WeekLy BooK oF Acts - 23:1-15

         a paraphrased study

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(Paul is in Jerusalem, wanting to pass through on his way to Rome, but brothers and sisters had prophesied of nothing but trouble for him at Jerusalem. Because he had been traveling and arrived with Greek (nonHebrew) brothers, when the temple leaders saw Paul in the temple they assumed he had broken the law and brought a Greek uncircumcised/unruled by The Law brother into the temple. Pretty much a riot had broken out, but now the next day, Paul makes his defense before the council/court.) 

     1 - And looking steadily at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this very day.” 2 But Ananias, the high priest ordered those who stood by Paul to strike him on the mouth! 3 Then Paul said, “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 didn’t know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it’s written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler [archón - ruler, leader, chief, elder] of your people.’”

     6 When Paul realized half the court were Sadducees and the other half were Pharisees, he said loudly, “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!” 7 And when he had said this, an argument broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge both. 9 Then they became noisier and more boisterous and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man! What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” 10 And when the dissension became violent, the Roman 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.

     11 The following night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.” 12 But when it was day, some of the Hebrews/Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than forty who joined 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 until we have killed Paul. 15 If you request the tribune to bring him again to the council, as though to determine his case more exactly, we are ready to kill him on the way.”