”Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?” Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’” Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” This divided the council—the Pharisees against the Sadducees— for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.” As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress. That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”“
Acts of the Apostles 23:2-11 NLT
In the modern era, mainstream Christianity has been neutered into a way of comforting the feelings of others, and your own feelings as well. As such, we tend to vilify leaders who speak boldly against any civic or religious institutions that might be deserving rebuke. Upon the final leg of Paul’s journey, we see that he has not lost his fervor. He openly rebuked the Sanhedrin when the high priest chose to break the law of fair trial. Let us be clear, it is not likely that Paul didn’t know who the High Priest was. His response to the crowd of religious officials proves that point. Instead of simply apologizing, when accused of being disrespectful, with tongue in cheek, he responded in a way that would cause them to turn upon each other. Given his own history as a Pharisee and his ability to exploit their weaknesses upon a quick glance around the room, it was clear he knew who he was talking to. Some may call this a manipulative tactic, but this type of exploit is not only modeled but it is rewarded in Scripture. Again, just as Jesus before him, we see that a measured and clever response is entirely appropriate from God’s leaders. Godly men are not to act like broken and powerless weaklings. They are to be cunning, wise and strong, even while facing a mob.
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