rd

Acts 23

3 The answer of Paul being smit, and the overthrow of his enemies. 11 The Lord encourageth him 23 And because the Jews layed wait for him, he is sent to Cesarea.
1.And Paul beheld earnestly the Council, & said, Men and brethren, I have in all good conscience served God until this day.
2.Then the high Priest Ananias commanded them that stood by, to smite him on the mouth.
3.Then said Paul to him, God awill smite thee, thou whited wall: for thou sittest to judge me according to the Law, and commandest thou me to be smiten contrary to the Law?
4.And they that stood by, said, Revilest thou God’s high Priest?
5.Then said Paul, I bknew not, brethren, that he was the high Priest: for it is written, *Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people.
6.But when Paul perceived that the one part were of the Sadduces, and the other of the Pharises, he cried in the Council, Men and brethren, *I am a Pharise, the son of a Pharise: *I am accused of the hope and cresurrection of the dead.
7.And when he had said this, there was a dissension between the Pharises & the Sadduces, so that the multitude was divided.
8.*For the Sadduces say that there is no resurrection, neither Angel, nor spirit: but the Pharises confess dboth.
9.Then there was a great cry: and the Scribes of the Pharises part rose up, and strove, saying, We find none evil in this man: but if a spirit or an Angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.
10.And when there was a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him from among them, and to bring him into the castle.
11.¶ Now the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
12.And when the day was come, certain of the Jews made an assembly, and bound them selves with an eoath, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink, til they had killed Paul.
13.And they were more then forty, which had made this conspiracy.
14.And they came to the chief Priests and Elders, and said, We have bound our selves with a solemn oath, that we will eat nothing, until we have slain Paul.
15.Now therefore, ye and the Council signify to the chief captain, that he bring him forth unto you to morrow, as though ye would know some thing more perfectly of him, and we, or ever he come near, will be ready to kill him.
16.But when Paul’s sister’s fson heard of their laying await, he went, and entered into the castle, and told Paul,
17.And Paul called one of the Centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to shewe him.
18.So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, & said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, & prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, which hath some thing to say unto thee.
19.Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went apart with him alone, and asked him, What hast thou to shewe me?
20.And he said, The Jews have conspired to desire thee, that thou woldest bring forth Paul tomorrow into the Council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.
21.But let them not persuade thee: for there lie in wait for him of them, more then forty men, which have bound them selves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink, till they have killed him: and now are they ready, and wait for thy promise.
22.The chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him to speak it to no man, that he had ^shewed him these things.
23.And he called unto him two certain Centurions, saying, Make ready two hundreth soldiers, that they may go to Cesarea, and horsemen three score and ten, and two hundreth, with darts at the third hour of the night.
24.And let them make ready an horse that Paul being set on, may be brought safe unto Felix the Governor.
25.And he wrote an gepistle in this manner,
26.Claudius Lysias unto the most noble Governor Felix sendeth greeting.
27.As this man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them, I came upon them with the garrison, and rescued him, hperceiving that he was a Romaine.
28.And when I would have known the cause, wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council.
29.There I perceived that he was accused of questions of their Law, but had no crime worthy of death, or of bonds.
30.And when it was shewed me, how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent him straight way to thee, and commanded his accusers to speak before thee the things that they had against him. Farewell.
31.Then the soldiers as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antjpatris.
32.And the next day, they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned unto the castle.
33.Now when they came to Cesarea, they delivered the epistle to the Governor, and presented Paul also unto him.
34.So when the Governor had read it, he asked of what iprovince he was: and when he understood that he was of Cilicia,
35.I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers also are come, and commanded him to be kept in Herode ’s judgement hall.

Notes

3-a.
Paul does not curse the high Priest, but denounces sharply the punishment of God which should light upon him, who under pretence of maintaining the Law does transgress it.
5-*.
Exod 22.28.
5-b.
He made this excuse as it were in mockery, as if he would say, I know nothing in this man worthy the office of the high Priest.
6-*.
Phil 3.5.
6-*-1.
Chap 24.22.
6-c.
He denies not but there were other points, but he expresses that for the which the Sadducees that were the chief governors, hated him most for.
8-*.
Mat. 22.23.
8-d.
Understanding both kinds, the Angels and the spirits, which he concludes under one, and the resurrection which is the other part.
12-e.
The word signifies cursing, as when a man either swears, vows, or wishes himself to die, or to be given to the devil, except he bring his purpose to pass.
16-f.
This declares that God has so many means to deliver his children out of danger as there are creatures in the world, so that the adversaries can not conspire so craftily against them, but he has infinite means to defeat their wicked practices.
22-^.
Greek, that you have showed these things to me.
25-g.
This letter was written partly in the favour of Paul, that his adversaries might not oppress him.
27-h.
The Captain dissembled to commend his own diligence: for he did not know that Paul was a Roman before he had rescued him, & given him to be strictly examined.
34-i.
By this name the Romans called every country which they had subdued.