The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them. Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!” Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!” Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'” 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.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.) 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?” 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. 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.”
–Acts 22:30-23:11 (TNIV)
Do you want to know the secret of Paul’s great faith and burning desire to serve the Lord? It is because of his deep and intimate relationship with Jesus. Here is another vivid example of how our Lord fitted Paul for his ministry.
After a harrowing experience before the Sanhedrin in which Paul apparently used a bit of trickeration to divide its members, our Lord appears to Paul and strengthens him. He gives Paul a preview of things to come and then tells him to “take courage!”. Why should Paul “take courage”? Because Christ promised to be with him every step of the way. Paul knew that whatever awaited him in Rome, his Lord and Savior would be there with him to strengthen him for the work he called Paul to do.
When we think about this poignant scene Luke paints for us here, it makes Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20 even more poignant to read: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (TNIV).
The same power of Christ that Paul enjoyed is available to you too. All you have to do is invite him into your life and let him lead you. This is costly because it will require you to put to death all that is in you that wants to remain stubborn, rebellious, and independent of God. But the benefits vastly outweigh the costs of discipleship. Just ask Paul or any of the great saints of God.