Sermon Video: Paul in the midst of a partisan feud - Acts 22:30-23:11

Following his near-death encounter with the mob at the temple, the Apostle Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin by the local Roman commander who hoped to ascertain the cause of the turmoil and thus know if Paul ought to be charged with any crime.  Standing before the Sanhedrin, Paul first declared his innocence, "I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."  The High Priest, Ananias, ordered Paul struck in the mouth for that claim.  At this point, Paul switched his strategy and instead declared himself to be on the side of the Pharisees in their long-running feud with the Sadducees regarding the resurrection of the dead.  While the Pharisees did not believe that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead, they were perfectly willing to defend the idea of the resurrection of the dead, and while they did not believe that Paul had been given a vision from God, they were willing to defend the idea of God speaking to his people through visions and angels.  In the end, the Sanhedrin's bitter divisions not only prevented them from taking action against Paul, but convinced the Roman commander that for Paul's safety he needed to be taken back to the barracks.

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