When brought before the Sanhedrin and accused of blaspheme, the Apostle Paul redirects the attention from himself to a theological issue. By doing so Paul takes control of the courtroom and begins to testify to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, instead of getting into a winless debate with the high priest and the Sanhedrin.

Since Paul is trained in the law and is capable as a lawyer, he appears before the Sanhedrin as his own legal defense. When Paul claims to have “fulfilled” his “duty to God in all good conscience”, the high priest orders that Paul be struck on the mouth. Paul’s response to the high priest is justified since the high priest was responsible for the enforcement of the Law, but actual breaks the Law by ordering a man be punished for simply presenting his legal defense. Realize that Paul’s crime has
not been clearly identified yet and no charges have been established, yet the high priest is
punishing a man for presenting his argument, a man, who has not been tried or convicted. The
Jewish Law clearly taught a man was treated as innocent until proven guilty in a legal setting.

The high priest was Ananias at this time (not the Annas who was deposed in 15 and controlled the priesthood from behind the scenes until his death in 40 AD) This Ananias so of Nedebaios was high priest from 47-52. He was ordered to Rome for being accused of acts of terror and violence. He was found innocent by Claudius and returned to Jerusalem by 57 AD after high priest Jonathan’s service had ended. Paul may not have known who the high priest was at that time since Jonathan’s term
had just ended and Ananias had just returned from Rome. Some other options could explain why
Paul would say, “I did not realize that he was the high priest,” when clearly Paul knows the high
priest would preside over the trial and Paul knows what garments distinguish the high priest from
the rest of the priest. One, Paul may not have saw who said, “Strike him.” Two, Paul may have
said it sarcastically, meaning, a high priest would know the law and not break the law while he pretends to obey the Law. Ultimately this Ananias would b drug from an aqueduct he was
hiding in when the Jewish war broke out in 66 AD and was executed by the Jewish rebels.

Like Paul, Jesus had also rebuked the high priest for being struck illegally during a court hearing in John 18:21-23. Paul’s apology may not have been for rebuking the illegal action, but for calling the high priest a whitewashed wall, since Exodus 22:27-28 commands Israel not to revile a ruler.

Paul used his knowledge of the theological bias of the two political groups in the Sanhedrin (Pharisees and Sadducees) to redirect the issue and split the court by bring up the issue of resurrection. The Pharisees believed in resurrection of the dead, but the Sadducees did not.

"When you are reading a book in a dark room, and come to a difficult part, you take it to a window to get more light. So take your Bibles to Christ."
- Robert Murray M'Cheyne