PAUL WAS HUMAN
Acts 23:1-5 NKJV
23 Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
4 And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”
5 Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”
I must admit I appreciate this passage. This is the account of Paul appearing before the Jewish chief priests and the council. This group was responsible for much of the grief Paul experienced. They were opposed to Paul and everything he preached about Jesus. They really wanted him dead. So, when Paul begins to speak, they are not disposed to listen.
When Paul declares he has lived in good conscience before God until that day, he said a mouthful. Paul was a big believer in the new creation. He believed that if anyone was in Christ, he was a new creation, old things had passed away, and all things became new. How else could a man who persecuted the church of Jesus say he lived in good conscience before God? Paul believed that what he did prior to receiving Christ was wiped out by the blood of Jesus.
Paul’s heart may have been clear, but the high priest was not impressed. He commanded someone to strike Paul in the mouth. After being struck in the mouth, Paul had enough. And he lashed out at the high priest. Paul was not holding back his angry comments. God will strike you whitewashed wall. Not sure what being called a whitewashed wall entailed, but apparently, it was a New Testament insult. The trash talk in Paul’s day was not nearly as explicit as today. Paul was angry because the Pharisees and chief priests were judging him according to the Old Testament. But he was hit in the mouth, contrary to what the law said was permissible. Paul knew Jewish law better than most, and he knew he had suffered a violation of that law. Plus, who likes being smacked in the mouth? Thus, we see Paul’s humanity show up. Paul was a strong, intense, focused individual who had endured serious sufferings and hardships for the gospel’s sake. Paul was also human, and this infraction from his biggest adversaries got to him.
But Paul also had the maturity to adjust. When he was notified that he had just reviled and spoken against the high priest, Paul backed off. He acknowledged that he did not realize the man who was responsible for having him struck was the high priest. And then Paul gave reason for his adjustment. It is written. Paul adjusted back, not because he felt better. Paul did not walk back his verbal assault on the high priest. Paul did not say that being hit in the mouth was okay. Paul adjusted because God’s Word said you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people. Paul’s mouth may have been bleeding, and it was certainly still stinging. But Paul put his feelings aside in order to govern his behavior by God’s Word.
APPLICATION
All of us have moments of humanity, and not all of those moments are things of beauty and grace. The key word here is adjust. And the key to adjusting is knowing what God’s Word has to say. Christian maturity is not perfection; it’s learning to govern our actions by God’s Word. God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
PRAYER
Lord, thank You for Your example of living life governed by God’s Word. Forgive my unchecked humanity and correct me by Your Spirit so that I can walk with You in a great way.