Acts of the Apostles 23

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Paul's Speech to the Council

1 Paul looked at the council and said, “Brothers, I have lived for Allah with a clear conscience to this day.” 2 At this, Ananias* the high priest commanded his servants to strike Paul on the mouth. 3 But Paul said to him, “Allah will strike you, you whitewashed wall!* How can you sit here to try me according to the religious law and then violate the law [by] ordering me struck?” 4 The servants said, “Would you insult Allah's high priest?” 5 Paul replied, “I didn't know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not curse the ruler of your people.’*”

6 When Paul learned that some members of the council were Sadducees and some others were Pharisees, he cried out in the council, saying, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of a Pharisee! And you are putting me on trial now because I have hope that the dead will rise.” 7 When he said that, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the council was divided. 8 For the Sadducees believe neither in the resurrection nor in angels nor in spirits, whereas the Pharisees believe in all these things.

9 A great uproar occurred. Some scholars of the Pharisee sect stood up and began to protest strongly, saying, “We do not find any fault in this man. Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him!” 10 The dispute intensified to the point that the commander was afraid that they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered the soldiers to go down and snatch him away from them and take him to the fortress.* 11 During the night the Messiah came and stood next to Paul and said to him, “Rest assured! It's necessary for you to testify about me in Rome, just as you did in Jerusalem.”

A Conspiracy to Kill Paul

12 The next morning, the Jews conspired together; they forbade themselves from eating and drinking until they had killed Paul. 13 The number of those who conspired was more than forty men. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have sworn an oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now ask the commander — you and the rest of the council — to bring Paul before you, with the pretext that you want to make an investigation into his case. We ourselves will be ready to kill him before he arrives at the council.”

16 But the son of Paul's sister heard of the ambush, so he went to the fortress and told Paul. 17 Paul called for one of the officers and said to him, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something he wants to inform him about.” 18 The officer took him to the commander and said to him, “Paul, the prisoner, called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something he wants to inform you about.” 19 The commander took the young man by the hand, led him aside privately, and asked him, “What do you have? Tell me.” 20 He said, “The Jews agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the council tomorrow, with the pretext that they want to make an investigation into his case. 21 But don't listen to them, because more than forty of them have set an ambush for him. They have forbidden themselves from eating and drinking until they have killed him, and they are ready now, waiting for you to answer their request.” 22 The commander let the young man go, and he warned him, saying, “Don't tell anyone that you told me this.”

The Transfer of Paul to Caesarea

23 Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered them, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to leave for Caesarea* tonight at nine in the evening, 24 and also a horse for Paul to ride, in order to reach Governor Felix safely.” 25 Then he wrote a letter to the governor, in which he said: 26 “From Claudius Lysias, to His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings! 27 This man was arrested by the Jews, and they were about to kill him, but I arrived with my soldiers and rescued him from them, for I learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know the reason for their complaint against him, so I took him to their council. 29 I found that the accusation was related to issues concerning their religious law. But there is no complaint against him that deserves death or imprisonment. 30 Then I learned that there was a conspiracy against the man, so I quickly sent him to you. I have commanded those accusing him to present their case against him to you.”

31 The soldiers carried out the orders given to them and took Paul with them during the night and reached Antipatris* with him. 32 The next day, [the soldiers] let the horsemen go on with him, and they returned to the fortress. 33 When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they gave the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the message and asked [Paul] which province he was from, and he learned that he was from Cilicia. 35 He said, “I will hear your case when those who are complaining about you have come.” Then he commanded that Paul be kept under guard at Herod's palace.*

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Definitions

 *23:3 whitewashed wall: a hypocrite; someone who pretends to be much more righteous than he actually is.

 *23:5 See the Taurat, Exodus 22:28.

 *23:10 fortress: Antonia Fortress, which was next to the Temple complex. See fortress in the glossary.

 *23:23 Caesarea: a port city on the coast. It was the capital of the Roman Province of Iudaea, which included regions of the Holy Lands. The distance from Jerusalem to Caesarea by road was about 121 kilometers (75 miles).

 *23:31 Antipatris: a town midway between Jerusalem and Caesarea.

 *23:35 Herod's palace: a palace built by Herod the Great, who died in 4 BC. At this time (AD 57), the palace in Caesarea was occupied by the Roman governor.