Acts 23

1. Background

We are now entering the scene where Paul is before the Jewish council.  He has been almost killed by a Jewish mob in the temple but “rescued” by the Romans when they saw what was happening.  Once the Romans realized the dispute was something over the Jewish law, the Romans brought Paul before the Jewish rulers to examine him.

Once brought before the council, it seems Paul used a clever ruse to divert attention away from himself and divide the council against itself.  Knowing the council was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, Paul knew that the Sadducees rejected the concept of a resurrection whereas the Pharisees believed it.  The Gospel is the message about the hope we received through faith because Jesus has been resurrected from the dead.  Many Pharisees would have realized that day, the Gospel is the fulfillment of their hope of a bodily resurrection.

2. What Can We Learn About God?

God is affirming the hope of a resurrection. In Paul’s ruse to divide the council against him and garnish support from the Pharisees, Paul brings up the hope of resurrection in which the Pharisees hold and he Sadducees deny.

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. vv9

Shortly after this statement, there was great dissension arose that almost saw Paul being torn apart between the two sides tugging on him.  The night following the Lord spoke to Paul and said,  “Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” vv11.  The witness of Christ’s own resurrection includes the promise of our own promised resurrection by faith in Him (see John 11:25).

²⁵ Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ²⁶ And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

John 11:25-26

God uses the devices of His enemies to bring the Gospel to more people. Shortly after God speaks to Paul and tells him to “Be of good cheer, Paul…must thou bear witness also at Rome”, immediately we are told of a plot on Paul’s life.  News of the plot comes to the commander who then which escorts Paul under Roman guard to Felix.   Thus through the devices of the enemy put in motion the chain of events that will eventually lead Paul to Rome, as the Lord had said.

3. How Is the Passage Fulfilled in Christ?

God affirms our hope of resurrection through the irrefutable historical event of Christ’s resurrection.  The book of Acts opens up by tellings us of the many irrefutable proofs Christ gave to the disciples over a forty-day period (see Acts 1:3).   Have you ever heard someone say, “You can’t make this stuff up?”  It is a saying we use when an event that really happened is otherwise so rare or unusual that no one would have imagined it up, such is the concept of the Risen Savior.

The account of the disciple’s unbelief and skepticism shows to prove they didn’t think it up as they could not accept it themselves.  A crucified Messiah is not what anyone would have imagined and we know that it required reasoning with the Scriptures to finally persuade the Jews that their Messiah needed to suffer (see Acts 17:1-3).

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: ² And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, ³ Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

Acts 17:1-3

But now that Jesus’ resurrection lies at the center of our profession, we preach a hope of a resurrection for all who place their faith in Christ.  And we can reasonably place our faith in Him, knowing His power is sufficient to raise the dead.  We would not reasonably accept the promise of someone who is now dead and did not have the power of life in themselves, such would be a vain faith.  But our faith is not vain because we place it in the Son of God who has life in Himself and whom He commands to live, will indeed live (see John 5:24-26).

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. ²⁵ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. ²⁶ For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

John 5:24-26

If Jesus could not demonstrate power over death, then our faith would be vain and we should be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:17)

God used the death of Christ as His ultimate act of goodness for those who believe.  This corresponds with our observation above that God uses the devices of His enemies to bring the victory.  In this case, what God’s enemies did to Christ is the very heart of the Gospel message.  The Gospel message is a story of what Jesus did and what was done to Him.  His sacrificial love and suffering is compelling when people understand His suffering is the measure of his love.   The end result gives us the gospel in story form, much more than a mere statement and proclamation of God’s love, but through the enemies attempt to bury the King, we have indisputable proof of God’s great love for sinners.  The story of the cross is an invitation to all who would escape the effects of sin, an eternity in hell, and become the child of God, loved beyond measure.

4. Application:

I will see what God’s enemies to do me with a new set of eyes.  If God is powerful enough and wise enough to use the crucifixion of His own Son for the glory of God and goodness of all who believe, then I too, like Christ, will be able to submit under God’s hand if I must be persecuted for Christ sake.