Acts 22:30-23:35

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Late last year, when a Chinese pastor named Wang Yi anticipated he would be arrested as part of the state’s war on independent Christian churches, he wrote a letter to be published after his detention. When it was released following his arrest in December, his message rocked the Christian community globally, opening new conversations about Christians’ role in corrupt power structures. He wrote,

I accept and respect the fact that this Communist regime has been allowed by God to rule temporarily. As the Lord’s servant John Calvin said, wicked rulers are the judgment of God on a wicked people, the goal being to urge God’s people to repent and turn again toward Him. For this reason, I am joyfully willing to submit myself to their enforcement of the law as though submitting to the discipline and training of the Lord. At the same time, I believe that this Communist regime’s persecution against the church is a greatly wicked, unlawful action. As a pastor of a Christian church, I must denounce this wickedness openly and severely. The calling that I have received requires me to use non-violent methods to disobey those human laws that disobey the Bible and God. My Savior Christ also requires me to joyfully bear all costs for disobeying wicked laws. 1

So, what is our relation to structures of power in society? If Jesus reigns as Lord of the world, what does that imply about how we relate to the governing authorities? Paul seems very clear on the subject. In his letter the Romans he wrote,

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment…Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (Rom 13:1–2, 5 ESV)

But what happens when those institutions become corrupt instruments of evil and submission enables further injustice? After WWII, we rightfully condemn those who carried out Hitler’s abominations with the excuse that they were just following orders. So our responsibility must entail more than mere submission. Today we will glimpse Paul’s views on society’s power structures, and we’ll discover how the kingdom advanced in a very imperfect and often corrupt world.

If you were with us last week you’ll recall that in this final section of Acts, Paul the evangelist becomes Paul the apologist, defending his teaching (i.e., what Paul teaches is not apostasy from Judaism, but rather its fulfillment), and the integrity of his character (i.e., he is not a revolutionary, but a law-abiding Roman citizen) in five trials. The journey will take Paul from Jerusalem, to Caesarea and finally to Rome.

Paul’s first defense took place in the temple after he was falsely accused of desecrating it and the Roman military commander (called the “tribune”) rescued him from an angry lynch mob. Motivated by a deep love for his people, Paul asked to speak. The crowd was stunned when they saw the prisoner, bloodied and beaten, escorted to the platform overlooking the temple, and even more surprised when he addressed them in Aramaic, their native tongue. In a rhetorical masterpiece, Paul told the story of his upbringing, education, and unimpeachable zeal as chief persecutor of the church. The crowd listened attentively even when Paul spoke of his encounter with the risen Christ, which gave him a new understanding that the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes and dreams comes through the resurrection of the person of Jesus, who is now reigning as Israel’s Messiah and Lord of the world. It wasn’t until Paul mentioned a second vision he had in the temple detailing his commission to the Gentiles that all hell broke loose.

The scene is not without humor, as the poor tribune, who is in charge of the situation, can’t s