NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 67
A cts 2 3 : 1 8
2023
22:29
Acts 16:38
23:1
Acts 24:16
1 Cor 4:4
2 Cor 1:12
1 Tim 3:9
Heb 13:18
1 Pet 3:16, 21
23:2
John 18:22
Acts 24:1
m archiereus (0749)
Heb
4:14
23:3
Lev 19:15
Ezek 13:1015
John 7:51
23:5
*Exod 22:28
23:6
Acts 26:5
Phil 3:5
n elpis (1680)
Rom
5:2
23:8
Matt 22:23
Mark 12:18
Luke 20:27
23:9
Acts 22:7; 25:25
23:11
Acts 18:9; 27:24;
28:23
23:12
1 Sam 14:24
Acts 9:23
23:1415
Acts 25:3
23:16
Acts 21:34
27 So the commander went over and asked
Paul, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes, I certainly am,” Paul replied.
28 “I am, too,” the commander muttered,
“and it cost me plenty!”
Paul answered, “But I am a citizen by birth!”
29 The soldiers who were about to interro
gate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard
he was a Roman citizen, and the commander
was frightened because he had ordered him
bound and whipped.
Paul before the High Council
30 The next day the commander ordered the
leading priests into session with the Jewish
high council.* He wanted to find out what
the trouble was all about, so he released Paul
to have him stand before them.
Gazing intently at the high council,*
23
Paul began: “Brothers, I have always
lived before God with a clear conscience!”
2 Instantly Ananias the m high priest com
manded those close to Paul to slap him on
the mouth. 3 But Paul said to him, “God will
slap you, you corrupt hypocrite!* What kind
of judge are you to break the law yourself by
ordering me struck like that?”
4 Those standing near Paul said to him,
“Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”
5 “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he
was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the
Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of
any of your rulers.’*”
6 Paul realized that some members of the
high council were Sadducees and some were
Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a
Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on
trial because my n hope is in the resurrection
of the dead!”
7 This divided the council—the Pharisees
against the Sadducees—8 for the Sadducees
say there is no resurrection or angels or spir
its, but the Pharisees believe in all of these.
9 So there was a great uproar. Some of the
teachers of religious law who were Pharisees
jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We
see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted.
“Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.”
10 As the conflict grew more violent, the com
mander was afraid they would tear Paul apart.
So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue
him by force and take him back to the fortress.
11 That night the Lord appeared to Paul
and said, “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.”
The Plan to Kill Paul
12 The next morning a group of Jews* got to
gether and bound themselves with an oath
not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty of them in
the conspiracy. 14 They went to the leading
priests and elders and told them, “We have
bound ourselves with an oath to eat nothing
until we have killed Paul. 15 So you and the
high council should ask the commander to
bring Paul back to the council again. Pretend
you want to examine his case more fully. We
will kill him on the way.”
16 But Paul’s nephew—his sister’s son—
heard of their plan and went to the fortress
and told Paul. 17 Paul called for one of the
Roman officers* and said, “Take this young
man to the commander. He has something
important to tell him.”
18 So the officer did, explaining, “Paul, the
22:30 Greek Sanhedrin. 23:1 Greek Sanhedrin; also in 23:6, 15, 20, 28. 23:3 Greek you whitewashed wall. 23:5 Exod
22:28. 23:12 Greek the Jews. 23:17 Greek centurions; also in 23:23.
22:28 it cost me plenty! During the early
part of the reign of Emperor Claudius
(ad 41–54), Roman citizenship could be
purchased, but it was expensive.
23:1 In addressing the high council,
Paul insisted on his personal integrity
before God—he had not violated God’s
law or done the things they accused him
of doing.
23:2 Ananias was the Jewish high priest
from ad 47 to 58. • slap him: He appar
ently assumed that Paul was lying and
tried to intimidate him.
23:3 you corrupt hypocrite: Cp. Ezek
13:1017; Matt 23:27.
23:5 Why Paul did not recognize the
high priest is not known. • Paul replied
by quoting Exod 22:28, acknowledging
the respect to which the high priest was
entitled by virtue of his office.
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
23:6 Paul focused on the key issue in
his trial, the hope of resurrection from
the dead. His preaching was simply the
outworking of that hope and the fact
of Jesus’ resurrection, but the message
was unacceptable to both groups of Jews
because of its implications. Pharisees
could not abide the inclusion of the
Gentiles apart from circumcision and
keeping the law of Moses (cp. 15:5; see
“The Pharisees,” Matt 3:7), but that was
what the resurrection of Jesus and the
outpouring of the Spirit had provided
(Acts 2:39; 10:3448). Sadducees could
not stand the proclamation of the resur
rection at all (cp. 4:12; see “The Saddu
cees,” Matt 16:112).
23:710 Paul’s statement (23:6) divided
the council, with the Pharisees taking
Paul’s side against the Sadducees. The
resulting uproar was so great that the
GOSPELS & ACTS
commander rescued Paul and took him
back into the fortress of Antonia.
23:11 At this critical juncture, Jesus
encouraged Paul to continue as his
faithful witness by assuring him that
he would go to Rome (see 19:21).
23:1215 The plan to kill Paul was
desperate, as a group of . . . more than
forty took an oath not to eat or drink
until they had killed Paul (cp. 1 Sam
14:2446; Matt 14:611; see also Deut
23:2123; Matt 5:3337; Jas 5:12).
23:1622 Paul’s nephew thwarted the
murderous plot by reporting it to one
of the Roman officers.
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
