, and the life. If the Old Testament’s message directed people to
the hope of God, then Jesus’ way enabled people to attain that hope. In the certainty
of this hope, Paul strove to keep his conscience clear before both God and man.
This was a concise description of his life’s philosophy; in essence, the Jewish
leaders’ goal or hope was the same as Paul’s, except that the way how to achieve
the goal was different. The difference was in Jesus, the way, the truth and the
life. Today, there are many religions, and, as all men share the same
predicament under the power of sin and death, so we all share the same hope. However,
there is only one way to receive that hope, Jesus; all other ways are wrong or
false, because they are not from God.
Likewise,
Paul expressed his message with them, while also clearly delineating the
difference between their belief and his. The ability to distinguish between
these two is so important when defending ourselves from all of the world’s accusations.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”
(1Peter 3:15 NIV).
Defending
our faith is obedience to Jesus’ way. He is the Way, and all other
ways are false, no matter how similar they might look. This is an apologetic
argument for the faith. In all of our confrontations with the world, this is an
essential technique and knowledge that we believers must possess. This is the
second way to fight the battles against this world’s forces.
From v17 to
21, Paul presented all the facts that had led to his arrest. In these facts,
there was nothing to support the Jews’ charge that he had led a mob or stirred
up riots. Instead, he had come with gifts for his people, was ceremonially
clean, and was not involved in any temple disturbances.
Paul
concluded his defense in this way:
“unless it was this one thing I
shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the
dead that I am on trial before you today.’” (Acts 24:21).
For this one
cause, i.e. the hope of the resurrection, Paul was willing to endure any trials
or sufferings. If there is one thing for which you are willing to suffer, what
is it? For many, it is money; for others, it is honor, power, or human love.
But for us, it is the hope of the resurrection. At the end of Paul’s defense, the
Jewish leaders could not present enough evidence against him, so Felix decided
to try questioning him again when the commander arrived. There was no justice
in him. Thereafter, Felix made a number of visits to Paul, hoping to gain
something from him; it was more than possible for him to release Paul if ‘a
closed door’ deal was made, since he was well known to do anything for his
personal gain. However, Paul did not give him anything, except the hope of the resurrection
(25-26), and did not resort to any ungodly means in order to save his life. He
was pure, even to the most ungodly, unprincipled, and selfish man in Rome. In
this trial, what he believed and how he lived were exposed and tested by the world’s
standards. He was proven to be true and innocent, because his life was focused
on one thing - the hope of the resurrection. At the same time, his
life and words testified loudly of the hope that he lived for, the resurrection
of the dead. This is the second way to overcome trials.
3.
Paul’s
trial before Festus (ch. 25)
Felix left
Paul in prison to gain the Jews’ favor. The next governor, Festus, took over
the matter. As he assumed office, some of the Jewish leaders devised a plan to
kill Paul, by asking the governor to try him in Jerusalem. Festus rejected this
request and Paul was tried again in Caesarea. In this trial, there was nothing
new in their charges and they could not prove that Paul had committed any wrongdoing.
Thus, Paul said this:
“Then Paul made his defense: “I have
done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against
Caesar.” (Acts 25:8).
By this
time, there was nothing further to be brought up in order to change the trial’s
outcome. Nevertheless, the Jewish leaders’ resolve to get rid of Paul was still
firm and Festus was unwilling to provoke their anger. As a politician, his mind
was geared towards pacifying the majority of the people. To him, it did not
matter much whether or not Paul was innocent. As long as the Jewish leaders
held such hostility, Festus was not willing to release Paul.
“Festus, wishing to do the Jews a
favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial
before me there on these charges?” (Acts 25:9).
This might
have been a last attempt to pacify the religious leaders’ anger, but Paul came
to sense the deeper intention behind this offer:
“Paul answered: “I am now standing
before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to
the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing
anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought
against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to
them. I appeal to Caesar!” (Acts 25:10-11).
Paul
perceived Festus’ intention; he wanted to hand Paul over to the Jewish leaders
in Jerusalem. This would certainly mean his death. However, his argument was
clear; if he was found guilty in this court and sentenced to deserve death,
then he was willing to die. But, as a matter of fact, nothing was determined
during this Roman trial. He was currently in the Roman court, being tried as a
Roman citizen. He would not be sent back to the Jewish court! So, he concluded his
defense by saying, “I appeal to Caesar!”
