Paul addresses the council with the gravity and dignity of an upright man
accustomed to walk with God. It is not a testimony borne to them for their
good; but the appeal of a good conscience to their consciences, if they had
any. The immediate answer is an outrage on the part of the judge or chief
of the council. Paul, roused by this procedure, denounces judgment on him
from God; but, warned that he was the high priest (who was not so clothed
as to be recognised), he excuses himself by his ignorance of the fact,
quoting the formal prohibition of the law to speak evil of the ruler of the
people. All this was right and in place with regard to men; but the Holy
Ghost could not say, "I wist not." It is not the activity of the Spirit
performing the work of grace and of testimony. But it is the means of the
final judgment of God upon the people. It is in this character, as regards
the Jews, that Paul appears here. Paul makes a much better appearance than
his judges, who thoroughly disgrace themselves and manifest their dreadful
condition; but he does not appear for God before them. Afterwards he avails
himself of the different parties of which the council were composed to
throw complete disorder into it, by declaring himself to be a Pharisee, the
son of a Pharisee, and called in question for a dogma of that sect. This
was true; but it was below the height of his own word, "that which was gain
I counted loss for Christ's sake." The Jews however fully manifest
themselves. That which Paul said raises a tumult, and the chief captain
takes him from among them. God has all things at His disposal. A nephew of
Paul's, never mentioned elsewhere, hears of an ambush laid for him and
warns him of it. Paul sends him to the chief captain, who expedites the
departure of Paul under a guard to Caesarea. God watched over him, but all
is on the level of human and providential ways. There is not the angel as
in Peter's case, nor the earthquake as at Philippi. We are sensibly on
different ground.
