Social Evils Denounced

A Promise for the Remnant of Israel

Paul Sent to Felix the Governor

²³ Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, “Get ready to leave by nine o’clock tonight for Caesarea with two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen.^{(A) 24} Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and take him safely to Felix the governor.”^{(B) 25} He wrote a letter to this effect:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings.^{(C) 27} This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but when I had learned that he was a Roman, I came with the guard and rescued him.^{(D) 28} Since I wanted to know the charge for which they accused him, I had him brought to their council.^{(E) 29} I found that he was accused concerning questions of their law but was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.^{(F) 30} When I was informed that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”^[a](G)

³¹ So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him during the night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^{(H) 33} When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.^{(I) 34} On reading the letter, he asked what province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,^{(J) 35} he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s headquarters.^[b](K)

Messengers from John the Baptist

¹⁸ The disciples of John reported all these things to him. So John summoned two of his disciples ¹⁹ and sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?” ²⁰ When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?’ ” ²¹ Jesus^[a] had just then cured many people of diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits and had given sight to many who were blind.^{(A) 22} And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight; the lame walk; those with a skin disease are cleansed; the deaf hear; the dead are raised; the poor have good news brought to them.^{(B) 23} And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

²⁴ When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus^[b] began to speak to the crowds about John:^[c] “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ What, then, did you go out to see? Someone^[d] dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶ What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷ This is the one about whom it is written,

²⁸ “I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John, yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” ²⁹ (And all the people who heard this, including the tax collectors, acknowledged the justice of God,^[e] having been baptized with John’s baptism.^{(C) 30} But the Pharisees and the experts in the law, not having been baptized by him, rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)^(D)

³¹ “To what, then, will I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? ³² They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,

³³ “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon’;^{(E) 34} the Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’^{(F) 35} Nevertheless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”