What does
this trial tell us? As with Felix, Festus had no interest in any justice for
Paul. Instead, this was a political ploy to do away with Paul. Here, only the interests
of the governing parties were involved; there was nothing that Paul could do. In
these ungodly parties, how could he seek God’s will or purpose? Had God
indicated something to Paul for situations like this? Yes! At the end of the
first trial, Jesus appeared to Paul and said this,
“Take courage! As you have testified
about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” (Acts 23:11).
Appealing to
Caesar was an open-ended and uncertain road, but, having committed his life to
God’s hands, Paul chose His direction and appealed to Caesar.
In this
third trial, only the political interests played out and there was no
consideration for justice at all. Paul’s prospects for life looked dark and hopeless;
however, in this situation, Paul committed his life to God’s hands by
making a brave decision to obey His directions. Though Paul was in
chains and his life was totally under the authority of these leaders, he made the
decision to choose God’s way. By this, he commandeered the thoughts of ungodly
minds and turned towards the Lord’s way. So, making a decision to commit one’s life
to God and for His good is the third way to handle life’s ‘trials’.
We all face
various trials. Today’s passage talks about three of these. As we noticed from looking
at Paul’s trials, the main source of his persecution was from the Jews, who
claimed to be right and just in their own eyes. Through these trials, Paul’s
faith was tested and the gospel’s power was revealed. In the court proceedings,
Paul said that the primary reason why he stood on trial was because he had hope
in the resurrection of the dead. Jesus’ crucifixion speaks powerfully against
all of their own righteousness. Because of this, such people hate the gospel message
and are willing to do anything, even murder people, to prove their
‘righteousness’. This is well proven throughout Christian history, as well as world
history.
In Paul’s
day, the gospel faced a great headwind of resistance from Jerusalem; its
teachings were against the power of the Law the righteousness found in it, and
the power of worldly government. Even now, Christians’ main source of
persecution comes from those religions that support righteousness by good
deeds. Actually, all men are more or less the same in their effort to make
themselves right in their own eyes. Those religions feed the desires of men by
providing rich sources to uphold their righteousness while doing ungodly and
evil things. Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is the only remedy for such
ailments, and we, the ones who have the hope of resurrection in Him, are the proof
for that cure. Whatever you are doing or what difficulties you are going
through, I hope and pray that you may find the reason for why you are doing or
going through the hardships of life in Paul’s answer: ‘because of the hope of the
resurrection.’ In and through our trials in faith, I pray, that proof of
Christ’s resurrection will be fully revealed and shine through us.
**[Both Paul and the Jews had similar intentions, but their
core beliefs were different. More or less, all world religions act in a similar
fashion when dealing with other religions, especially when conflicts of
interest arise between two religious factions, such as social and economic
benefits. The survival of Jewish religion was at stake because of the gospel.
In such fear and for the purpose of ensuring that the nation as a whole adhered
to the traditions of the Law of Moses, the Jews fought against Roman rules, as
well as against the emerging force of the Way. As Felix’s disrespect of the Law
was an open threat to the integrity of Jewish religion, so was the Way that
claimed to be the truth by doing away with the Law’s principles. It was their
way of defending the Law, but the actual defense for the law was never through violence
or hostility against those who seem to impose compromise, but must be through
seeking God’s favor. One of the Jews’ most critical failures was their failure to
recognize that they incurred these hardships because they had violated the Law
of Moses (Deuteronomy 28:15-28). I believe that the same principle applies to
all of the people of the world, in regards to their sufferings, the laws of
life, and different pagan beliefs. As long as people hold on to their own ‘righteousness’
through their religions or ways of life, and yet fail to meet God’s holy
requirements, then their suffering will continue, so that they may seek the
Lord of life, Jesus. We believers are the only exception to this, for we have chosen
to suffer along with Christ for the sake of others. As we uphold Christ’s lordship,
the world will respond with persecutions, until their power is broken either by
recognizing the futility of their beliefs or by finding true life in Christ.]
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