Paul had come to Jerusalem to deliver a love offering for the poor. But his plans are thwarted when falsely accused of a crime at the temple, beaten by a mob, and almost flogged after sharing his testimony with them. Everything seems to be going wrong! Maybe you can relate at some level. Do all your strategies keep backfiring, despite the noblest of intentions? Then the lesson of Acts 23 is for you: when your plans don’t work out, trust God’s plan. As soon as Paul enters his “not guilty” plea before the religious council, he is treated to a punch in the mouth, as the high priest orders someone to strike him. All he did was state that he tried to keep a good conscience before God! Paul reacts by calling out the hypocrisy: one who pretends to be a righteous judge strikes a man who has not been proven guilty of anything! To his credit though, Paul then owns his mistake when he learns that he is standing before the high priest and has not shown proper respect (v 1-5). Since his first attempt to testify before the council was met with a knuckle sandwich, Paul decides to become more resourceful. Like the U.S. Congress, the Jewish Sanhedrin consisted of members of two parties. The Sadducees were the liberals of the day, and the Pharisees were the conservatives. What they had in common was their opposition to Christianity. So like a wise military officer, Paul employs the ancient war strategy known as “divide and conquer.” Shifting attention from himself to the gospel, he highlights the doctrine of a resurrection, which was a key point of theological disagreement between the two parties. It was a masterful stroke of genius! Chaos ensues, guaranteeing that no verdict will be reached today, and his case will need to be resolved before a Roman legal system, in some place other than Jerusalem (v 6-10). In the midst of this intense confrontation, Paul must have been discouraged and drained—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. So the Lord Jesus comes to him with a word of personal comfort. “I’m with you, Paul. Don’t give up. Finish the task I’ve given you, testifying even in Rome.” Paul had long planned to go to Rome—as a missionary, not a prisoner! But in God’s plan, he’ll make it there, bound in chains, a faithful witness until the day he dies (v 11). The next part of Paul’s story unfolds in dramatic and unexpected ways. First, there is a Jewish conspiracy to have him killed. Then there is a demonstration of God’s providence in foiling the conspiracy and ensuring Paul’s safe passage to Rome. No matter our circumstances, we can trust that God’s purposes will always be accomplished, even if enemies rage against us (v 12-35). For further meditation: