Acts Chapter 23
6 Knowing one part was Sadducees and the other was Pharisees, he started shouting, “I’m a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee! I’m on trial for having hope in the resurrection!”
7 Dissension erupted between the Pharisees and Sadducees. 8 Sadducees say there’s no resurrection, angel, or spirit; Pharisees profess them all. 9 During the uproar, some scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up, protesting violently, “We don’t find anything wrong with this man! What if a spirit or angel spoke to him?”
10 As the conflict grew, the tribune was afraid they’d tear Paul limb from limb. He commanded the troops to rescue him and bring him back into the barracks.
11 That night the Lord stood by him, “Don’t be afraid. As you’ve spoken for me in Jerusalem, you need to speak for me in Rome.”
Acts 23:6-11
Jewish Plot to Kill Paul
12 The next day, some Jews took a binding oath not to eat or drink till they’d killed Paul. 13 More than 40 men instigated that plot. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, “We’ve taken a binding oath not to taste anything till we’ve killed Paul. 15 Now you and the Sanhedrin inform the tribune to bring him down as if to find out more accurately the issues about him. Before he gets close, we’re prepared to kill him.”
16 Paul’s nephew heard about the ambush, went into the barracks, and let Paul know. 17 Paul called a centurion, “Take this young man to the tribune; he has something to tell him.”
18 He took him to the tribune, “The prisoner Paul asked me to bring you this young man. He has something to tell you.”
19 The tribune took his hand and withdrew privately, “What do you have to report?”
20 “Some Jews have agreed together to ask you to take Paul down into the Sanhedrin tomorrow as if to ask something more accurately about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you. More than 40 of them are lying in ambush. They’ve taken an oath not to eat or drink till they’ve killed him. They’re ready now and waiting for your promise.
22 The tribune let him go, “Don’t tell anybody you told me about this.”
Acts 23:12-22
23 He called 2 centurions, “Get 200 soldiers ready, 75 cavalrymen, and 200 infantrymen to leave for Caesarea at 9:00 tonight. 24 Provide mounts to deliver Paul safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote a letter to this effect:
26 “Claudius Lysias to most excellent Governor Felix.
27 The Jews arrested this man and were trying to kill him when I came on them with troops and rescued him, when I discovered he was a Roman citizen. 28 To learn why they were accusing him, I took him down into their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out they were accusing him about questions in their Law, not about anything that deserves bonds or death. 30 I was informed about a plot against him and sent him to you at once. I have instructed his accusers to bring charges against him in your hearing.”
Acts 23:23-30
Paul Sent to Caesarea
31 So the soldiers took Paul to Antipatris during the night. 32 The next day they left the cavalrymen to go with him the rest of the way while they came back to the barracks. 33 When they got to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I’ll give yousg a hearing when your accusers get here.” He gave orders to keep Paul in Herod’s Praetorium.
Acts 23:31-35