Paul speaks to the Sanhedrin
by Neil Bergmann
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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?’ (Acts 23:9).
Read Acts 22:30–23:11
In the continuing story of Paul in Jerusalem, the Roman commander put Paul before the Sanhedrin to see whether it could provide a solution to the civil uproar. The Sanhedrin was the ruling council of the Jews, and it had members from two different Jewish sects – Pharisees and Sadducees. Paul appealed to his fellow Pharisees on the council, explaining how his mission was consistent with their belief in the resurrection of the dead – a view not held by Sadducees. The council meeting descended into chaos, and the Roman commander took Paul back to the barracks.
It didn’t seem to matter what the Roman commander tried; Paul’s presence in Jerusalem continued to cause uproar and chaos. And the commander was still no wiser about what the underlying problem was. The readings next week will continue the story; however, the last verse of today’s reading gives a preview: ‘As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome’ (Acts 23:11).
The Jerusalem conflict ends with Paul’s mission moving to Rome, the very centre of the empire. Eventually, in 380AD, Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire. Somehow, God can even use our conflict and disagreement to advance his kingdom.
Of course, this doesn’t mean God wants us to actively incite conflict and division. The kingdom of God is marked by peace and reconciliation. However, we can be sure that we will all face situations of misunderstanding, conflict and hurt during our lifetimes. It is how we deal with such situations that allows God to work through us to advance his kingdom.
When we face difficult and hurtful situations, God is always beside us, comforting and supporting us. God also gives us the humility and courage to address conflict with the goal of peace and reconciliation. God can work miracles, even in the most hopeless situations.
Loving, caring, healing God, hurt and conflict can make us despair and turn in on ourselves. Give us faith and courage to trust in you, knowing that what seems impossible to us is possible with you. Amen.
Neil Bergmann worships at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Rochedale, Queensland. In addition to professional qualifications in engineering, he has coursework and research master’s degrees in theology.
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