Acts 23:1

Acts 23:1 says. And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.  Paul addressed the chief priest and council with respect.  I might have let anger rule, but Paul acted as a Christian should, even if they had badly mistreated him.  He addressed them as men and brethren and said he had lived his life in all good conscience before God until that day.  It would be wonderful to be able to make the same statement, and it be true.  In his Jewish belief Paul was zealous and devoted to God through the Law. After his conversion, he was zealous and devoted to God through Christ.  Verse two adds, And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.  The high priest told those standing next to him to hit him in the mouth.  They were still wanting to act in a violent manner, which is not how God expects His people to act. When we disagree with people about Christ, we need to act out of love instead of hate.  Verse three continues, Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?  Paul responded that God would smite Ananias, the high priest, calling him a whited wall.  He basically called the high priest a hypocrite, not from anger but holy zeal or righteous indignation.  When the people of God begin to act outside the will of God, we have a right to feel righteous indignation toward them, but not hatred.  Paul was also warning the high priest that God would judge him.  He was going to judge Paul about following the Law while himself was having Paul smitten against the Law. That would be a good description of a hypocrite. Verse four states, And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?  They asked Paul if he didn’t know that the man he speaking against was the high priest.  Religious leaders today should never believe that their position makes them infallible.  Verse five adds, 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.  When Paul was told that the man was the chief priest, he said he didn't know and that it was wrong to speak evil against the ruler of the people.  Yet, if someone has to tell us that a person is a leader of God's people because his actions do not reveal it, then we, like Paul, might see their hypocrisy.  Verse six continues, 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. Paul realized he was speaking to both Pharisees and Sadducees.  These were two groups of God's chosen people who did not even agree as to what God taught.  We have many groups of Christians today who cannot agree about things the Bible teaches.  Paul then said, "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."  Verse seven states, And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.  When Paul said this, his accusers were divided.  Paul didn't lie about anything. That is who he was, and since they were questioning him about his teaching that Christ was the resurrected Lord, then his statement was true.  The members of the council were teaching two different truths.  Verse eight adds, The Sadducees taught there was no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit.  The Pharisees taught that there were both.  For the Sadducees, we have to wonder how they got so far away from the teachings of God.  Yet today there are professed Christians who teach things that are not Biblical, and many disagree with other groups.  Verse nine continues, 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.  The Pharisees said they found no fault with Paul, that if a spirit or angel had revealed to Paul that they could not fight against God.  Verse ten concludes. 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.  There was an uproar once again caused by the two groups, which would imply that the chief priest was the ruler of God's people in name only. Otherwise, he would have stopped the uproar.  The chief captain, fearing for Paul's life, sent soldiers to take him by force from the Jews.  It is a sad commentary when government officials have to save a Christian from a group professing to be God's people.  Still, today we occasionally hear about fights breaking out at a church and the police having to be called to break it up, or one group within a church suing the other over some disagreement.  This certainly does not glorify God.