Once again, Paul is placed before the Jewish leadership. They were prepared to pass judgement and have Paul killed just as the Jewish leaders judged Jesus some years before. Like the trial of Jesus, Paul simply stood before them for speaking the truth. Paul quickly used his knowledge of the Jewish leaders to divide and conquer them. He did it so successfully, that it caused a riot between the leadership. The Roman guard had to take Paul away.
God had a plan for Paul. The plan included Paul standing before leaders of Rome up to and including the Emperor. In the process Paul would go through many trials and struggles, but he would never lose focus on the mission. Paul would pen letters to the leading churches across Asia. Those Letters would not only impact those churches, but they would also make up half the New Testament.
God’s plan for each of our lives is often full of twists and turns. We can never quite know what the impact of our faith might be. We need only seek and follow Christ; then He can shape our lives and ministry to complete His plan. God promises that if we will simply trust and follow Him, He will make our path straight. It may not seem mapped out, but God always executes His plan in a perfect way and in a perfect time.
Paul knew he was to trust and follow the Lord, in doing so, Paul helped to change the world. We need to pray and trust God, and watch the Lord use us to do the same.
God Bless You
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 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!”
4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”
5 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.’[a]”
6 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.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
9 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?” 10 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.
11 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.”
Walking With God 