Speaking of Evil
Text: Acts 23:1-11
Theme: Paul acted and reacted boldly, humbly and smartly.
Key verses: “Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: ‘Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!” Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. But Paul said to him, ‘God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?’ Those standing near Paul said to him, ‘Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?’ ‘I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the High Priest,’ Paul replied, ‘for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers'” (v. 1-5).
What I believe God said to me: Good morning, Dwayne. It’s good to meet with you this morning and commune with you through my Word. There are a few things going on under the surface here that one might not notice at first glance. Think about the context of this moment. Paul had been in Jerusalem for only a few days now. He had not stood before this High Council of Jews before. This was his first (and only) time to appear there. And while he may not have known them, they were certainly familiar with him. Jews had been stirring up trouble against Paul ever since he launched out on his missionary journeys. Jewish Christians in Jerusalem knew about his teachings before he ever arrived in their city. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that word about Paul had already reached the High Priest and the Sanhedrin before Paul was brought into their presence that day. But what did they think about Paul? No doubt they despised him for following “The Way” rather than adhering to their Jewish laws and submitting to them as Jewish leaders. They probably looked on him with disgust as he stood there before them. And then, when Paul opens his mouth to speak, the first thing that comes out is, “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!” Firstly, they didn’t want to think of him as a brother. What made it worse was his bold and seemingly absurd claim to holy and just living. He even dared to evoke my name and claim my approval on his life, saying he had lived according to the high standards of the Law. How could a no-good trouble-maker assert such things? they must have thought. No wonder Ananias’ knee-jerk reaction was to have him slapped! Think about it: If you were that convinced of his apostasy and that upset with his insubordinations, what might you have done? Now, this is not an excuse for Ananias’ behavior, mind you, but rather, a means to helping you see how and why this scene played out. From Paul’s perspective, the Sanhedrin were a bunch of godless men who helped get Jesus killed. He had no respect for them as men of God, and they certainly weren’t his leaders. Paul was a follower of Jesus’ Way, and they were diametrically opposed to The Way. So, imagine that moment with Paul in the hall of the Sanhedrin Court. When they slapped him for what he said, that wasn’t just them being mean, that was them treating someone they considered to be a criminal like a criminal. And when Paul lashed out with his rebuke to Ananias, that wasn’t Paul being sarcastic or reactionary. That was Paul doing what Paul did so well: Stating truth that people needed to hear. Of course, as soon as he realized Ananias was the High Priest, he apologized for his sudden outburst. Yet, he’d already put the truth out there to be heard. Notice that he didn’t retract the words he spoke; he only apologized for speaking them. When he said you shouldn’t “speak evil,” Paul wasn’t referring to the accuracy of his words, but rather to the expressing of them. Truth is still truth whether we state it or not. In a sense, Paul further underscored the gravity of what he had said when he acknowledged he was “speaking evil” towards those who struck him. He was basically stating that what Ananias did was in fact evil. So, why am I hammering these fine details, Dwayne? Because there is almost always more to Paul’s story than what first meets the ear. I want you to see beyond what was said and took place to why it happened and what you can learn from it. Paul acted within his character. In that moment in front of the High Council, Paul was both a bold, truth-speaking prophet and a humble, Christ-representing servant who sought to obey the laws of the land. Paul not only acted boldly and humbly, he also thought and acted smartly. You see, it was illegal to speak against a member of the Sanhedrin. Paul didn’t want to give them more reason to arrest him and prosecute him. Remember that Paul was on a mission, and his mission wasn’t to insult a high priest or to speak his mind. His mission from me was to proclaim my Gospel to as many as he possibly could.
What I said to God: Wow, I don’t think I’ve analyzed a meeting and a story more than I did this one today with Paul in front of the Sanhedrin. Thank You, Lord, for bringing these ideas and insights to my mind. I don’t presume that everything I’ve written out today is from You. I would never think that. I’m sure there are biblical scholars who are much more learned and wise than me who would disagree with some of my conclusions and thoughts concerning this passage. But still, this is good food for contemplation and introspection. Please help me be bold to speak the truth, but also help me temper it with love, humility and wisdom from above. May my ultimate goal always be the salvation and restoration of those who hear and see my message and life.