Acts 23
This devotional is written by Lydia Amarquaye.
Acts 23
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Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, 'My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.' 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!'
4 Those who were standing near Paul said, 'How dare you insult God's high priest!'
5 Paul replied, 'Brothers, I did not realise that he was the high priest; for it is written: "Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people."
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, 'My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.' 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. 'We find nothing wrong with this man,' they said. 'What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?' 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.'
The plot to kill Paul
12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, 'We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.'
16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, 'Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.' 18 So he took him to the commander.
The centurion said, 'Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.'
19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, 'What is it you want to tell me?'
20 He said: 'Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.'
22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: 'Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me.'
Paul transferred to Caesarea
23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, 'Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.'
25 He wrote a letter as follows:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, 'I will hear your case when your accusers get here.' Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.
4 Those who were standing near Paul said, 'How dare you insult God's high priest!'
5 Paul replied, 'Brothers, I did not realise that he was the high priest; for it is written: "Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people."
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, 'My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.' 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)
9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. 'We find nothing wrong with this man,' they said. 'What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?' 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.'
The plot to kill Paul
12 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, 'We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.'
16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17 Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, 'Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.' 18 So he took him to the commander.
The centurion said, 'Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.'
19 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, 'What is it you want to tell me?'
20 He said: 'Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. 21 Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.'
22 The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: 'Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me.'
Paul transferred to Caesarea
23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, 'Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight. 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.'
25 He wrote a letter as follows:
26 Claudius Lysias,
To His Excellency, Governor Felix:
Greetings.
27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin. 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him.
31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they returned to the barracks. 33 When the cavalry arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, 'I will hear your case when your accusers get here.' Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.
Reflection
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In this chapter, Paul continues to share his testimony in front of the Sanhedrin. The religious leaders are very angry about the word Paul is sharing. It feels like Paul goads them a little in speaking about the resurrection of the dead. He picks a topic which he knows will put the cat among the pigeons.
The religious leaders' reaction is very much a reaction we can see in the church today - Sadducees vs Pharisees, one church movement against another, or even two people from the same church forgetting the main reason for their faith and allowing secondary subjects to cause division amongst them.
How scary is it that the commander, who wasn't religious, became worried about Paul's safety. How sad is it today when non-Christians stay away from the church because all they see is division?
The plot against Paul's life continues to a point that the commander asks for Paul to be moved in secret. The commander found 'no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment'. This was merely a conversation he did not need to be involved in.
Paul is a great example for us all. He was not ashamed of the Gospel, trusted God to take him to the places where he was able to share the good news, and ultimately, he knew what was central to the message he was sharing.
When my partner and I discovered St Mary's last year, there was a preaching about looking after the marginalised in the community. When we attended a service in the building, we saw a reliance on the Holy spirit, and a passion for unity. This is what a community of believers should look like, and should draw others to God as a result.
Father, help us to seek unity amongst your believers. Help us to know what is central to the Gospel, which is Jesus dying and rising from the dead for the atonement of our sins and to draw us back to you. Amen
The religious leaders' reaction is very much a reaction we can see in the church today - Sadducees vs Pharisees, one church movement against another, or even two people from the same church forgetting the main reason for their faith and allowing secondary subjects to cause division amongst them.
How scary is it that the commander, who wasn't religious, became worried about Paul's safety. How sad is it today when non-Christians stay away from the church because all they see is division?
The plot against Paul's life continues to a point that the commander asks for Paul to be moved in secret. The commander found 'no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment'. This was merely a conversation he did not need to be involved in.
Paul is a great example for us all. He was not ashamed of the Gospel, trusted God to take him to the places where he was able to share the good news, and ultimately, he knew what was central to the message he was sharing.
When my partner and I discovered St Mary's last year, there was a preaching about looking after the marginalised in the community. When we attended a service in the building, we saw a reliance on the Holy spirit, and a passion for unity. This is what a community of believers should look like, and should draw others to God as a result.
Father, help us to seek unity amongst your believers. Help us to know what is central to the Gospel, which is Jesus dying and rising from the dead for the atonement of our sins and to draw us back to you. Amen
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