Acts Chapter 23 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Acts 23:1
Sha'ul looked straight at them and said, "Brothers, I have been discharging my obligations to God with a perfectly clear conscience, right up until today."
Paul opens this first court appearance by telling the leaders that he has a clear conscious as he has done what God asked him to do. We, like Paul, must understand that we answer to God as we are His servants because we love Him.
Acts 23:2
But the cohen hagadol, Hananyah, ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth.
The high priest didn't like what Paul had to say and so he ordered that Paul be slapped in the mouth. We may ask ourselves why Ananias took such offense to what Paul said but it really comes down to power. If people know that they have freedom in Christ and answer to God directly instead of to an earthly priest, that priest will lose his power and in many cases wealth. The same is true today in many cases and was condemned by Jesus in the letters to the churches (see Revelation 2:6) when he spoke of the practices of the Nicolaitans.
Acts 23:3
Then Sha'ul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Will you sit there judging me according to the Torah, yet in violation of the Torah order me to be struck?"
This is the same type of thing that Jesus said to the teachers of the law in Luke 11:37-52. A whitewash is simply like a cheap paint on the wall as it makes the outside look good for a while but can hide its supporting structure. There are people like this even today as they say the right "church phrases" but it is all talk and there is no faith behind it to put the words into action. This is also what James was warning about in his letter to believers (see James 1:19-27).
Acts 23:4 & 5
The men nearby said, "This is the cohen hagadol of God that you're insulting!" Sha'ul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was the cohen hagadol; for it says in the Torah, 'You are not to speak disparagingly of a ruler of your people.'"
The command that Paul quoted was given to Moses, in Exodus 22:28, and, even though Paul was not under the Law, he did his best to keep the Law as a witness to others. Paul realized and was a great example of the fact that our obedience to God does not depend on the actions of others. He apologized for breaking this law and explained that it happened because of his ignorance of the identity of the high priest.
Acts 23:6
But knowing that one part of the Sanhedrin consisted of Tz'dukim and the other of P'rushim, Sha'ul shouted, "Brothers, I myself am a Parush and the son of P'rushim; and it is concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am being tried!"
Paul understood the people that he was on trial before because he was trained and raised to be a Jewish religious leader. He gets to the heart of the matter which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Acts 23:7 & 8
When he said this, an argument arose between the P'rushim and the Tz'dukim, and the crowd was divided. For the Tz'dukim deny the resurrection and the existence of angels and spirits; whereas the P'rushim acknowledge both.
The Sadducees believed only in the physical body and the here and now while the Pharisees believed in resurrection and the spirits. After Paul spoke, they started arguing with each other about these things. There are those that say that Paul did this so that he could get away from them but that is not true as we know that Paul knew he was going to be kept and sent to Rome for trial. Even in the face of this trial, Paul was simply stating the facts about Jesus and the resurrection and it was not some clever plan that he dreamed up to escape what he knew God was calling him to do.
Acts 23:9
So there was a great uproar, with some of the Torah-teachers who were on the side of the P'rushim standing up and joining in - "We don't find anything wrong with this man; and if a spirit or an angel spoke to him, what of it?"
The Pharisees thought that it was possible that a spirit or angel had given the message to Paul and so defended him. The Sadducees (who did not believe in spirits and angels) are like many Christians today who say that God doesn't talk to His people. We were given the Holy Spirit which is our Counselor and the way that God speaks to our hearts every day.
Acts 23:10
The dispute became so violent that the commander, fearing that Sha'ul would be torn apart by them, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force and bring him back into the barracks.
The argument over resurrection and spirits got so bad that the commander was afraid for Paul. He had Paul taken into protective custody and kept in the barracks with the soldiers.
Acts 23:11
The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage! For just as you have borne a faithful witness to me in Yerushalayim, so now you must bear witness in Rome."
Before he came to Jerusalem, Paul knew that he was going to be arrested for sharing the gospel. He boldly went ahead because he knew that was God's will for him. Now, the Lord tells him that he must do the same thing in Rome. We may try to elevate Paul as some sort of super Christian as God was using him in a mighty way but God has prepared things for all of us to do (see Ephesians 2:10). It is the same for all of us in that we are all called to testify about Jesus Christ wherever the Lord sends us and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.
Acts 23:12 & 13
The next day, some of the Judeans formed a conspiracy. They took an oath, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Sha'ul; more than forty were involved in this plot.
A group of forty Jews made a pact to kill Paul. They pledged that they would not eat or drink until he was dead. These days it seems like people take oaths and give their word with no intention of keeping it but it was not like that during these times. The men were serious and intended to kill Paul before the end of the day.
