Daily Bread 2011 - Acts 23
Acts 23
“6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) 9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
What Does This Mean?
As Paul is testifying before the ruling council (the Sanhedrin), he realizes that they have major theological differences regarding issues like the role of the supernatural i.e. can someone be raised from the dead? The Sadducees are more like the aristocrats of the day; as they were a little too sophisticated to believe in anything supernatural. The Pharisees were more fundamentalist in their view of the bible, and believed in the literal miracles of the Old Testament, and therefore were more open to Paul’s comment about the resurrection of the dead.
Later Paul will argue in I Corinthians 15 that the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ is the linchpin of our faith. Paul says, “If Jesus is not raised from the dead we are to be most pitied among all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) Since this was a fundamental difference in their worldview it caused a vehement argument and took the heat off of Paul (quite a brilliant move!). This caused such a clamor that the commander to bring back to the barracks at which point the Lord told him he would testify in Rome.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Though Paul is arguing to save his own life, he is speaking truth nonetheless and again gaining a hearing for the gospel. At the heart of the Good News is God’s supernatural revelation of the Word becoming a human being and dwelling among us. That God could become a human is a miracle in itself. Then as we see in Jesus’ life the supernatural things he does, it continues to reveal He is the Son of God. This culminates in His raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, but also includes signs such as: walking on the water, turning water into wine, and calming the winds and the waves.
In the Old Testament, there were similar signs such as a the widow of Zarepheth’s son being raised by Elijah, Moses striking the rock and water coming out of it, and the manna coming from heaven to feed the Israelites in the wilderness. The ultimate sign in the Old Testament was the parting of the Red Sea and the Israelites passing through it without harm. So we see the biblical revelation includes many events that can only be explained by God.
At the heart of belief or faith in God is belief in the supernatural. For if everything can be explained by us there is no need for God. Importantly God continues to work His miracles in and through His Church (that would be us!), where He poured out His Spirit at Pentecost (which we will be celebrating in a couple of Sundays on 6/12!).
Of course the main purpose of the supernatural is to draw people to God’s love and plan for their lives. As we trust in faith God can do miracles and God will do miracles through us, even the miracle of changing of a human life from one bent on destruction to the abundant life of a believer who leads others to Christ.
Jesus we thank you that you revealed yourself through many signs that showed you were the Son of God. We thank you that you are at work today through Your Spirit continuing to do miracles that can only be explained by your intervention. Give us faith to believe in the impossible. Amen.
“6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) 9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
What Does This Mean?
As Paul is testifying before the ruling council (the Sanhedrin), he realizes that they have major theological differences regarding issues like the role of the supernatural i.e. can someone be raised from the dead? The Sadducees are more like the aristocrats of the day; as they were a little too sophisticated to believe in anything supernatural. The Pharisees were more fundamentalist in their view of the bible, and believed in the literal miracles of the Old Testament, and therefore were more open to Paul’s comment about the resurrection of the dead.
Later Paul will argue in I Corinthians 15 that the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ is the linchpin of our faith. Paul says, “If Jesus is not raised from the dead we are to be most pitied among all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) Since this was a fundamental difference in their worldview it caused a vehement argument and took the heat off of Paul (quite a brilliant move!). This caused such a clamor that the commander to bring back to the barracks at which point the Lord told him he would testify in Rome.
What Does This Mean For Us?
Though Paul is arguing to save his own life, he is speaking truth nonetheless and again gaining a hearing for the gospel. At the heart of the Good News is God’s supernatural revelation of the Word becoming a human being and dwelling among us. That God could become a human is a miracle in itself. Then as we see in Jesus’ life the supernatural things he does, it continues to reveal He is the Son of God. This culminates in His raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, but also includes signs such as: walking on the water, turning water into wine, and calming the winds and the waves.
In the Old Testament, there were similar signs such as a the widow of Zarepheth’s son being raised by Elijah, Moses striking the rock and water coming out of it, and the manna coming from heaven to feed the Israelites in the wilderness. The ultimate sign in the Old Testament was the parting of the Red Sea and the Israelites passing through it without harm. So we see the biblical revelation includes many events that can only be explained by God.
At the heart of belief or faith in God is belief in the supernatural. For if everything can be explained by us there is no need for God. Importantly God continues to work His miracles in and through His Church (that would be us!), where He poured out His Spirit at Pentecost (which we will be celebrating in a couple of Sundays on 6/12!).
Of course the main purpose of the supernatural is to draw people to God’s love and plan for their lives. As we trust in faith God can do miracles and God will do miracles through us, even the miracle of changing of a human life from one bent on destruction to the abundant life of a believer who leads others to Christ.
Jesus we thank you that you revealed yourself through many signs that showed you were the Son of God. We thank you that you are at work today through Your Spirit continuing to do miracles that can only be explained by your intervention. Give us faith to believe in the impossible. Amen.
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