Acts Chapter 23 in Simple English

Read Acts Chapter 23

1Paul looked straight at the council and said, "Men and brothers, I have lived before God with a completely clear conscience up to this day."

2Then Ananias the high priest ordered the men standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth.

3Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall. Do you sit there to judge me by the law, and yet order me to be struck against the law?"

4The men standing by said, "Do you insult God's high priest?"

5Then Paul said, "Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.'"

6Paul saw that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part Pharisees. So he called out in the council, "Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I am on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead."

7When he had said this, an argument broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.

8For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel, and no spirit. But the Pharisees believe in them all.

9There was a great uproar. The scribes who were on the Pharisees' side stood up and argued, "We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? Let us not fight against God."

10The argument grew very fierce. The chief captain was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. So he ordered the soldiers to go down, take him from among them by force, and bring him into the castle.

11The next night the Lord stood beside him and said, "Take heart, Paul. You have told about me in Jerusalem, and you must be a witness in Rome too."

12When it was day, some of the Jews joined together. They bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

13There were more than forty men who made this plot.

14They came to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul."

15"So now you and the council must send word to the chief captain to bring him down to you tomorrow, as if you meant to look into his case more carefully. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near."

16But Paul's sister's son heard about the ambush. He went into the castle and told Paul.

17Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the chief captain. He has something to tell him."

18So he took him and brought him to the chief captain and said, "Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you."

19The chief captain took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked him, "What is it you have to tell me?"

20He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as if they meant to look into his case more carefully."

21"But do not give in to them. More than forty of their men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your word."

22So the chief captain sent the young man away, and ordered him, "Tell no one that you have shown these things to me."

23He called two of the centurions and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night."

24"Provide animals for Paul to ride, so that they may bring him safely to Felix the governor."

25And he wrote a letter like this:

26"Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix: greetings."

27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him. Then I came with my soldiers and rescued him, for I had learned that he was a Roman.

28I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him down to their council.

29I found that he was accused about questions of their law, but that there was no charge against him that deserved death or chains.

30"Then I was told that the Jews were planning an ambush against the man. So I sent him to you at once, and I also ordered his accusers to say before you what they have against him. Farewell."

31So the soldiers did as they were ordered. They took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

32The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and they returned to the castle.

33When the horsemen came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and brought Paul before him as well.

34When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia,

35he said, "I will hear you when your accusers have come too." And he ordered him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.

Explanation

Acts 23

In short

Paul stands before the Jewish council in Jerusalem to defend himself. The high priest has him struck for claiming a clear conscience, Paul responds harshly then apologizes, and he then divides the council by declaring himself a Pharisee on trial for his belief in resurrection. When a plot to kill him emerges, Roman soldiers escort him safely to the governor at Caesarea.

Context

Paul has been arrested in Jerusalem following a riot in the temple. He is now brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council led by the high priest Ananias, to answer accusations against him. The council includes both Pharisees and Sadducees, two groups with different beliefs about resurrection and the spirit world. The Roman chief captain and soldiers are present and watching.

What the text says

Paul opens by claiming he has lived with a good conscience before God (verse 1). The high priest orders him struck on the mouth. Paul curses him, calling him a "whited wall" and pointing out the illegality of striking someone before trial (verses 2-3). When told he is reviling the high priest, Paul says he did not know this was the high priest and quotes scripture against speaking evil of rulers (verses 4-5).

Paul then declares himself a Pharisee and says he is on trial for hope in the resurrection (verse 6). This splits the council violently. Sadducees deny resurrection, angels, and spirits; Pharisees affirm all three (verses 7-8). The Pharisee scribes shout that they find nothing wrong with Paul and suggest perhaps a spirit or angel has spoken to him (verse 9). The chief captain, fearing Paul will be torn apart, has soldiers extract him to the fortress (verse 10).

That night, the Lord stands beside Paul and tells him to be brave, saying he will witness in Rome as he has in Jerusalem (verse 11). Next morning, over forty Jews take an oath not to eat or drink until they kill Paul (verses 12-13). They approach the chief priests asking them to request the chief captain bring Paul to the council again, planning to ambush him (verses 14-15).

Paul's sister's son hears of this plot and enters the fortress to tell Paul (verse 16). Paul sends him to the chief captain through a centurion (verses 17-18). The chief captain takes the young man aside and learns the full plan (verses 19-21). He sends the youth away with orders to tell no one (verse 22).

The chief captain then orders two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to take Paul to Caesarea that night, with beasts for him to ride (verses 23-24). He writes a letter to Governor Felix explaining that he rescued Paul as a Roman, found no charge worthy of death or imprisonment, and learned of a death plot (verses 25-30). The soldiers take Paul by night to Antipatris; the next day the horsemen return while the soldiers continue to Caesarea (verses 31-32). They deliver Paul and the letter to Felix (verse 33). Felix asks what province Paul is from, learns it is Cilicia, and says he will hear him when his accusers arrive, then holds him in Herod's judgment hall (verses 34-35).

Takeaways

Paul's declaration of conscience and his appeal to the law do not protect him, but a division within the council and Roman authority do.
The Lord's promise to Paul, given in the night, assures him that his suffering is not the end but part of a larger plan.
Information passed through Paul's own family member proves crucial to saving his life from the hidden conspiracy.

Acts 23 - Simple English