Acts 22:22-23:11 (NRSV)
Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live." And while they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and tossing dust into the air, the tribune directed that he was to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by flogging, to find out the reason for this outcry against him. But when they had tied him up with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who is uncondemned?" When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him, "What are you about to do? This man is a Roman citizen." The tribune came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes." The tribune answered, "It cost me a large sum of money to get my citizenship." Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." Immediately those who were about to examine him drew back from him; and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
Since he wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, "Brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God." Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. At this Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?" Those standing nearby said, "Do you dare to insult God's high priest?" And Paul said, "I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.'"
When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead." When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) Then a great clamor arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees' group stood up and contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.
That night the Lord stood near him and said, "Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome."
Exciting stuff! Paul before the council as Jesus was not long before him, but quite a different scene. Paul knows his politics. Paul plays his politics and Paul stands defiant, and divisive before this group that holds his fate in their hands. He plays the Sadducees and the Pharisees against each other, thus getting (at least temporarily) the Pharisees on his side.
It's seems initially quite an earthy or worldly way to do things. "Wise" indeed to the ways of the world. Paul often spoke of wisdom, contrasting and comparing it to foolishness and God's ways vs. human ways. In 1 Corinthians he talked of how he first came to the Corinthians: "I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling."
This was not a Paul who was timid and trembling. But as Paul told the Corinthians, he did speak with a wisdom - one that was of God and of the Holy Spirit, and not discernible by the rulers of the world. How could they discern it? God's wisdom, as Paul says over and over, comes in weakness. And it is important to remember, that as confident as Paul was in this scene, his weakness before those judging him is also apparent. He could have been torn to pieces in the melee.
Yet he still stood with confidence and courage.
It's hard to face sometimes - really hard - that our strength before a world that is often violent, oppressive, condemning and cruel, comes in weakness. It comes from a baby born in an animal trough, who as a man died a cruel and seemingly pointless death.
But not pointless. Far from pointless. We will hear again this Sunday about the Sadducees - the group that led the council that condemned Jesus - and how they did not believe in the Resurrection of the dead. They had all the power and all of their power was tied to the power of the Temple.
When the temple was destroyed in AD 70, the Sadducees as a group disappeared.
As human power often does.
Our hope lies in weakness. Hard to comprehend sometimes, but when like Paul, we trust in that strength that lies beyond us, all things are possible.
God of wisdom and strength, remind us always that with you all things are possible. Help us to find our courage. The courage to speak of your great love to everyone. The courage to remember that your ways are not our ways and that your power is ultimately the only true power we can rely on. Amen.
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