Author: Charlie Garrett

Looking up at entrance to West Virginia capitol.

Saturday, 23 December 2023

Then Paul said, “I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’” Acts 23:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, those in the council questioned Paul’s words to the high priest, saying, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” In response, it next notes, “Then Paul said, ‘I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest.’”

Rather, Luke records it exactly as Paul would speak, first using a pluperfect verb and then a present tense verb, “I had not known that he is the high priest.” He is indicating that at the time he said his words, he was unaware of the fact that he was addressing the high priest. However, he now sees, based on their response, that he is the high priest.

There are various ways that his words might be taken. They may have been a note of sarcasm, stressing his words as if he was fraudulently appointed as high priest. Or it could be that he didn’t know who had made the statement as his attention was elsewhere. It could also be that he couldn’t identify who it was that had spoken because of bad eyesight.

No matter which is correct, he immediately pulls back from his impulsive response and cites the law which had been ignored by them, saying, “for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

His words provide the substance of a portion of Exodus 22:28 –

“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.”

If the high priest was legitimate, calling him a plastered wall might be taken as a curse. If so, they could have legitimate charges brought against him. By his response, this was no longer the case. Also, in citing the law that they ignored, Paul has gained the upper hand in the matter, regardless of how the situation turns out. He will have shown that he is aware of the law and is able to properly apply its precepts when situations arise that require him to do so.

The high priest, on the other hand, either didn’t know the law or he flippantly disregarded it. Either way, it demonstrated his unworthiness to be in the position he filled.

Life application: When reading words, there are times when it is hard to know what a person is saying. By placing the stress on one word or another within a sentence, we can come to a completely different conclusion about what is being said.

Quite often, this will not be the case in the original language. Therefore, precision of translation is necessary. However, this is often lacking. Hence, reading multiple translations may provide clarity for the reader. However, there are times when vagueness or ambiguity may lie in the original. Thus, the words must be taken in the greater context of what is being said.

Therefore, knowing the Bible through constant reading is necessary to know where there is an error in thinking about how a set of words should be translated. Be sure to keep reading the word, keep referring to other translations before coming to unfounded conclusions, and also check with commentaries when you are still not sure.

However, it is still common for those fully trained in the original languages to come to completely opposite conclusions about what is being said. Therefore, it again may be up to you to know what they have missed by knowing the rest of the word. Be sure to read the word, pray for the Lord to be with you in your study, and don’t be quick to come to conclusions or accept the conclusions of others.

What a large and complicated word You have given us, O God. It is filled with things that are often quite complicated or hard to understand. And yet, it is a word that gives a simple overall message of love, reconciliation, and our need for Your grace. Help us to have the basics down properly. From there, we can pursue the rest of the word in its proper light. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

Fancy light. West Virginia Capitol.

Friday, 22 December 2023

And those who stood by said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” Acts 23:4

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Paul rebuked the person who ordered him to be struck, saying that God would strike him for his hypocrisy. Now, it says, “And those who stood by said, ‘Do you revile God’s high priest?’”

In the response, the word “God” is in the emphatic position. According to their words, the high priest was the one who sat as God’s representative to the people. There are two views on this statement. Either he was actually ordained as the high priest and was qualified to act in that capacity, or he was an illegitimate high priest who didn’t possess the ordination necessary to execute the duties of this job.

If he was legitimate, the Law of Moses indicated that he was, in fact, the one to mediate between God and the people. He was due honor and respect because of the position he held. If he was illegitimate, then he was not worthy of the title or respect of the job. However, Paul could still be punished for not giving it simply because of the power held by those who supported the high priest.

As for Paul’s response to this charge, it can also be taken then in more than one way, as will be seen.

Life application: In the 2020 elections, an incredible amount of fraud took place. To this day, a sizeable portion of the electorate feels the election was stolen away from President Donald Trump.

The power of the progressive left has tentacles that extend to every corner of society, deviously and cunningly doing things that are outright illegal. However, they also possess the power to allow themselves to get away with almost anything, no matter how egregious the violation of law.

