Acts 23:1-11 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.… I. IT WAS MOST UNPROVOKED. Was there anything to justify such gross insolence and injustice? 1. Was there anything in that look of Paul's? He seems to have given them a wonderful look. It was one of conscious innocence and of searching observation. We may rest assured there was nothing insolent or hard in it, and it must have filled him with melting memories. Certainly there could have been nothing in the look to have provoked the high priest. 2. Was there anything in his address? His declaration that he "had lived in all good conscience before God until that day" was far more adapted to conciliate than to offend. II. IT WAS NOBLY MET. 1. With manly courage. The spirit of Paul, instead of cowering before this insult, rose into noble defiance. The heavenly Teacher Himself denounced the Pharisees as "whited sepulchres." The words may be either an imprecation or prediction. If the former, it was an outburst, not unjustified, of a warm temper which formed the foundation of a noble nature. Indignation in itself is not wrong, but a virtuous passion when roused, as in this case, by the vision of a moral enormity. If the latter, the apostle spoke under the inspiration of truth. Josephus informs us that Ananias, with his brother Hezekiah, were slain, when the insurgent ruffians, under their leader Manahem, had got possession of the holy city. 2. By commendable candour. "Then said Paul, I wist not," etc. Some suppose that the apostle speaks ironically; that he meant to say, "I never could suppose that a man who so outraged justice should sit in her seat and administer her affairs." Others suppose that he really meant what he said; that he really did not know that he was a high priest. Those who take the latter view must regard the apostle as in some measure apologising for his hastiness. The best men are liable to be overtaken by temper, and a candour like Paul's is a rare excellence. (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. |
    |