Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. Paul was given permission to make his own “defense” (verb apologeomai – speak in one’s own defense, Luk 12:11) to which Paul was cheerful and confident to do.

2. This was Paul’s third defense since being arrested in Jerusalem (Jewish Mob - Act 21:39-22:22, Sanhedrin - Act 23:1-10, Felix the Governor - Act 24:10-21).

3. The prosecution was led by Tertullus, which accused Paul of 1) Sedition, 2) Sectarianism, and 3) Sacrilege.

4. Paul does not use flattering speech as did Tertullus. Instead, he appealed wisely to Felix’s many years as a judge in Judea and Cilicia. Felix succeeded Cumanus as governor from 51-52 A.D. According to Tacitus, four years prior Felix was the governor of Samaria, giving him a total of 9-10 years’ experience with the customs, beliefs, and dealings of the Jewish nation.

B. Defense #1 – No Occasion – (11)

1. With those years of experience, Paul commented that Felix could easily look at the facts of the case.

2. Paul’s first defense was the fact that he had only arrived in Jerusalem twelve days ago. At least half of those days (cf. Act 21:27; Act 22:30; 23:11; 24:1) Paul was under arrest. That would hardly be enough time to start a conspiracy of insurrection (Some scholars hold that Paul was in Jerusalem twelve days, but the point is the same).

3. Paul also added that his motive for being in Jerusalem was to worship, not start a rebellion.

C. Defense #2 – No Instigation (Sedition) (12)

1. Not only did Paul not have the time or the occasion to start a conspiracy, and not only did he come to worship, but he did not instigate anything.

2. While in Jerusalem. Paul was complying with all that the Jerusalem church had asked and therefore was keeping a low profile in the temple, synagogue, and city (Act 21:20-24).

3. Paul did not engage himself in “discussion” (dialegomai – converse, instruct (Act 17:2), or argue – Jude 1:9), let alone a “riot” (epistasis - to stop and bring things to a halt, i.e. causing a commotion).

4. It may appear strange that Paul did not engage in public preaching in Jerusalem as he had done in every other city. However, Paul was submissive to their leadership and did not infringe upon the ministry of the Jerusalem church. Paul was not guilty of Sedition.

D. Defense #3 – No Evidence (13)

1. The burden of proof rested on the prosecution not the defense. Paul’s defense was that the prosecution has to produce evidence.

2. But because there was no evidence, particularly in the “temple, synagogues, or city” they were unable to prove the charges. Nevertheless, the Sanhedrin went forward with the case against Paul.

E. Defense #4 – No Erroneous Beliefs (Sectarianism) (14-16)

1. Inerrancy of Scripture (14)

a) Paul’s next defense was that he indeed held beliefs contrary to the current Sanhedrin, but his beliefs were not at all erroneous. In fact, his beliefs were in accordance with the Scriptures.

b) Christianity was originally called “the Way” because their message focused on Christ as the only way of salvation (Act 9:2; 19:9, 23 cf. Joh 14:6; Act 16:17; 18:25).

c) Paul served the God of their Jewish fathers, which meant that he believed everything, that was written in their Scriptures.

d) Paul believed in the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture (2Ti 3:16-17 cf. 2Pe 1:20-21 cf. Mat 5:17-18), which constituted not only the Torah (Law) but the entire OT (Prophets).

e) The Pharisees believed that the entire OT was inspired but the Sadducees only believed the Torah was inspired. However, both groups rejected that the Scriptures pointed to Jesus Christ as Messiah (Joh 5:39, 46; Luk 24:27, 44; Joh 1:45). Paul was not guilty of Sectarianism.

2. Hope in the Resurrection (15)

a) Paul’s hope was in God and in the resurrection of the dead as taught in the OT for both the righteous (Isa 26:19; Job 19:26) and the wicked (Dan 12:2).

b) “These men” referred to the Pharisees in the Sanhedrin because the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection (Act 23:6, 8).

c) This defense was not only the main issue, but it confirmed what the Roman Commander stated in his letter (Act 23:29).

