1Looking straight at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.” 2Then Ananias, the high priest, ordered those who stood by him to strike Paul on the mouth.
3At this, Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and [yet] command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
4Those who stood by said, “Do you insult God’s high priest?”
5Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”1523 6But when Paul realized that some were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee! And I am being judged concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead!”
7When he said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees believe in all of these things). 9A great uproar began, and the teachers of the law who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up. They strongly argued, “We find no evil in this man! But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, 1524let us not fight against God!”
10The dispute became so fierce that the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces. He then ordered the soldiers to go down and remove Paul from the assembly by force, and to bring him into the barracks.
11The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Rejoice, Paul! As you have borne witness to me in Jerusalem, you must also bear witness in Rome.”
Conspiracy exposed—Paul is taken to Caesarea
12When day came, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a great curse,1525 saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty people who joined this conspiracy. 14They came to the chief priests and the presbyters, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15Now then, you with the Sanhedrin should petition the commanding officer to 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!”
16But Paul’s nephew1526 heard of their ambush. He came, entered into the fortress and told Paul. 17Calling one of the centurions, Paul said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer. He has something to tell him.”
18Accordingly, the centurion took Paul’s nephew1527 and brought him to the commanding officer, saying, “Paul, the prisoner, called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
19The commanding officer took Paul’s nephew by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
20He replied, “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. 21But do not give in to their request, for more than forty men lie in wait for Paul, and they have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for you to grant their request.”
22And so, the commanding officer let the young man go with this instruction, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.” 23He called to himself two of the centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to leave at the third hour of the night1528 for Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears.” 24He asked them to provide animals in order to set Paul on one, and to bring him safely to Felix the governor. 25He wrote a letter as follows:
26”Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings!
27This 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 [citizen]. 28Desiring to know why they accused him, I brought him to their council. 29I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or imprisonment. 30When I was told that the Jews were about to ambush this man, I immediately sent him to you. I also instructed his accusers to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.1529“
31And so the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32But on the next day, they left the horsemen to continue with him and returned to the barracks. 33When the horsemen1530 arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and also presented Paul to him. 34After reading the letter, the governor asked what province Paul was from. Having learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, 35”I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He then commanded that Paul should be held in Herod’s palace.
Paul before Felix
- Exodus 22:28
- CT omits “let us not fight against God”
- Or “oath”
- Literally “sister’s son”
- Greek “him,” here and in the next verse
- About 9:00 pm
- CT omits “Farewell”
- Greek “they”
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