At the same time, people who have committed no crime at all have been paraded before the public and charged with serious offenses, such as insurrection. They have been incarcerated, and their lives have been ruined. Joe Biden has committed great crimes against the nation and against its people. And yet, after three years in office, nothing continues to be done about these things.

This is a fallen world, and such things are to be expected. Christians must use wisdom in how they approach such matters. While being responsible for upholding the laws of the nation, they should also work within the framework of those laws to root out wickedness and stand against evil. Pray for wisdom in how to conduct your affairs in times such as this.

But also know that the wicked shall have their end. A day lies ahead for the redeemed of the Lord where righteousness will rule forever and ever. God will remove all that is unclean and defiled, and life without the wicked will be our eternal state. Thank God for Jesus, who makes these things possible.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wondrous plan of redemption. You have brought a people out of this fallen, sin-stained world and back to Yourself. We praise You for what You have done. Be glorified forever and ever, O God! Amen.

Support columns with Corinthian capitals. West Virginia capitol.

Thursday, 21 December 2023

Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” Acts 23:3

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The Greek more literally reads, “Then Paul said to him, ‘God is set to strike you, you plastered wall. And you, you sit judging me according to the law, and law-transgressing command me to be struck?’” (CG).

In the previous verse, the high priest Ananias commanded that Paul be struck on the mouth. Now, in response to that, it says, “Then Paul said to him, ‘God sets to strike you.’”

The verb melló gives the sense of “about to happen.” It is variously translated, but it carries with it the idea of expectation. Being in the present tense, and as a single word to define it, “sets” get the idea across. With that, Paul next says, “you plastered wall.”

This is the second and last use of the word koniaó in Scripture. It is derived from konia, dust. Its only other use is found in Matthew 23:27 –

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

The word, though coming from dust, also signifies lime used to plaster something over. Paul uses this expression to describe this terrible person. It was either an idiom of the time which was used by Jesus, or it was something that Jesus coined and became known among the disciples.

If coined by Jesus, it was now idiomatically used by them. In essence, it means a hypocrite or having a hypocritical attitude. The reason for this is seen in Paul’s continued words, “And you, you sit judging me according to the law, and law-transgressing command me to be struck?”

Paul cites the intent of the law in his defense, though not a particular passage. In what he says is a word found only this one time in Scripture, paranomeó. It is a single noun derived from para, by or alongside, and nomos, law.

In the sense used by Paul, it means law-transgressing. This is justification for using the idiomatic expression. The high priest was giving a law in violation of the law. His actions were hypocritical. It was as if he was a dirty wall that was simply plastered over to hide the defilement below.

In John 7, in his words to the Pharisees, Nicodemus said, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” (John 7:51). This was understood and taken as an axiom within Israel. Before a judgment for guilt and/or punishment was rendered, there had to be a trial to determine the facts. Paul was denied this and given a punishment before he had even spoken in his defense.

As for Paul’s words to Ananias, although extra-biblical, Josephus says that he was eventually killed by the Sicarii. (Flavius Josephus, Wars ii 17 2-9).

Life application: Our world today is becoming more and more corrupt. Unlawful renderings of judgment permeate the nations of the world. Set laws are flagrantly ignored, and those in positions of legal authority demonstrate overt biases against particular ideologies. And yet, they refuse to recuse themselves. Instead, they convict the innocent and acquit the guilty.

This type of corruption will only increase as the world continues to devolve into anarchy and chaos. As this occurs, decent people are harmed, Christian rights are removed, and unrighteousness will eventually permeate the world.

It is frustrating and even maddening to behold, but it is not the end of the story. Just as Paul said to Ananias, we can rightfully assert that God will strike them as well. Their teeny little victories will not be remembered when they are brought to an end. Someday, they will be raised before God at the Great White Throne. There, they will be judged and condemned. Their destiny is the Lake of Fire.

We shouldn’t rejoice that they will be condemned, but we should be comforted that their actions will be judged and the people of God will be vindicated. From that point on, righteousness will rule for God’s people for all eternity. Don’t look at what is happening now as a failure of God. He is allowing what shouldn’t be saved to destroy itself. What is of value will be purified and will then go forth in perfect goodness forever and ever.

