Book of Common Prayer

²³ And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea, and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at the third hour of the night. ²⁴ And provide horses to put Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix, the governor. ²⁵ And he wrote a letter in this manner:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias to the most noble Governor Felix, sends greetings. ²⁷ This man was taken by the Jews, and was near to being killed by them. Then I came with soldiers and rescued him, and learned that he was a Roman. ²⁸ And when I wished to know the offence for which they accused him, I brought him forth into their council. ²⁹ There I could see that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was not guilty of anything worthy of death or of bonds. ³⁰ Afterward, when it was reported to me that the Jews were lying in wait for the man, I sent him straightaway to you, and directed his accusers, if they had anything against him, to tell it to you. Farewell.

³¹ Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they left horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle.

³³ When the horsemen got to Caesarea, they delivered the epistle to the governor and presented Paul before him. ³⁴ When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, ³⁵ I will hear you when your accusers have come also.

And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s palace.

¹³ And they sent to him certain of the Pharisees, along with Herod’s servants, to take him in his words. ¹⁴ And as soon as they arrived, they said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true, and mind no man, for you do not consider the degree of men, but teach the way of God truly. Is it lawful to remit tribute to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵ Ought we to give, or ought we not to give?

He understood their simulation and said to them, Why do you bait me? Bring me a denarius so that I may see it. ¹⁶ And they brought one. And he said to them, Whose image and superscription is this? And they said to him, Caesar’s. ¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said to them, Then give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and to God that which belongs to God. And they marvelled at him.

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him. And they asked him, saying, ¹⁹ Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if any man’s brother dies and leaves his wife behind him, and leaves no children, that then his brother should take his wife and raise up seed for his brother. ²⁰ There were seven brethren. The first took a wife, and when he died left no seed behind him. ²¹ And the second took her, and died also not leaving any seed. And the third likewise. ²² And all seven had her, but left no seed behind them. Last of all, the wife died also. ²³ In the resurrection then, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For seven of them had her as wife.

²⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, Are you not therefore deceived, and do not understand the scriptures, nor the power of God? ²⁵ For when they rise again from death, people neither marry nor are married, but are as the angels who are in heaven. ²⁶ And concerning the dead, that they will rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses how in the bush God spoke to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? ²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly deceived.