Acts 23:14 & 15
They went to the head cohanim and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food until we have killed Sha'ul. What you are to do is make it appear to the commander that you and the Sanhedrin want to get more accurate information about Sha'ul's case, so that he will bring him down to you; while we, for our part, are prepared to kill him before he ever gets here."
The forty men needed the help of the religious leaders to carry out their plan. They asked them to have another trial and while Paul was on his way to appear they would ambush him. This is the same way that Satan usually attacks Christians in that it is rarely a direct frontal assault.
Acts 23:16-18
But the son of Sha'ul's sister got wind of the planned ambush, and he went into the barracks and told Sha'ul. Sha'ul called one of the officers and said, "Take this man up to the commander; he has something to tell him." So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, "The prisoner Sha'ul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."
Paul's nephew learned of the plot to kill him and went to tell him about it. Paul then sent him to tell the commander what he knew. This is a wonderful example of how God takes care of His own people. God had Paul's nephew where he needed to be at the perfect time to hear of the plan. That same God is at work in our lives today; we just need to slow down and be alert to see Him at work.
Acts 23:19-21
The commander took him by the hand, led him aside privately and asked, "What is it you have to tell me?" He said, "The Judeans have agreed to ask you tomorrow to bring Sha'ul down to the Sanhedrin on the pretext that they want to investigate his case more thoroughly. But don't let yourself be talked into it, because more than forty men are lying in wait for him. They have taken an oath neither to eat nor to drink until they kill him; and they are ready now, only waiting for you to give your consent to their request."
Paul's nephew repeated the story to the commander. Given the facts, the commander now has a choice to make and this is a picture of our job in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. We, like Paul's nephew, are called to tell people what we know but we cannot make them do the right thing and accept Christ. No matter how many fancy words we can come up with it is still comes down to people hearing about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Acts 23:22-24
The commander let the young man go, cautioning him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me." Then he summoned two of the captains and said, "Get two hundred infantry soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight, and seventy mounted cavalry and two hundred spearmen; also provide replacements for Sha'ul's horse when it gets tired; and bring him through safely to Felix the governor."
The commander decided to do the right thing and so he sent Paul to the governor under heavy guard. It would not have went well for him if he had let Paul, a Roman citizen, be killed by a bunch of Jews and so he sent the problem to his boss, the governor. Sometimes, God uses people that don't even know Him to do His will and that is what happens here as God's will was for Paul to testify in Rome. This is the first step in that journey.
Acts 23:25 & 26
And the commander wrote the following letter: From: Claudius Lysias To: His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings!
The commander wrote a letter to the governor to send with Paul to explain the situation. This was his boss and so he wanted to get rid of the problem and to make himself look good.
Acts 23:27
This man was seized by the Judeans and was about to be killed by them, when I came on the scene with my troops and rescued him. After learning that he was a Roman citizen,
The commander puts an interesting spin on the story of Paul's captivity. He makes it seem like he was a hero that saved Paul because he knew that he was a Roman citizen. He left out the part where he had him bound and was going to be flogged by the troops.
Acts 23:28 & 29
I wanted to understand exactly what they were charging him with; so I brought him down to their "Sanhedrin." I found that he was charged in connection with questions of their "Torah" but that there was no charge deserving death or prison.
The commander explains that he held a hearing and found that the charges against Paul did not stand up. It is odd that, instead of releasing him, he was still being held even though he was innocent. This is the same thing that happened to Jesus as He was not found guilty of anything yet He was still held and crucified. God was in control of both situations and both Jesus and Paul were being obedient.
Acts 23:30
But when I was informed of a plot against the man, I immediately sent him to you and also ordered his accusers to state their case against him before you.
The commander finishes his letter to the governor by explaining that he has ordered a hearing to be held at Caesarea.
Acts 23:31-33
So the soldiers, following their orders, took Sha'ul during the night and brought him to Antipatris, then returned to the barracks after leaving the cavalry to go on with him. The cavalry took him to Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor, and handed Sha'ul over to him.
So, Paul begins his journey from Jerusalem to Rome. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that, through all of this, God is still in control. God is using these people to carry out his purpose in this which is for Paul to testify to rulers about Jesus Christ. It is also a good reminder to us that God can use all people even those that do not know Him such as these soldiers.
Acts 23:34 & 35
The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. On learning he was from Cilicia, he said, "I will give you a full hearing after your accusers have also arrived," and ordered him to be kept under guard in Herod's headquarters.
The governor asked where Paul was from to make sure that it was his area. Once he found out that it was territory that was under him, the governor agreed to having a trial.