¹Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” ²At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ³Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”  ⁴Those who were standing near Paul said, “You dare to insult God’s high priest?”  ⁵Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”  ⁶Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” ⁷When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)  ⁹There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

Meditation

1. Why would the high priest react so violently to Paul’s statement in v1 (see 21:21, 28)?  Why and how does Paul show his respect for the Jewish Law (vv1-5)?
2. Paul then changed the focus of attention from whether he has kept the law to his hope in the resurrection.  Given the tension on this issue between the Pharisees and Sadducees, what must the next few minutes of the assembly have been like?  What effect does the split have on Paul’s cases (vv7-10)?
3. The last time God spoke to Paul was in 18:9-10, after he had experienced a series of setbacks.  How would the Lord’s message here (v11) help Paul again?  How might this help Paul remember what the Lord said about him to Ananias in 9:15-16?
4. Describe a time when you felt the Lord especially near to you.  What circumstances caused this sense of the Lord’s presence?  What were the impacts on you?

Family Time (Begin this time by reading the passage above using a children’s Bible.)

Paul knows that Jesus’ resurrection gave his life meaning and hope.  Sing “Because He Lives”.  Talk about the lyrics of this song.  Write the lyrics in your Family Devotional Journal.  Thank God for the hope Jesus’ resurrection gives you each day.

Prayer & Journaling:  On your prayer journal, as you listen to God, write down a few thoughts, questions, words, names, drawings, or anything that has come to your mind during this time.

Proverbs for Today 14:26-28

²⁶ In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.  ²⁷ The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.  ²⁸ In a multitude of people is the glory of a king, but without people a prince is ruined.