Fight the Good Fight Wisely

Acts 23:1-10

1 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

4 And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?"

5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

6 But when Paul perceived that 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; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!"

7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. 8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. 9 Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God."

10 Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

Paul continued his apology or defense begun in the previous chapter to defend the hope within him who was Christ Jesus the Messiah of his people and of the Jews he addressed.  He looked at the crowd with expectation as he fixed his eyes on them and gazing intently into their eyes in honest pleading and explanation.  He began with how he had lived with a good conscience in all he said and did throughout his life that brought him to conviction and conversion to share that testimony of God’s word of grace with them.  The high priest slapped Paul for continuing in what the Jews mistook for blasphemy and the apostle born out of time (1 Corinthians 15:8) spoke back in accusation for the priest’s hypocrisy of judging and hitting him contrary to the law he claimed to adhere to.  Obviously, Paul did not realize the one hitting him in anger was the high priest and others let him know that.  He recited Exodus 22:28 about not hitting a leader of the people but then diverted his error as he noticed there were both Pharisees and Sadducees present looking on at the proceedings.  He used that opportunity to get the fellow Pharisees on his side by claim (truthfully) to be on trial for the hope of the resurrection and afterlife that the Sadducees did not believe in and he did as one of them.  The accusations against Paul were diverted from him to the two religious groups and their doctrine which started a dispute between them and led to the fellow Pharisees backing up Paul and getting him set free.  These scribes heard Paul telling how an angel of God must have spoken to him on the Damascus road and therefore it he must be telling the truth as representing God to them, which gave them a foot up against their rival Sadducees.  This turned into a lovely argument like our congessional meetings of late and provided an opportunity for the Roman military to take him safely away to their barracks before they tore him to pieces like a lion with its prey (1 Peter 5:8) like their father (John 8:44) who was set against God’s Anointed.  This shows how the apostle gave us an example how to testify openly of the gospel in extreme opposition and look for the openings given by the Lord according to His Spirit for a way safety out of danger when the rejection turns highly heated or even physical.  We can point the accusers to their own faulty beliefs and let them argue with each other until some may stop to consider the truth they have heard.  We may also live another day to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18, 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7) with the truth according to the only way (Acts 4:12) and to deliver them from such religious hatred and opposition to Jesus Christ who is the Lord of all and hope of the afterlife.  We do this by being wise to the way of those in the world but harmless as a dove of peace (Matthew 10:16) in the midst of the wolves.