Acts 23

Paul before the Sanhedrin

1 Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin ¹and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.” ‡ Act 24:162Co 1:122Ti 1:3Heb 13:181Co 4:4Act 22:52Co 4:2Act 23:6 +5

2 At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. ‡ Jhn 18:22Act 24:11Ki 22:24Mic 5:1Jer 20:2Mat 26:67

3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.” ‡ Deu 25:1-2Jhn 7:51Mat 23:27-28Amo 5:7Ecc 3:16Lev 19:15Lev 19:35Mic 3:8-11 +4

4 But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”

5 “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’ ²” ‡ Exo 22:28Ecc 10:20Jud 1:8-92Pe 2:10Act 24:17

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” ‡ Act 24:15Act 24:21Act 26:5-8Act 28:20Php 3:5Mat 22:23Act 22:5Mat 10:16

7 As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ‡ Act 14:4Jhn 7:40-43Mat 10:34Psa 55:9 8 For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. ‡ Luk 20:27Mat 22:23Mrk 12:18Act 4:1

9 A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ‡ Act 22:17-18Act 22:7Jhn 12:29Act 23:29Act 25:25Act 26:31Mrk 2:16Pro 16:7 +1210 The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks. ‡ Act 22:24Jas 1:19Jas 3:14Act 19:28-31Act 21:30-36Act 23:16Act 23:27Act 23:32 +3

11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.” ‡ Act 18:92Ti 4:17Mat 14:27Act 19:21Jer 15:19-21Mat 9:2Rom 1:15-16Isa 41:10 +16

The Plot to Kill Paul

(John 16:1–4)

12 When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ‡ Act 23:30Isa 8:9-10Act 23:21Act 23:14Psa 2:1-3Psa 31:13Jer 11:192Ki 6:31 +1713 More than forty of them were involved in this plot. ‡ Jhn 16:22Sa 15:122Sa 15:31 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. ‡ Act 23:12Jer 8:12Hos 4:9Isa 3:9Mic 7:3Psa 52:1-2Jer 6:15 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.” ‡ Isa 59:7Psa 37:32-33Pro 1:11-12Pro 1:16Act 22:30Pro 4:16Psa 21:11Rom 3:14-16 +1

16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, ³ he went into the barracks and told Paul. ‡ 1Co 3:19Act 23:10Act 23:32Job 5:13Lam 3:37Pro 21:302Sa 17:17Act 21:34 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ‡ Pro 22:3Act 22:26Act 23:23Mat 10:16Mat 8:8-9

18 So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” ‡ Eph 3:1Act 28:17Eph 4:1Phm 1:9Act 16:25Act 27:1Gen 40:14-15Luk 7:40

19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?” ‡ Est 5:3Est 7:2Est 9:12Jer 31:32Mrk 10:51Mrk 8:23Mrk 9:27Neh 2:4

20 He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him. ‡ Act 23:14-15Act 23:1Dan 6:5-12Psa 12:2 21 Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.” ‡ Act 23:12-142Co 11:26Act 14:5-6Act 20:19Act 25:3Act 9:23-24Exo 23:2Rom 9:3 +1

22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” ‡ Jos 2:14Mrk 1:44

Paul Sent to Felix

23 Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night. ⁴ ‡ Act 23:33Act 8:40Luk 12:38Mat 14:25 24 Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.” ‡ Act 23:26Act 24:10Act 25:14Act 23:33Act 24:22-27Est 8:12Luk 10:34Luk 3:1 +225 And he wrote the following letter:

26 Claudius Lysias, ‡ Act 15:23Act 24:3Act 26:25Luk 1:33Jn 1:14Jas 1:1

To His Excellency, Governor Felix:

Greetings.

27 This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen, ‡ Act 22:25-29Act 21:31-33Act 23:10Act 24:6 28 and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. ‡ Act 22:30 29 I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment. ‡ Act 26:31Act 18:15Act 25:25Act 25:11Act 25:19-20Act 25:7-8Act 28:18Act 23:6-9 +2

30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you. ‡ Act 23:20Act 23:35Act 24:19Act 24:6-8Act 25:16Act 25:5-62Co 13:11Act 15:29 +2

31 So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris. ‡ 2Ti 2:3-4Act 23:23-24Luk 7:8 32 The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him. ‡ Act 23:10Act 23:23 33 When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him. ‡ Act 23:23-24Act 23:26Act 28:16Act 8:40

34 The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, ‡ Act 21:39Act 25:1Act 15:41Act 6:9Dan 2:49Dan 6:1Est 1:1Est 8:9 +135 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium. ‡ Act 23:30Act 25:16Mat 27:27Act 24:1Act 24:10Act 24:19Act 24:22Act 24:24-27 +4