Acts 22:30 - 23:5

Summary retelling of Acts 22:30-23:5

               

The military leader wants to know the real reason that Paul was being beaten in the temple, so he orders the Sanhedrin to gather and he brings Paul there.  Paul begins by addressing the Sanhedrin and saying that he has lived in good conscience according to God’s ways.  The chief priest orders Paul to be struck, and Paul insults the chief priest right back.  Paul then accuses the chief priest of not obeying the Law.  Those near Paul ask Paul if he really wants to revile the high priest, and Paul immediately backtracks.  The Bible says that we should not speak about our leaders in an evil manner.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I’ve got to give some credit to the military leader.  He’s finally beginning to realize that there is something really deep at stake.  He rescued someone in the temple that he thought was a criminal only to find out that he is a Roman citizen.  Things aren’t what they originally appear and he needs to do some investigation before he goes any further in determining a punishment for Paul.  So he orders the Jewish leaders to assemble.

Why is it almost always a good idea to get more information before taking a course of action?  {Unless, of course, you have all the information.  Then a person just needs to act.}

Second Thought:

Paul begins his defense by claiming to have kept God’s Law, which he had.  The chief priest orders him to be struck, demonstrating that the chief priest didn’t believe Paul’s claim.  The chief priest acted upon a subjective understanding of information rather than genuinely listening to Paul and the Holy Spirit.

Why are human beings quick to jump to conclusions?  Why do we often act before we think?  We do people – especially leaders – have a tendency to think they know what is right far more quickly than they should?  What does this say about the need to take time to discern as well as the need to respect those who do?

Third Thought:

Paul calls the chief priest a “whitewashed tomb.”  This expression comes from the fact that people would often paint tombs white in order to warn the living that they were approaching a place of the dead.  Since the living were supposed to avoid contact with the dead in Jewish society, the whitewashing of the tomb would enable people from approaching something that they shouldn’t.  Thus, Paul is looking to the chief priest and calling him a person who should be avoided because his theology and spiritual leadership is dead.  It’s a pretty harsh critique.

Do you think Paul is right in saying this?  What has led to the chief priest being closed minded and ignoring what God is doing in the world?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 23:6-10