3. Blameless Conscience Before God and Men (16)

a) Paul was not flattering, nor lying, nor trying to get himself acquitted with mere words. He was sincere because he attempted to keep a blameless conscience both before God and before men.

b) At his defense before the Sanhedrin, the phrase “blameless conscience,” was all that Paul could get out before being struck on the face (Act 23:1-2).

c) For Paul, a conscience that was clear under the scrutiny of the Scriptures and the Spirit was essential (1Ti 1:19).

d) Paul maintained a blameless conscience before God and men (Act 24:16), in his conduct (Heb 13:18), his testimony (2Co 1:12), and his teaching (1Ti 1:5).

F. Defense #5 – No Defilement of the Temple (Sacrilege) (17-20)

1. Alms Brought to Temple (17)

a) Paul originally came to Jerusalem to give the church donations collected from the Gentile churches (cf. 1Co 16:1-4).

b) Yet because of false accusations against Paul, he complied with the direction of the church leadership to show he was not Anti-Jewish (Act 21:21). He was told to take a Nazarite Vow along with four other brothers, paying the alms and offerings for them all (Act 21:23-24).

2. Asian Jews were the Instigators (18)

a) Paul’s defense of giving alms and offerings proved that he was occupied with purification and worship in the Temple.

b) Furthermore, there were no crowds around him and he created no “uproar” (thorubos – tumult or public outcry, Act 21:34).

c) However, it was the Jews from Asia that carried their animosity toward Paul with them to Jerusalem (Act 21:27-28).

d) They were the ones who falsely accused Paul of bringing Trophimus, the Gentile into the Temple (Act 21:29).

e) They were the ones who began to stir the crowds (Act 21:28), provoke the city (Act 21:30), and cause the uproar (Act 21:34 cf. thorubos). Paul was not guilty of Sacrilege.

3. Absent Accusers (19)

a) The accusers (eyewitness testimony) should have been there to make the accusation against him, but they were not.

b) Perhaps their bias would have been too obvious.

4. Alleged Accusers (20)

a) Otherwise the Council themselves should provide some testimony as to Paul’s misdeed in order for it to be a just trial.

G. Defense #6 – Summary of Accusation (21)

1. Paul himself summarizes the only real issue, namely that he stated that he believed in the resurrection of the dead.

2. There was no other misdeed (according to the Sadducees), and that misdeed proved that the case was “over questions about their Law, but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.” Paul gave his own defense, but Paul was no fool.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Father’s make sure you are a member of the Way.

1. Make sure you have come to Christ, who is the only way of salvation, and that is the message you proclaim (Act 9:2; 19:9, 23 cf. Joh 14:6; Act 16:17; 18:25 cf. Act 4:12).

2. Christianity is exclusive. It had an exclusive message from its beginning, and it is still exclusive today. The popular bumper sticker suggests that we must all “Coexist.” Sure, we can coexist in the sense of living peacefully in a society of religious freedom. But that does not mean, that we are to coexist by compromising our belief system. All roads do not lead to God, Jesus is the only way.

B. Father’s make sure that you hold to the inerrancy of Scripture.

1. Some believe it is progressive not to hold to a committed position on the inerrancy of Scripture. It is not progressive, it is digressive. It is digressive because such a belief moves away from the beliefs of Jesus, Paul, and Peter (Mat 5:17-18; 2Ti 3:16-17; 2Pe 1:20-21).

2. In the areas of theology, morality, creation, ecclesiology we cannot forsake the teaching of Scripture because it is inspired, all of it. We must not forsake God’s truth for the sake of embracing ecumenism, culture, academics, and sin.

C. Father’s make sure that you have a biblical defense and good arguments.

1. Paul had wisdom in his defense of Christianity. He reasoned in synagogues, reasoned in court, but most importantly, he reasoned from Scripture. Reason is not the ultimate authority. God and His Word are the believer’s authority. But reason comes from the God of truth. The Scriptures give us truth, therefore we are able to reason.

2. Also the Holy Spirit gives the believer reason because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (Joh 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).

D. Fathers, Men, the Scriptures exhort us to be men, 1Co 16:13 Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” Let me say that being a member of the Way (the only way and defending it), holding to the belief of the inerrancy of Scripture (and having to stand virtually alone today), reasoning from the Scriptures when many say that is absurd and illogical, if you will make sure of these things, you are acting like men, like godly men, like the men God called you to be.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516