Acts 23 - Introduction

Paul Before The Divided Sanhedrin

Acts Twenty-Three

Paul was an honest man who served "in all good conscience before God." (Acts 23:1) He did the best he knew how to live right and to be an honor to God. His claim to a good conscience caused Ananias to tell someone to strike him on the mouth. In Acts 23:3 Paul told the High Priest, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?" He did not know that this man was High Priest. He certainly was not acting like a High Priest should act. Paul would never have spoken to Ananias as he did if he had known he was High Priest. Paul knew that the law of God requires respect for authority. (Exodus 22:28; Ecclesiastes 10:20)

The Sanhedrin was divided. Some members of the court were Sadducees and others were Pharisees. Paul said that he was being judged "concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead." The Sadducees had neither hope nor dread of the future. "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both." (Acts 23:8)

About forty Jews bound themselves under an oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. They would ask the chief priest and elders to bring him down that they might ambush him and kill him. Paul's nephew heard of their wicked plot and told Paul. He sent him to tell the commander about their plan. The commander sent Paul to Caesarea guarded by two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. As an added means of safety he was sent out by night. He sent a letter to Felix about Paul's situation.