Acts 23:1-8

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.