Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial." And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
-- Acts 23:6-7, ESV
Deja vu was not kind to the Apostle Paul. Earlier in his life, he had been part of a Jerusalem mob who put a person on trial, named Stephen, simply for being a Christian and preaching the Gospel, then summarily executed him. Shortly thereafter, Paul, or Saul as he was known then, appeared before the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, to gain their favor and get their approval to arrest other Christians and see to their imprisonments and executions.
Over two decades later, Paul stood in Stephen's shoes, surrounded by the mob, shortly to appear before the Council. They would have killed Paul, too, but he had one thing Stephen (and the Lord Jesus Christ) lacked: Roman citizenship. Therefore, a Roman officer saved Paul from the trial by mob. Then, in an attempt to find out what in Heaven's name was going on, he ordered Paul's second of five trials, before the Jerusalem Council, or Sanhedrin.
This trial records a peculiar turn of events that required a peculiar strategy resulting in a peculiar outcome. The KJV translation of 2 Peter 3:9 says Christians are "a peculiar people." Indeed we are, or should be, like our peculiar champion, Paul.
It is believed that Paul was an unusually well-educated man. We think he matriculated from an elite university in Tarsus. We know he studied at the Gamaliel School in Jerusalem, a place for only the best and brightest. He had more degrees than a thermometer, and when he became a Christian, he did not turn them in nor check his brain at the door.
Paul was smart, and his good sense served him well in this trial. He had knowledge of the Sadducees, including their corrupt high priest Ananias (Josephus records he was "a hoarder of money"). The Sadducees were the left-wing liberals of the day. Paul had knowledge and experience as a Pharisee, the right-wing fundamentalists. So Paul used his brain to turn the Council's glare away from him and make them stare at, and fight with, one another.
Divide and conquer is a strategy used by the good, the bad, and the ugly. Paul was a good guy who used it against men of bad faith. It got ugly for a moment, but Paul's wisdom worked like a charm. It threw this second trial into a mistrial, and spared his life for the three trials to follow.
God commends study, smarts, and shrewdness. He wants us to use them to advance the Gospel and strengthen the church. Paul's expertise in the Old Testament made him a fitting writer for the New Testament. His knowledge of secular verse helped him connect and witness the Gospel in Europe. His reading of the room in this scene saved his own skin and bought him another day to live and preach the Gospel.
A Ph.D. is not required to be an outstanding Christian. But when you face trials as a believer, the more you know the better off you will be. Contrary to the caricature of blind and dumb faith, Christianity is a call to think deeply, read widely, and speak courageously. As Jim Valvano said in his famous speech, every day we should laugh, cry, and think.
Read and think about the Bible, first and foremost. Be sharp on as many other subjects as you can, for you never know how it will help you share the Gospel. Filter all news through God's good news, and you will have God's peculiar wisdom. There is no wisdom like God's wisdom, and Christians have exclusive access to it every day. Being well-versed in the verses of Holy Scripture can make you a smart man, woman, boy, or girl.
Chuck DeVane is the pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church. Call him at 501-525-8339 or email [email protected].