Acts 23 Bible study

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The Acts of the Apostles Chapter 23:1–35 Paul’s Encounter with Ananias the High Priest 23:1 Paul looked directly at the council and said, "Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day."

Paul stood before the Sanhedrin with the confidence of having served God with a clear conscience.

He is speaking mainly of since he became a Christian but before that although in ignorance he had served God faithfully according to the Law (Philippians 3:6).

23:2 At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

Paul’s opening statement antagonized Ananias the high priest (not the Ananias father-in-law of Caiaphas) either because Paul spoke so confidently before the council or because he considered him to be lying. So he ordered those standing nearest to him to smite him across the mouth.

23:3 Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?"

Before this could be carried out Paul responded by stating that God would strike Ananias for his hypocrisy because he sat judging Paul according the Mosaic law and yet was breaking that law by ordering Paul to be struck before he had been found guilty of any crime (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 25:1–2). Nicodemus questioned the Sanhedrin on this when they made an attempt to arrest Jesus (John 7:51).

23:4 Those standing near him said, "Do you dare insult God's high priest?"

Those standing near to Paul remonstrated with him for insulting the high priest.

23:5 Paul replied, "I did not realize, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, 'You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.' " Paul truly had no idea that it was the high priest that was speaking to him there was nothing to identify or separate him from the other members of the council by dress or manner. In those days it

was the Roman governors that appointed or disposed of the high priest and this they did frequently.

If he had known he would have shown the respect that was required by the law (Exodus 22:28).

Paul Seizes an Opportunity 23:6–7 Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!" When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

At this point Paul noticed that part of the council who had come together was Sadducees and the others were Pharisees. Knowing the contentions that were between them concerning the resurrection he used this to his advantage so that he could be delivered out of their hands. He boldly proclaimed that he was a Pharisee as was his father and that he was on trial before them because he believed in the resurrection of the dead on hearing this an argument broke out between the two parties that divided the council. Like Peter and John, Paul preached the resurrection from the dead through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:1–3).

23:8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

The Sadducees were emphatic that there was no resurrection or such things as angels or spirits but the Pharisees believed in them all. The Old Testament makes it quite clear that there are angels and spirits and speaks of the resurrection of the dead therefore the Sadducees were in error (Job 19:26; Psalm 17:15) 23:9 There was a great commotion, and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

A great uproar resulted at this and those who were experts in the law among the Pharisees fiercely contended that they could find nothing wrong that Paul had done that perhaps an angel or spirit had spoken to him.

23:10 When the argument became so great the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, he ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.

The conflict became so violent that the commanding officer feared that they would tear Paul to pieces so he ordered the detachment of soldiers to go and remove him from amongst them by force and bring back to the safety of the barracks.

23:11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Have courage, for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."

That same night the Lord came to Paul encouraged and assured him that all that was happening to him was according to His will and purpose. That as he had testified about Him in Jerusalem so he would also testify in Rome.

The Conspiracy to Kill Paul Discovered 23:12–14 When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they had killed Paul. There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to partake of anything until we have killed Paul.

The next morning a group of more than forty Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves together with an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul. Having done this they went to the leading priests and elders to informed them of what they had done and what they proposed to do. In doing this they implicated members of the Sanhedrin in committing a felony.

23:15 So now you and the council request the commanding officer to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine his case by conducting a more thorough inquiry. We are ready to kill him before he comes near this place."

They needed the help of the council members to ask the commanding officer to bring Paul to them for further questioning so that they could decide if there was any charge against him. As the Pharisee members of the council had already declared that they could find no wrong that Paul had done it could be concluded that these council members were Sadducees. When Paul was brought down to them this group of Jews would waiting to kill him.

23:16 But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.

Paul’s nephew, his sister’s son, somehow heard about the ambush that was being planned so he went to the barracks and told Paul. This is the only record we have of Paul having family who was either living in Jerusalem or just visiting.

23:17–19 Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to report to him." So the centurion took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." The commanding officer took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, "What is it that you want to report to me?"

On hearing of this plot Paul summoned one the centurions and told him that the young man had something important to tell the commanding officer so would he take him straight away to do so.

The centurion brought him before the commanding officer as Paul had requested who took him by the hand to a place where no one could overhear and asked him what it was he had to tell him.

23:20–21 He replied, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request."

Paul’s nephew told him that members of the council had agreed to ask him to bring Paul down to the council on the following day on the pretence that they wanted to question him more thoroughly.

In fact this was part of a conspiracy of a group of more than forty Jews who had made an oath not to

eat or drink until they had killed Paul. The members of the council were already waiting to see the commanding officer to persuade him to agree to this.

23:22 Then the commanding officer sent the young man away, directing him, "Tell no one that you have reported these things to me."

Sending the young man away he warns him not to tell anyone else what he had reported to him.

The Commander’s Letter to Felix 23:23–24 Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, "Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen by nine o'clock tonight, and provide mounts for Paul to ride so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor." He wrote a letter that went like this: The commander issued orders to two of his officers to get ready two hundred foot soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea by nine o’clock that night. They were to provide horses for Paul so that he could be safely taken to Felix the governor. Having made these arrangements he wrote a letter to Felix.

23:26 Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor Felix, greetings.

Having heard so much about this commanding officer his name is now made known as Claudius Lysias as he writes his letter to Governor Felix. His first name Claudius is Roman that he might have taken from Emperor Claudius for he was not born a Roman, his second name Lysias is Greek and he was most probably a Greek by birth who had bought his Roman citizenship.

23:27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, when I came up with the detachment and rescued him, because I had learned that he was a Roman citizen.

Having greeted Felix he proceeds to give the reason why he is sending Paul to him being careful to put himself in a good light. The Jews had seized Paul and were about to kill him and because he had learned that he was a Roman citizen he sent his soldiers to rescue him. Note that he does not mention that he had arrested and bound Paul with chains and was going to have him whipped when Paul told him he was a Roman citizen (Acts 22:24–25).

23:28 Since I wanted to know what charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down to their council.

Again he does not disclose the full story that in the first instant he took Paul for an insurrectionist, an Egyptian who had stirred up a rebellion against the Romans. It was not until after Paul had told him he was a Roman citizen and it was the following that he took Paul down to the Jewish council to be questioned because he wanted to know what they were accusing of.

23:29 I found he was accused with reference to controversial questions about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment.

When he heard that the accusation against him was concerning their law, not Roman law, there was no charge that warranted death or imprisonment.

23:30 When I was informed there would be a plot against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges against him before you.

When he was told about a plot to kill Paul he decided to send him straight away to Felix and ordered his accusers to state their charges against him before the Governor. This was the brief contents of the commander's letter.

Paul Escorted to Felix 23:31–32 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night. The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and they returned to the barracks.

The soldiers took Paul and in accordance with their orders brought him to Antipatris during the night. The next day the foot soldiers and spearmen returned to the barracks and the horsemen escorted Paul to Caesarea.

23:33 When the horsemen came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

On arriving at Caesarea they delivered the letter and Paul over to the governor.

23:34–35 When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said, "I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive too."

Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.

After reading the letter Felix asked Paul what province he was from that he might know whether he came under his jurisdiction. When he heard that he was from Cilicia a Roman province and was therefore his responsibility he orders Paul to be kept under guard in Herod’s palace. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015. Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org