The Winning Hand
Acts 22-23
At the end of last week’s text:
Acts 22:21–22
“And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”
A mob broke out to kill Paul, accusing him of breaking the Jewish law in the temple.
But Paul out-jewished them all:
01. He spoke incredible Aramaic
02. He strictly obeyed and taught the law
03. He was trained under Gamaliel
04. He had persecuted Christians
What he was doing was establishing himself as the big dude on campus.
Everyone thinks they’re tough until the big dude shows up.
AN ACE UP HIS SLEEVE
KNOW WHEN TO HOLD ’EM
Acts 22:22–29
Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” [23] And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, [24] the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. [25] But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” [26] When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” [27] So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” [28] The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” [29] So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and **the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.”
The Tribune doesn’t realize Paul has an ace up his sleeve: Roman citizenship by birth.
Cicero, a century prior:
“The Porcian law forbade the rod to be used on the person of any Roman citizen”
Paul does this now for two reasons:
01. If he’d mentioned it earlier it would’ve weakened his credibility with the Jewish mob.
02. By doing it after they bind him for beating he puts the commander in his place.
There are times to be strategic with our words and play the long game.
Not hiding sin.
Not lying for self-protection.
But knowing when to say something and when to hold.
This is true in:
Relationship
Leadership
Evangelism
Discipleship
Proverbs 29:11
“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.”
Proverbs 17:27–28
“Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”
Proverbs 12:16
“The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.”
Proverbs 15:28
“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”
KNOW WHEN TO CALL A SPADE A SPADE
Acts 22:30–23:5
But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them. And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
Paul tries to establish common ground.
This is extremely wise when we’re attempting to reach people.
[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 is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” [4] Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” [5] And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
Should Paul have said this?
V.1 “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
Again this is ironic because Paul points out, in accusing Paul of disobeying the law the High Priest disobeys the law.
V.2
“The high priest Ananias commanded…to strike him on the mouth.”
A whitewashed wall was a wall coated with white plaster so it looked clean and solid on the outside but underneath it was dirty, cracked, or structurally bad.
Religious people pretend to be better than they are.
WATCH OUT FOR THESE PEOPLE
THE CRITICAL HYPOCRITE
Matthew 7:3–5
Sometimes hypocrites are the loudest critics because dramatizing the church’s weaknesses makes them look very spiritual and distracts you from noticing theirs.
The loudest accusation can be the best distraction.
Because their own life is actually wack.
Invest more than you inform.
THE ARMCHAIR APOSTLE
Matthew 23:2–4
This person has enormous opinions about leadership, churches, culture, theology, and how churches should be run without carrying any responsibility themselves.
They love to share their opinions but they often don’t serve and even if they do, they definitely do not give.
The problem here is they want influence without investment.
Invest more than you inform.
THE WEEKEND WARRIOR
Matthew 23:27–28
This is the person who looks very spiritual on Sunday—they serve a ton, raise their hands, get emotional in service, hoot and holler, carry a Bible—but they are very different Monday through Saturday.
They may be mean, a gossiper, a closet addict, chronically selfish, reclusive and addicted to their phone, or have other very serious personal immaturities—all while playing spiritual servant Sunday.
Strive to live your faith Monday to Saturday.
AUTHORITY BY SENIORITY
Matthew 23:6–12
This is the person who feels entitled to a position of leadership because of their age, self-defined spiritual maturity, or their personal sense of calling—even though they lack the gifting, skill, chemistry, or backing of church leadership.
They have promoted themselves in their own mind to a role nobody actually gave them.
And often, the most dangerous part is that they interpret not being appointed into authority or position as injustice instead of considering the painful possibility that they simply are not ready, not gifted, or not called to that role.
Invest in younger leaders!
THE SUPER SPIRITUAL CHURCH SPLITTER
Matthew 23:23–24
This person assumes whatever matters most to them also matters most to God.
They define who is holy and legit on the basis of secondary doctrines.
If the church doesn’t agree with their secondary views then they conclude that the church is sin.
Rather than admitting they need to find a local church with whom they better align, they put themselves on a spiritual pedestal all while destroying what Jesus died to build.
I have laughed at times because in the same week our church has been criticized by cessationists for being too Spirit-filled and by Pentecostals for not being Spirit-filled enough!
We’ve had people leave for being too politically conservative from the pulpit and told we’re not engaged enough politically.
Honestly that’s happened so many times I feel like we’re probably right on track!
GRACE IS AVAILABLE TO REPENTANT PHARISEES!
Like Jesus, Paul saves some of his harshest rebuke and most brutal language for religious types.
When the high priest Ananias has him struck Paul replied in language that might be well rendered:
“It is you that God will strike!”
V.3
Fascinatingly, this turned out to be a prophecy!
Ananias was notoriously corrupt.
A few years later, Jewish nationalists in fact targeted and killed Ananias.
USE THEIR MOMENTUM AGAINST THEM
Acts 23:6–10
Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” [7] And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. [8] For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. [9] Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” [10] And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
Paul isn’t strategic to save his skin but to get the Gospel to higher levels of Roman authority and get it to the ends of the earth.
Apply: Not just strategize to make money but to advance the mission.
GOD’S PROVIDENCE
Acts 23:11
“Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
WE NEED BOTH GOOD PLANNING AND GOD’S PROVIDENCE
Acts 23:23–30
Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. [24] Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” [25] And he wrote a letter to this effect:
V.29
“…I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.”
Acts 23:34–35
On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia… he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.
Problems attract something out of Heaven that the world does not.
Paul couldn’t choose to be born in Cilicia.
Paul’s family goes 5 generations deep in Roman citizenship.
God was at work way before this.
Later we learn Felix married into the royal Jewish family and was privately interested in “the Way.”
It was just Paul’s planning.
It was God’s providence.
God was paving the way.