Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²² The people listened to him until these words, and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth! It is a pity that he should live! ²³ And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air, ²⁴ the high captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, and commanded him to be scourged and examined in order to find out why the people cried out so against him. ²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and without a trial? ²⁶ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the high captain, saying, What do you intend to do? This man is a Roman.

²⁷ Then the high captain came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes. ²⁸ And the captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, I was free born.

²⁹ Then the soldiers who were to have examined him straightaway drew back from him. And the high captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

³⁰ On the day following, because he wanted to know exactly what Paul was accused of by the Jews, the captain released him from his bonds, and commanded the high priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul and set him before them.

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.