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Week Nineteen, Day Three

Acts 23: 1-11

The Romans had no idea what to do with Paul, so they called the Jewish council together to discover what the issue was. What takes place is an amazing bit of drama. Paul notices that the council is made up of Sadducees and Pharisees, so he pits the two against one another. As Luke explains, the Sadducees don't believe in angels or the spirit or resurrection. The Pharisees believe in all three.

Paul begins his defense by saying that he is a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee and his only crime was to proclaim “the hope of the resurrection.” This infuriates the Sadducees but forces the Pharisees to come to his defense. Soon, there was such a ruckus between the two groups that the Romans had to take Paul back to the barracks for his safety. Since he was a Roman citizen, they were obligated to protect him.

Then, in verse 11, Luke writes, “That night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness for me in Rome.'” Paul had declared to the folks back in Ephesus that he was going back to Jerusalem, but then he wanted to make his way to Rome, the capital of the world. This is a classic case of needing to be specific in what you wish for. Paul wanted to go to Rome, but not necessarily as a prisoner.

The next day a group of men decided that the best way to deal with Paul was to kill him. Some 40 of them conspired to have the Romans bring him back to the council where they could attack him. Paul's nephew, his sister's son, heard about the plot and reported it to the Roman Tribune. The tribune couldn't let a Roman citizen be assassinated in his care, so he got two centurions to put together 200 soldiers and 20 horsemen to escort Paul out of town. He sent Paul to Felix the Governor, a successor to Pontius Pilate.

Paul must have thought it was an awful lot of fuss for a simple preacher. It wasn't that Paul had any power, but the message he preached challenged everything the Jews believed. Soon, it would challenge the Romans, too. Calling people to reconsider beliefs in which they are deeply invested is a dangerous business. People will try to stop you with rumors first, and, if they can't assassinate your reputation, there is no telling what they will do to stop you.

Blessings,

Michael Piazza
President, Hope for Peace & Justice

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