Acts 23
23
1Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience#Ac 24:16; 1Co 4:4; 1Tm 3:9; 2Tm 1:5; Heb 13:18; 1Pt 3:16 to this day.” 2The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.#1Kg 22:24; Jn 18:22; Ac 24:1 3Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” #Lv 19:15; Dt 25:1–2; Mt 23:27; Jn 7:51
4Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”
5“I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”#23:5Ex 22:28#Ex 22:28; Ac 24:17 6When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.#Ac 26:5; Php 3:5 I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” #Ac 24:15,21; 26:6–8; 28:20 7When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,#Mt 22:23; Mk 12:18; Lk 20:27 and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
9The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’#Mk 2:16; Lk 5:30 party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man.#Ac 23:29; 25:25; 26:31 What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” #23:9 Other mss add Let us not fight God.#Jn 12:29; Ac 22:7,17–18
10When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.#Ac 21:34; 23:16,32 11The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”#Ac 18:9; 19:21; 27:23
The Plot against Paul
12When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.#Ac 23:14,21,30; 25:3 13There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you#23:15 Other mss add tomorrow as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”#Ac 22:30; 23:1
16But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”
18So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
19The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”
20“The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush — men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”#Lk 11:54; Ac 23:12,14
22So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
To Caesarea by Night
23He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.#23:23 Lit at the third hour tonight#Ac 8:40; 23:33 24Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”
25He wrote the following letter:#23:25 Or He wrote a letter to this effect:
26Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.#Lk 1:3; Ac 15:23; 24:3; 26:25
27When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.#Ac 21:32–33; 22:25–29 28Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,#Ac 18:15; 25:19 and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.#Ac 25:25; 26:31 30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,#23:30 Other mss add by the Jews#Ac 9:24; 23:12,20 I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers#Ac 24:19; 25:16 to state their case against him in your presence.#23:30 Other mss add Farewell
31So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.#Ac 8:40; 23:23–24,26 34After he#23:34 Other mss read the governor read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,#Ac 6:9; 21:39; 25:1 35he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.#23:35 Or headquarters#Mt 27:27; Ac 24:27; 25:16
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Acts 23: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Acts 23
23
1Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin. “My brothers,” he said, “I have always done my duty to God. To this day I feel that I have done nothing wrong.” 2Ananias the high priest heard this. So he ordered the men standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth. 3Then Paul said to him, “You pretender! God will hit you! You sit there and judge me by the law. But you yourself broke the law when you commanded them to hit me!”
4Those who were standing near Paul spoke to him. They said, “How dare you talk like that to God’s high priest!”
5Paul replied, “Brothers, I didn’t realize he was the high priest. It is written, ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’ ” (Exodus 22:28)
6Paul knew that some of them were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees. So he called out to the members of the Sanhedrin. “My brothers,” he said, “I am a Pharisee. I come from a family of Pharisees. I believe that people will rise from the dead. That’s why I am on trial.” 7When he said this, the Pharisees and the Sadducees started to argue. They began to take sides. 8The Sadducees say that people will not rise from the dead. They don’t believe there are angels or spirits either. But the Pharisees believe all these things.
9People were causing trouble and making a lot of noise. Some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up. They argued strongly. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10The people arguing were getting out of control. The commanding officer was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. So he ordered the soldiers to go down and take him away from them by force. The officer had told them to bring Paul into the fort.
11The next night the Lord stood near Paul. He said, “Be brave! You have told people about me in Jerusalem. You must do the same in Rome.”
The Plan to Kill Paul
12The next morning some Jews gathered secretly to make plans against Paul. They made a promise to themselves. They promised that they would not eat or drink anything until they killed him. 13More than 40 men took part in this plan. 14They went to the chief priests and the elders. They said, “We have made a special promise to God. We will not eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15Now then, you and the Sanhedrin must make an appeal to the commanding officer. Ask him to bring Paul to you. Pretend you want more facts about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
16But Paul’s nephew heard about this plan. So he went into the fort and told Paul.
17Then Paul called one of the commanders. He said to him, “Take this young man to the commanding officer. He has something to tell him.” 18So the commander took Paul’s nephew to the officer.
The commander said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me. He asked me to bring this young man to you. The young man has something to tell you.”
19The commanding officer took the young man by the hand. He spoke to him in private. “What do you want to tell me?” the officer asked.
20He said, “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow. They will pretend they want more facts about him. 21Don’t give in to them. More than 40 of them are waiting in hiding to attack him. They have promised that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now. All they need is for you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin.”
22The commanding officer let the young man go. But he gave him a warning. “Don’t tell anyone you have reported this to me,” he said.
Paul Is Taken to Caesarea
23Then the commanding officer called for two of his commanders. He ordered them, “Gather a company of 200 soldiers, 70 horsemen and 200 men armed with spears. Get them ready to go to Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. 24Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25Here is the letter the officer wrote.
26I, Claudius Lysias, am writing this letter.
I am sending it to His Excellency, Governor Felix.
Greetings.
27The Jews grabbed Paul. They were about to kill him. But I came with my soldiers and saved him. I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28I wanted to know why they were bringing charges against him. So I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29I found out that the charge against him was based on questions about their law. But there was no charge against him worthy of death or prison. 30Then I was told about a plan against the man. So I sent him to you at once. I also ordered those bringing charges against him to present their case to you.
31The soldiers followed their orders. During the night they took Paul with them. They brought him as far as Antipatris. 32The next day they let the horsemen go on with him. The soldiers returned to the fort. 33The horsemen arrived in Caesarea. They gave the letter to the governor. Then they handed Paul over to him. 34The governor read the letter. He asked Paul where he was from. He learned that Paul was from Cilicia. 35So he said, “I will hear your case when those bringing charges against you get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.
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