使徒行传 23
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
23 保罗注视着公会的人，说：“弟兄们，我在上帝面前行事为人一向问心无愧。” 2 大祭司亚拿尼亚一听，就命那些站在旁边的人打保罗的嘴。 3 保罗对亚拿尼亚说：“你这伪君子[a]，上帝要击打你！你坐在那里不是应当依法审问我吗？你怎么违法叫人打我？”
4 站在旁边的人说：“你竟敢辱骂上帝的大祭司？” 5 保罗说：“弟兄们，我不知道他是大祭司。我知道圣经上说，‘不可咒诅百姓的官长。’”
6 保罗发现他们一些是法利赛人，一些是撒都该人，就在公会中高声说：“弟兄们，我是法利赛人，也是法利赛人的子孙。我因为盼望死人复活，才在这里受审！” 7 这句话立刻引起法利赛人和撒都该人之间的争论，公会分成了两派。 8 因为撒都该人认为没有复活，也没有天使和灵，而法利赛人认为这些都有。
9 众人大声喧嚷，有几个法利赛派的律法教师站起来争辩说：“我们找不出这人有什么错处，也许真的有灵或天使跟他说过话。” 10 争论越来越激烈，千夫长怕保罗会被他们扯碎了，就派人把他从人群中救出来，带回军营。
11 当天晚上，主站在保罗身旁对他说：“要勇敢！正如你在耶路撒冷为我做了见证，你也必须在罗马为我做见证。”
阴谋杀害保罗
12 天亮后，犹太人设下阴谋，并起誓说：“不杀保罗，誓不吃喝！” 13 有四十多人参与了这个阴谋。 14 他们去见祭司长和长老，说：“我们已经发了誓，不杀保罗不吃饭。 15 请你们和公会出面通知千夫长，请他把保罗押到你们这里来，就说要进一步审讯他。我们准备在他到达之前杀掉他！”
16 保罗的外甥听到这一阴谋，就去军营通知保罗。 17 保罗请来一位百夫长，说：“请赶快带这青年去见千夫长，他有要事禀告！” 18 百夫长领那青年去见千夫长，说：“那囚犯保罗叫我带这青年来，说有要事禀告。”
19 千夫长就拉着那青年的手走到一旁，私下问他：“你有什么事要告诉我？” 20 他说：“那些犹太人约好了，要请求你明天带保罗到公会受审，假装要详细审问他的事。 21 你不要答应他们，因为他们有四十多个人会埋伏在半路，并且还起誓说，‘不杀保罗就不吃不喝’。他们现在已经准备就绪，就等你答应了。”
22 千夫长听后，就叫他回去，并叮嘱道：“你向我禀告的事，不要告诉别人。”
保罗被押往凯撒利亚
23 于是，千夫长召来两名百夫长，吩咐道：“预备二百名步兵、七十名骑兵、二百名长枪手，今晚九时出发去凯撒利亚。 24 要给保罗预备坐骑，护送他安全抵达腓利斯总督那里。”
25 千夫长写了公文给腓利斯总督，内容如下： 26 “克劳狄·吕西亚敬问腓利斯总督大人安。 27 这人被犹太人抓住，险些被他们杀害。我得知他是罗马公民，便带兵去救了他。 28 为了弄清楚他们控告他的缘由，我押他到犹太人的公会受审， 29 发现他被控告与他们的律法有关，他并没有犯该被监禁或处死的罪。 30 我得知有人准备暗杀他，便立即护送他到你那里，并通知他的控告者去你那里告他。”
31 军兵奉命行事，连夜护送保罗到安提帕底。 32 第二天，由骑兵继续护送，其余军兵返回军营。 33 他们到了凯撒利亚，将公文呈交总督，把保罗交给他。 34 总督看过公文，便问保罗是哪省的人，得知保罗是基利迦人，就说： 35 “等告你的人来了，我会审理你的案子。”于是下令把保罗关在希律的王府里。
Footnotes
- 23:3 “伪君子”希腊文是“粉饰的墙”。
Acts 23
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 23
1 Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brethren, to this very day, I have conducted myself before God with a perfectly clear conscience.” 2 At this, the high priest Ananias[a] ordered his attendants to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there to judge me according to the Law and then in defiance of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 The attendants said, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?” 5 Paul replied, “Brethren, I did not realize that he was the high priest. It is clearly written: ‘You shall not curse the ruler of your people.’ ”
6 Well aware that some of them were Sadducees and the others were Pharisees, Paul called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brethren, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning our hope in the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute ensued between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees hold that there is no resurrection and that there are no angels or spirits, while the Pharisees believe in all three.
