Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
Paul fired back at him: 'God's going to strike you down, you fake! You're sitting there pretending to judge me by the law, but then you order me to be hit, which totally goes against that same law?'
Paul called out the hypocrisy, you can't break the rules while claiming to enforce them.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Acts, Paul is defending himself before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council, after being arrested in Jerusalem amid accusations from his fellow Jews. When the high priest orders Paul to be struck for his words, Paul responds with a sharp rebuke, calling him a "whited wall" to highlight the hypocrisy of someone who appears righteous outwardly but acts unjustly. This moment reflects the broader conflicts between early Christians and Jewish religious leaders during the spread of the gospel.
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