Thank You, O God, for the precious hope we possess. This fallen world is perishing and will pass away. But those who have called on Jesus shall be raised to live in a state of perfection and glory forever and ever. May that wondrous day be soon, O God. Amen.

Columns and stuff. West Virginia Capitol.

Wednesday, 20 December 2023

And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Acts 23:2

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Chapter 23 began with Paul telling the council that he had citizened in all good conscience before God, even until that day. With that, a violent reaction occurs. What Luke records begins with, “And the high priest Ananias.”

This Ananias would have been the son of Nebedæus. He had been suspended from his office during the reign of Emperor Claudius for an offense. At that time, he was sent to Rome (Josephus Ant. xx. 6, 2).

The Pulpit Commentary says, “He was a violent, haughty, gluttonous, and rapacious man, and yet looked up to by the Jews.”

Vincent’s Word Studies says, “He is described as a revengeful and rapacious tyrant. We are told that he reduced the inferior priests almost to starvation by defrauding them of their tithes, and sent his creatures to the threshing-floors with bludgeons to seize the tithes by force.”

This repugnant man then “commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.”

The words more exactingly read, “to strike his mouth.” It is referring to Paul’s mouth. He was brought before the council to state his case. With his opening words, this violent reaction from the vile high priest of Israel was to strike the place from which his words uttered.

The conduct of the high priest bears out that he was at least a law-breaker and a violent man. Paul had done nothing wrong, and he had not been convicted of any wrongdoing. And yet, he was punished in violation of the law. There was first to be a conviction before any punishment could be meted out.

Life application: In once Christ-honoring countries of the world, the radical and violent left, just like Ananias, has taken over to the point that laws are flippantly disobeyed. Those who commit horrendous crimes are given little or no sentences at all, and those who defend themselves and their families are counted as criminals.

Violence in the left-leaning cities is completely out of control, the citizens live in fear, and God is mocked at every meeting of the city councils. Nations are becoming ripe for judgment because of these ungodly people. And what is worse is that they are only getting worse with each passing day. They have lost any sense of moral reason and have become like those described by Jude –

“But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.” Jude 1:10

Various translations say, “unreasoning animals,” “irrational animals,” “unthinking animals,” “wild animals,” “creatures without reason,” etc. The point is that they have devolved in their thinking to the point where they no longer carry any sense of human cognition, morality, care for others, etc.

And more, these people have moved into the pulpit and the classroom. They are rearing a generation of people just like them, spiritually dead and morally without care or cognition. This cannot end well.

It is incumbent on all to do their utmost to stand against this unholy tide of violence and perversion, even if it means being ostracized or labeled in a manner that is untrue concerning the faith they possess. We cannot remain silent about our convictions or in our votes without being guilty of allowing these things to devolve further.

O God, help us to be strong in our resolve as we stand against the moral perverseness of those who have taken over much of our societies in the world today. If we must pay a cost for our speech, may it be to Your honor and glory that we do so. Help us to be fixed and firm in our doctrine, standing on Your word as we conduct our lives before You. Amen.

Big and gnarly tree. West Virginia Capitol.

Tuesday, 19 December 2023

Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” Acts 23:1

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The Greek is more literally translated, “And Paul, having looked fixedly at the council, said, ‘Men, brothers, I – in all good conscience – have citizened to God until this day.’”

In the previous verse, Paul was brought by the Roman commander and set before the council. With him there, Chapter 23 begins with, “And Paul, having looked fixedly.”

Paul’s fixed look implies a staring gaze. HELPS Word Studies says it signifies “to fix one’s eyes on some object continually and intensely – ‘to look straight at, to stare at, to keep one’s eyes fixed on.’” It was used in Luke 4:20, Acts 6:15, and Acts 7:55, among other times. If his eyesight was bad, as speculated, it would be all the more relevant to show that he diligently was attempting to meet the eyes of his accusers. Therefore, he having looked fixedly “at the council, said, ‘Men, brothers.’”

In his address, he greets them as equals, “men, brothers.” This would have been the first time in a quarter of a century that he stood in this place, sometime around the stoning of Stephen. There, after all these years, he begins his defense with the words, “I – in all good conscience.”

