Acts 23

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BBE WEB

Paul's defence before the council of the Jews

And Paul, looking fixedly at the Sanhedrin, said, My brothers, my life has been upright before God till this day. Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.”
And the high priest, Ananias, gave orders to those who were near him to give him a blow on the mouth. The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
Then Paul said to him, God will give blows to you, you whitewashed wall: are you here to be my judge by law, and by your orders am I given blows against the law? Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
And those who were near said, Do you say such words against God's high priest? Those who stood by said, “Do you malign God’s high priest?”
And Paul said, Brother, I had no idea that he was the high priest: for it has been said, You may not say evil about the ruler of your people. Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Paul's defence. He gets a holy assurance that he shall go to Rome

But when Paul saw that half of them were Sadducees and the rest Pharisees, he said in the Sanhedrin, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, and the son of Pharisees: I am here to be judged on the question of the hope of the coming back from the dead. But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
And when he had said this, there was an argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and a division in the meeting. When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no coming back from the dead, and no angels or spirits: but the Pharisees have belief in all these. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.
And there was a great outcry: and some of the scribes on the side of the Pharisees got up and took part in the discussion, saying, We see no evil in this man: what if he has had a revelation from an angel or a spirit? A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”
And when the argument became very violent, the chief captain, fearing that Paul would be pulled in two by them, gave orders to the armed men to take him by force from among them, and take him into the army building. When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
And the night after, the Lord came to his side and said, Be of good heart, for as you have been witnessing for me in Jerusalem, so will you be my witness in Rome. The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”

The Jews make a secret plot to kill Paul, Lysias sends him to Cesarea

And when it was day, the Jews came together and put themselves under an oath that they would take no food or drink till they had put Paul to death. When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.
And more than forty of them took this oath. There were more than forty people who had made this conspiracy.
And they came to the chief priests and the rulers and said, We have taken a great oath to take no food till we have put Paul to death They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
So now, will you and the Sanhedrin make a request to the military authorities to have him sent down to you, as if you were desiring to go into the business in greater detail; and we, before ever he gets to you, will be waiting to put him to death. Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
But Paul's sister's son had word of their design, and he came into the army building and gave news of it to Paul. But Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
And Paul sent for a captain and said, Take this young man to your chief, for he has news for him. Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him.”
So he took him to the chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, made a request to me to take this young man to you, for he has something to say to you. So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you.”
And the chief took him by the hand and, going on one side, said to him privately, What is it you have to say to me? The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
And he said, The Jews are in agreement together to make a request to you for Paul to be taken, on the day after this, into the Sanhedrin, to be questioned in greater detail. He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.
But do not give way to them, for more than forty of them are waiting for him, having taken an oath not to take food or drink till they have put him to death: and now they are ready, waiting for your order. Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you.”
So the chief captain let the young man go, saying to him, Do not say to anyone that you have given me word of these things. So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.”
And he sent for two captains and said, Make ready two hundred men, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, to go to Caesarea, at the third hour of the night: He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.”
And get beasts so that they may put Paul on them, and take him safely to Felix, the ruler. He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

Lysias's letter to Felix

And he sent a letter in these words: He wrote a letter like this:
Claudius Lysias, to the most noble ruler, Felix, peace be with you. “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be put to death by them, when I came on them with the army and took him out of danger, having knowledge that he was a Roman. “This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.
And, desiring to get at the reason for their attack on him, I took him down to their Sanhedrin: Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.
Then it became clear to me that it was a question of their law, and that nothing was said against him which might be a reason for prison or death. I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
And when news was given to me that a secret design was being made against the man, I sent him straight away to you, giving orders to those who are against him to make their statements before you. When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.”
So the armed men, as they were ordered, took Paul and came by night to Antipatris. So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
But on the day after, they sent the horsemen on with him, and went back to their place: But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.
And they, when they came to Caesarea, gave the letter to the ruler, and took Paul before him. When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
And after reading it, he said, What part of the country do you come from? And, hearing that he was from Cilicia, When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,
I will give hearing to your cause, he said, when those who are against you have come. And he gave orders for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium. “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.
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