Historical

Paul comes before the council. Debate arises among the people. The high captain delivers him. God comforts him.

23 Paul beheld the council and said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. ² Then the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by to strike him on the mouth.

³ Then Paul said to him, God smite you, you painted wall! Do you sit and judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?

⁴ And those who stood by said, Do you revile God’s high priest?

⁵ Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest. For it is written: You shall not curse the ruler of your people.

⁶ When Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is concerning the hope and resurrection from death that I am on trial.

⁷ And when he had said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and also no angels or spirits. But the Pharisees grant both. ⁹ And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, We find no evil in this man. And if a spirit or an angel has appeared to him, let us not strive against God.

¹⁰ And when great controversy arose, the captain, fearing lest Paul should be pulled apart by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him from among them, and to bring him into the castle. ¹¹ The night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. For as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness at Rome.

¹² When day came, certain of the Jews gathered themselves together and made a vow, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were about forty who conspired this together. ¹⁴ And they went to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves with a vow that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, petition the high captain and the council to bring him forth to us tomorrow, as though we want to better understand something concerning him. But we, before he comes near, are ready meanwhile to kill him.

¹⁶ When the son of Paul’s sister heard of their plan to lie in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. ¹⁷ And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the high captain, because he has a certain thing to tell him. ¹⁸ And he brought him and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has a certain matter to tell you of.

¹⁹ The high captain took him by the hand and went apart with him privately, and asked him, What have you to say to me? ²⁰ And he said, The Jews have resolved to ask you to bring forth Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they want to make further enquiries of him. ²¹ But do not go along with them, because there will be more than forty men lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with a vow that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready and waiting for your word.

²² The high captain let the young man depart, and instructed him, See you tell no one that you have told these things to me. 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.

Paul is accused before Felix. He answers for himself.

24 After five days, Ananias, the high priest, descended with elders and with a certain orator named Tertullus, and made representations to the governor concerning Paul. ² When Paul was called forth, Tertullus began the case against him, saying,

Seeing that we live in great quietness owing to you, and that many good things are done for this nation through your prudent government, ³ we receive and acknowledge it ever and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thanks. ⁴ But in order that I not be tedious to you, I pray that you would kindly hear a few words from us.

⁵ We have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of conflict among all the Jews throughout the world, and a maintainer of the sect of the Nazarites, ⁶ who has also taken in hand to profane the temple. We took him, and would have judged him according to our law, ⁷ but the high captain Lysias came upon us, and with great force took him away out of our hands, ⁸ commanding his accusers to come to you. You may, if you wish to enquire, ascertain from him the facts concerning all these things of which we accuse him.

⁹ The Jews maintained likewise, saying that it was even so.

¹⁰ Then Paul (after the governor himself had indicated to him that he should speak) answered, I shall with a more quiet mind answer for myself, ¹¹ since I understand that for many years you have been a judge to this people, in order that you may know that it is yet only twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to pray, ¹² and they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone, nor inciting the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city. ¹³ Nor can they prove the things they accuse me of.

¹⁴ But this I confess to you: that in accordance with the Way, which they call heresy, so do I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets. ¹⁵ And I have hope in God that the same resurrection of the dead that they themselves look for also will come, both of the just and the unjust. ¹⁶ And therefore I strive to have a clear conscience toward God, and toward man also.

¹⁷ But after many years I came, bringing alms and offerings to my people, ¹⁸ in the course of which they found me purified in the temple, neither with a lot of people, nor making a disturbance. However, there were certain Jews out of Asia, ¹⁹ who ought to be here present before you and accuse me if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or else let these men here say if they have found any wrongdoing in me, while I stand here in the council – ²¹ unless it be for this one statement that I made standing among them: It is concerning the resurrection from death that I am on trial before you this day.

²² When Felix heard these things, he adjourned the hearing – for he knew very well of that Way – and said, When Lysias the captain arrives, I will hear the last of your matters. ²³ And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and that he should have rest, and not to forbid any of his friends to minister to him or come to him.

²⁴ And after some time, Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, came and called for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith that is toward Christ. ²⁵ And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, That is enough at this time; depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for you. ²⁶ He hoped also that Paul would give him money to set him free, so he called for him often and conversed with him.

²⁷ But after two years, Festus Porcius succeeded Felix. And Felix, wanting to please the Jews, left Paul bound in prison.

The Jews accuse Paul before Festus. Paul appeals to the Emperor and is sent to Rome.

25 When Festus had arrived in the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ² Then the high priests and the chief men of the Jews made submissions to him about Paul. And they entreated him, ³ and requested his indulgence concerning Paul, that he would send for him to come to Jerusalem. And they planned to lay wait for him along the way, to kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, but that he himself would shortly go there. ⁵ Therefore (said he), let those among you who are able to do it come down with us, and bring your case against him there, if there be any fault in the man.

⁶ When he had been in Jerusalem more than ten days, Festus departed to Caesarea. And the next day, he sat down in the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he appeared, the Jews that had come from Jerusalem came about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul – which they could not prove, ⁸ as long as he answered for himself that he had not offended against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, in anything at all.

⁹ Festus, wanting to please the Jews, answered Paul and said, Will you go to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things? ¹⁰ Then Paul said, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no harm, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I have hurt them, or committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. If none of these things are so, of which they accuse me, no one ought to deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar!

¹² Then Festus spoke with deliberation and answered, You have appealed to Caesar: to Caesar you shall go.

¹³ After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ And when they had been there a good season, Festus described Paul’s case to the king, saying, There is a certain man left in prison by Felix, ¹⁵ against whom the high priests and elders of the Jews informed me when I went to Jerusalem, and asked to have judgment against him. ¹⁶ To whom I answered, It is not the practice of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he has his accusers before him, and has the opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge made against him. ¹⁷ When they came here, without delay I sat the next day to give judgment and commanded the man to be brought forth.

¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, ¹⁹ but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition, and about one Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰ And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked him if he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these matters. ²¹ Then, when Paul appealed to be held for hearing by Caesar, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar. 

²² Agrippa said to Festus, I would also like to hear the man myself.

Tomorrow (said he) you shall hear him.

²³ And the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and had entered into the council house with the high captains and chief men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. ²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and everyone here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the Jews have been calling upon me, both at Jerusalem and also here, complaining that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ Yet I found nothing worthy of death committed by him. Nevertheless, seeing that he has appealed to Caesar, I have determined to send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing certain to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I might have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the complaints that are laid against him.