23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin^(A) and said, “My brothers,^(B) I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience^(C) to this day.”

¹⁶ So I strive always to keep my conscience clear^(A) before God and man.

Thanksgiving

³ I thank God,^(A) whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience,^(B) as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.^(C)

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience^(A) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity^[a](B) and godly sincerity.^(C) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom^(D) but on God’s grace.

¹⁸ Pray for us.^(A) We are sure that we have a clear conscience^(B) and desire to live honorably in every way.

⁴ My conscience^(A) is clear, but that does not make me innocent.^(B) It is the Lord who judges me.^(C)

⁵ as the high priest and all the Council^(A) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates^(B) in Damascus,^(C) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

² Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(A) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(B) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(C) in the sight of God.

⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees^(A) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,^(B) I am a Pharisee,^(C) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”^(D)