Here, a new word is introduced into Scripture, suneidésis. It signifies “joint-knowing.” It thus signifies “conscience which joins moral and spiritual consciousness as part of being created in the divine image. Accordingly, all people have this God-given capacity to know right from wrong because each is a free moral agent” (HELPS Word Studies).

Paul is summing up all of his time during those intervening years and his ministry to the Gentiles, whom they so despised, as right and appropriate. He asserts that his moral conduct in this regard was above reproach and that it would have been approved of by the higher moral power before whom he conducted his affairs. That is next expressly stated in the words “have citizened to God until this day.”

Another new word is brought into Scripture here and is defined by a new Charlie word now gifted to the English language, politeuomai. It means to behave or live as a citizen, coming from polités, a citizen. Thus, it means to citizen oneself. As it is a perfect participle, “have citizened” fits the meaning exactly. The word is found only elsewhere in Scripture in Philippians 1:27 –

“Only let your conduct [lit: citizening (another new Charlie word)] be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

This word is an idiom of the times to mean that he had lived properly, and his conscience was clean, even before God. This would have riled up those before him to no end, having been aware of his efforts among the Gentiles and of his walk with the Messiah they had rejected.

For some other times Paul speaks of conscience, see 2 Timothy 1:3; 1 Timothy 1:5; Romans 2:15, 13:5; 1 Corinthians 4:4, 10:25; and Acts 24:16.

Life application: As noted in previous commentaries, Paul never denied his citizenship either before God, or as a citizen of the empire (Rome) or country (Israel) to which he belonged. He used each according to the rights and benefits conferred upon him because of that citizenship.

And more, he claimed his rights to a heavenly citizenship as is indicated elsewhere in the New Testament. Of this status within a society, Wikipedia defines the word politeia. It is a help in understanding one’s rights within a particular society –

According to Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon a meaning of politeia is ‘the conditions and rights of the citizen, or citizenship’, analogous to the Latin civitas.

Politeia, in Greek means the community of citizens in a city / state. …

Politeia is derived from both the root word polis meaning ‘city’ or ‘state’, and from the verb politeuomai that means ‘I am living as an active citizen of the polis.’

People living in a Greek city/state were not necessarily citizens. A person that was ostracized from the active matrix of the city was an example of such. Another example was people who lived in the city but were not active citizens who had a say in the political processes of the community. Women, slaves and others who Greek men deemed unworthy were not in the active matrix of the political formations of that city state, making them not-citizens, so not part of politeia.

In countries of the world today, many illegal aliens are brought in. And yet, they do not possess the rights of the nation in which they live. In the visible church, there are unbelievers. They are in the church, but they are not of the church. Thus, they have no right to the citizenship of the church.

Paul held the rights of a Roman, a man of Israel, and a member of the church. He thus possessed the rights of the heavenly citizenship found in Christ. The Jews who had rejected Jesus do not possess those rights. This continues to this day.

This is an important point. Dual Covenantalism claims that Jews are saved by adherence to the law. This would be like saying that the illegals, or even legal immigrants still on visas or Green Cards, in the US have rights to citizenship because they work in jobs earning money.

Anyone with a modicum of sense can tell that such a notion is false. Only a person who is made a citizen can have the rights of a citizen. This is the false dichotomy set forth by people like John Hagee, who teach Dual Covenantalism. They claim rights for others that do not exist. The only way to possess the heavenly rights of citizenship of the New Covenant is to enter into the New Covenant through faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ.

But this also again shows the sad state of those Christians who do not participate in the political decisions of the nations in which they live. They fail to understand that God has placed them in those nations to be active members of them.

Understanding the nature of the Hebrew or Greek writings, from the perspective of the people who lived during those times, helps shed light on what we are being told in Scripture. Be sure to pay heed. Be sure to participate in each body of which you are a citizen. And be sure to never acknowledge others’ rights to citizenship that they do not possess, lest you lead them to a false sense of security that they should not enjoy.

Lord God Almighty, may we diligently study Your word and show ourselves approved before You by adhering to the precepts You have laid out for us there. May we carefully consider our state before You and never waffle in conducting our lives accordingly. We have been granted heavenly citizenship because of Jesus. Help us to live in accord with that truth. Amen.