9 Then a great uproar arose, and some of the scribes belonging to the party of the Pharisees stood up and forcefully stated, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has really spoken to him?” 10 When a violent dissension arose, the commander was fearful that Paul would be torn to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down, seize him from their midst, and bring him into the barracks.
11 On the following night, the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have borne witness to me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
12 A Plot To Kill Paul.[b] When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath[c] not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who entered this pact. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and told them, “We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath not to consume any food until we have killed Paul. 15 You and the Sanhedrin should make an official request to the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext that you want to investigate his case more thoroughly. We on our part have arranged to kill him before he arrives.”
16 However, the son of Paul’s sister learned of the plot. He thereupon went to the barracks and related the news to Paul. 17 Paul then summoned one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18 He brought him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and requested that I bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took him by the hand, drew him aside, and asked him in private, “What is it that you have to report to me?” 20 He replied, “The Jews have agreed to request you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of inquiring more thoroughly into his case. 21 Do not believe them. More than forty of them are waiting for your consent to their request, for they have sworn an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now and are waiting only for your consent.” 22 The commander dismissed the young man, ordering him, “Tell no one that you have given me this information.”
Paul’s Imprisonment and Defenses at Caesarea
23 Paul Is Imprisoned at Caesarea.[d] Then he summoned two of his centurions and said, “Have two hundred soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea by nine o’clock tonight,[e] along with seventy cavalrymen and two hundred auxiliaries. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride, and deliver him to Felix the governor.” 25 He then wrote a letter as follows:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To his Excellency the governor Felix:[f]
Greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them; but when I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I arrived on the scene with my troops and rescued him.
28 Wanting to learn what charge they were making against him, I had him brought before their Sanhedrin. 29 I discovered that the accusation dealt with questions about their Law, but that there was no charge against him that merited death or imprisonment. 30 Now I have been informed of a plot to assassinate this man. I am sending him to you without delay, and I have instructed his accusers to present to you their case against him.
31 Therefore, the soldiers, acting in accordance with their orders, took Paul and escorted him during the night to Antipatris. 32 On the next day, they returned to the barracks, leaving the cavalrymen to escort him the rest of the way. 33 When they arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed over Paul to him.
34 After reading the letter, the governor asked Paul what province he was from, and on learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will hear your case as soon as your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that he be held in custody in Herod’s praetorium.
Footnotes
- Acts 23:2 Ananias was high priest from A.D. 47 to 59.
- Acts 23:12 Luke contrasts the correct behavior of the Roman authorities with the blind fanaticism of the Jews: from the outset the Romans realized that there was nothing subversive about Christianity. This is proof of the loyalty of Christians. Note the reference to Paul’s sister and nephew; this is the only information we have about his family.
- Acts 23:12 Oath: they call God’s curse upon themselves if they fail to carry out the commitment they have assumed.
- Acts 23:23 The commander cannot risk having a Roman citizen assassinated while in his custody, so he seeks to transfer Paul to the jurisdiction of Felix, the governor of the province of Judea. He also sends a letter to Felix summarizing the events, from the riot in the temple to the commander’s discovery of a plot against Paul’s life. The most important thing he says is that there is no charge against Paul deserving of death or punishment. Felix then agrees to hear the case himself.
- Acts 23:23 Nine o’clock tonight: literally, “the third hour of the night.”
- Acts 23:26 Felix: M. Antonius Felix was governor (procurator) of Judea from A.D. 52 to 60, and he ruled with an iron hand.
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
