Chapter Twenty-Three
Paul Before the Sanhedrin
23:1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
Paul was familiar with the council (Greek, Synedrion, better known as the Sanhedrin), he likely knew a few of the members, and some believe he may have even been a member himself (based on what he said in Acts 26:10). There are a number of speculations as to why he may have been staring at the people, perhaps he was waiting for someone to speak. He begins by first calling them “Brothers,” instead of recognizing their ‘higher’ position, he calls them being ‘equal’ to him. He then tells them that he has lived his life before God in all good conscience up to this day. Since he is there to determine what he was guilty of, that by saying this he is essentially telling them that if he is right with God, then they may not be, putting them immediately on the defensive.
23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”
This is the third and final person in the book of Acts with the name Ananias, this one being a high priest, here he ordered those near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Paul angrily calls him a hypocrite, but is quickly admonished for speaking to the high priest in that manner. Paul knew the high priest at the time he received letters from him years earlier to start his campaign against the believers of Jesus (see Acts 9:1-2). But this was not the same man, after being chastised he quotes Exodus 22:28.
23:6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
When Paul saw how the council was made up of both Sadducees and Pharisees (something he probably was already aware of, as the two sects had a long history of power plays) and he knew there was one subject that was often hotly debated between these two Jewish sects that being the subject of the resurrection of the dead. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (see verse eight), but the Pharisees did, so he first tells them that he is a Pharisee and a son of a Pharisee. And that he is on trial (Greek krinomai, being judged) for believing in the hope and resurrection of the dead.
23:7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
The two sects couldn’t resist the opportunity to debate their fundamental theological differences so the arguments got heated. Some of the scribes and Pharisees stood up and claimed that Paul was innocent. Soon the disagreements turned violent and the tribune became concerned that Paul may be harmed, so he had him removed and brought back to the barracks.
23:11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
The next nigh Jesus stood by Paul and told him, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” (Acts 23:11b, NLT)
A Plot to Kill Paul Revealed
23:12 When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. 15 Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”
Luke informs us that forty Jews had developed a plot to kill Paul, and that they all had taken an oath to not eat or drink until after they had killed him. There is no mention as to why they were so motivated, it appears that their zealousness for their understanding of Judaism and based on their reaction to Paul’s message from the steps leading to the Roman barracks (see Acts 22:22-23) that the main issue was not about Jesus, but that God would consider salvation for Gentiles. Luke notes that they went to the chief priests and elders (possibly just the Sadducees, as there is no mention of the council) asking for their assistance to get Paul in a vulnerable position. With so many involved, it is not surprising that the details of the ambush leaked out.
23:16 Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
This is the only time we read about Paul’s family with the exception of a few indirect references in Romans 16:7, 11, 21. Here Paul’s sister’s son heard about the ambush, so he went to the barracks and told Paul what he heard.
23:17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.” 18 So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” 19 The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” 20 And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. 21 But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” 22 So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
Paul is told about the plot and so he asks one of the centurions to have the young man brought to the tribune. Which he does and the tribune is told about the plan to ambush his men and kill Paul. The tribune tells Paul’s nephew to not tell anyone that he told him about the plot.
Considerations
Ready to Kill
It is hard to imagine someone that thought of themselves as being righteous and godly to consider murdering someone because they thought differently and were persuasive in their arguments. They certainly knew the commandment to not murder, so how did they justify the premeditated murder of Paul? While it is true that with so many involved the guilt cannot be placed on just one person, but they are all accomplices.
Paul Sent to Felix the Governor
23:23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” 25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
The tribune recognized that even though he still does not understand why the Jews were upset about Paul, that this threat was real. He has his men get ready two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen (Greek dexiolabous, who takes the right hand, there is some debate as to what that refers to, most translators prefer spearmen), along with mounts (animals for carrying people or cargo) for Paul, to leave for Caesarea at the third hour of the night (9:00 pm). In what may seem to be an excessive number of soldiers to protect one man, the tribune did not want to risk his men being ambushed and Paul killed under his watch. He then ordered his men to deliver Paul safely to Felix the governor. To explain the circumstances he wrote a letter to Felix that read something like the following.
23:26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30 And when it was disclosed to me 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.”
The letter is self-explanatory as it informs the governor Felix of the accusations against Paul and the threat on his life. He notes that they were accusing Paul regarding matters of their law, nothing that merited a Roman citizen death or imprisonment. And when he found out about the plot to kill him, he had him sent to the governor so that he could listen to the accusations and judge appropriately.
23:31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him.
They brought Paul to Antipatris approximately 35 miles from Jerusalem that evening, which would have been a long and hard trip for the soldiers on foot. From there Paul continued to Caesarea with the men on horses while the others returned to the barracks in Jerusalem.
23:33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.
Paul was successfully transported to Caesarea and was presented to the governor who, after reading the letter, asked Paul what province he was from and when he learned that he was from the province of Cilicia, it is believed that he may not have wanted to bother the legate of the province of Syria-Cilicia with such a trivial case, so he decided to adjudicate the matter himself. He had Paul imprisoned in Herod’s palace while they waited or the accusers from Jerusalem to arrive.