Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, "My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." – Acts 23:1

Today's Scripture Reading (March 31, 2021): Acts 23

One of my favorite quotes from George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is the comment that "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." It hits at the false equality that we sometimes want to believe exists in our society. The truth is that equality is still a fairy tale, a concept toward which we all strive, as we should, but one that we will likely never reach. The rich and powerful will always be more equal than the rest of us. And regardless of who we are, there are always people who are richer and more powerful than we are, and there are always those to whom we hold the edge in power. All of us are both more equal and less equal, although we might not want to acknowledge that fact.

Paul begins his defense in front of the Sanhedrin in a rather bold way. "My brothers" is not the approved way of addressing the Sanhedrin, just as walking up to Queen Elizabeth with the words, "Hey Liz, how's the family" is not the approved way of greeting British royalty. We live in an age where we stretch toward equality, but some are still more equal than others. The Sanhedrin was the ruling body of Israel, and it consisted of Priests, Levites, and ordinary citizens who had been born into families having a pure Jewish lineage. These were the "more equal" members of society. As a result, Paul's salutation should have been "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel." "My brothers" was to make an assumption that had no merit. And the Sanhedrin was likely shocked by the familiarity.

Later, Paul explains why he feels that he can address the Sanhedrin in such a familiar way. He reminds them that he is a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. Paul can also claim that he is more equal. He also informs those sitting in judgment that he has acted in good conscience in everything he has done. This is not a proclamation that he is not a sinner. Paul considers himself the greatest of sinners, writing to Timothy these words; "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst" (1 Timothy 1:15).

Paul's defense is that he did not contravene Jewish law by bringing an uncircumcised Greek, Titus, into the Temple (Acts 21:28), which is the charge that has been leveled against him. Paul has a clear conscience that he has not violated the law; he did not bring Titus past the Courtyard of the Gentiles in the Temple, a place where Titus was allowed to be. Paul also argues that the real reason his opponents are trying to persecute him because they do not share his belief in Jesus Christ, and they oppose the hope that he holds in the resurrection of the dead.

The Sanhedrin had both Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection of the dead, and Sadducees, who opposed the belief. As a result, Paul's defense started a brand-new argument among the members of the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:7-8).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 24