GOSPEL MEDITATION # 63
Paul and the Roman Tribune & Paul Before the Council
Acts 22:22-23:11
- Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
- Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
- The crowd in the temple heard Paul’s speech until he announced he would now go to the Gentiles. An awful uproar ensued prompting the tribune to move Paul into the fortress where he prepares to scourge or flog him.
- Paul now reveals he is a Roman citizen, just in the nick of time. The flogging could have killed Paul and at minimum maim him.
- The tribune, for unknown reasons, calls for a meeting of the Council of Israel and brings Paul before it.
- Paul no sooner begins before Ananias, the high priest, orders Paul to be struck on the mouth.
- Paul is instantly angered and lashes out with a intemperate statement about the one who ordered the blow. Paul did not know it was the very high priest and apologizes for his outburst citing Leviticus 19:17-18.
- Paul knew the makeup of the Council, part Sadducee and part Pharisee. The Sadducee held only the Torah as inspired, while the Pharisee the entire Hebrew Bible thus believing in the resurrection and God speaking directly to the people. Paul states that he is there because of his belief in resurrection. Here he means Jesus’ resurrection.
- The two sides end up in a rather wild display making it impossible for the Council to proceed further.
- Again the tribune protects Paul and returns him to the safety of the barrack’s prison.
- Jesus comes to Paul in the night to encourage him.