ApostlagärningarnaKapitel 23

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Paul looked straight at the council and said, "Brothers, I have lived before God with a completely clear conscience up to this day."

At that, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth.

Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there judging me according to the law, and yet you break the law by ordering me to be struck?"

Those standing nearby said, "Do you dare insult God's high priest?"

Paul answered, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

Then Paul, realizing that one party was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, called out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial for the hope and the resurrection of the dead!"

When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and no angel or spirit, while the Pharisees affirm them all.

A great uproar arose, and some of the scribes from the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued sharply, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

The dispute grew so violent that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn apart by them, ordered the troops to go down, take him from among them by force, and bring him into the barracks.

That night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage! Just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."

When morning came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

More than forty men were involved in this plot.

They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, "We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

So now, you and the council petition the commander to bring him down to you, as though you intend to examine his case more closely. And we will be ready to kill him before he arrives."

But the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, so he went to the barracks and told Paul.

Paul called one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to report to him."

So the centurion took him along and brought him to the commander, saying, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, since he has something to tell you."

The commander took him by the hand, drew him aside privately, and asked, "What is it you have to report to me?"

He said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, on the pretext of inquiring more closely into his case.

Do not let them persuade you. More than forty of them are lying in ambush for him, men who have sworn an oath neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent."

The commander dismissed the young man with the order, "Tell no one that you have reported this to me."

Then he summoned two of his centurions and said, "Have two hundred soldiers ready to march to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight.[^1]" [^1]: Literally "the third hour of the night," counting from about six in the evening.

Also provide mounts for Paul, so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor."

And he wrote a letter to this effect:

Claudius Lysias, to His Excellency Governor Felix: Greetings.

This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

Wanting to know the charge on which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.

I found that the accusations concerned disputes about their own law, and that he was charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.

When I was informed that there was to be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, instructing his accusers to state their case against him before you.

So the soldiers, following their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

The next day they let the horsemen go on with him and returned to the barracks.

When the horsemen came to Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.

After reading the letter, he asked what province Paul was from, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia, he said,

"I will hear your case when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.

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Kapitel 23

Main Theme: Paul is rescued from Jewish persecution through God’s providence and Roman protection, and receives the promise to testify in Rome.

Content: Paul stands before the Jewish council and divides the assembly by focusing on belief in the resurrection, creating conflict between Pharisees and Sadducees. The Lord appears to Paul during the night and assures him that he will bear witness in Rome. When more than forty Jews swear an oath to kill Paul, his nephew reveals the plot, and the Roman commander sends Paul under heavy guard to Governor Felix in Caesarea.

Key Words/Images:

Whitewashed wall: Paul’s words to the high priest, symbolizing outward purity that hides inner impurity.
The Resurrection: The theological point of contention that splits the council between Pharisees (who believe) and Sadducees (who reject it).
The Lord’s nighttime visit: God’s confirmation to Paul that his missionary mission will continue all the way to Rome.
The murder plot: The oath taken by more than forty men to kill Paul, demonstrating the hostility he faces.

Historisk kontext

People

Ananias, the high priest (v. 2) was the son of Nedebaeus and served as high priest from approximately 47–59 AD. He was known for his pro-Roman stance and violent temper. Josephus describes him as a greedy man who stole tithes from the lower priests. He was murdered by Jewish rebels (Sicarii) in 66 AD due to his policy of collaboration with the Romans. Paul's characterization "whitewashed wall" (τοῖχε κεκονιαμένε) plays on the image of a grave that looks clean on the outside but is full of impurity within.

Claudius Lysias (v. 26) was the tribune (χιλίαρχος) who commanded the Roman garrison in the Antonia Fortress. His name suggests he was a Greek freedman who had purchased his Roman citizenship under Emperor Claudius. As a tribune, he commanded a cohort of 600–1,000 soldiers and held significant legal authority in Jerusalem.

Felix (vv. 24, 26) was the Roman procurator (governor) of Judea from approximately 52–59 AD. The Roman historian Tacitus describes him as a man who "exercised royal power with the mindset of a slave." He was a freedman and brother to Pallas, the powerful advisor to Emperor Claudius. The title κράτιστος ("most excellent") was a formal form of address for high officials.

Places

Antipatris (v. 31) was a city located about 60 km northwest of Jerusalem, at the foot of the Judean highlands where they flatten out toward the coastal plain. Herod the Great founded the city and named it after his father Antipater. The site was a natural stopping point on the Roman road between Jerusalem and Caesarea. The journey of about 60 km during the night was a significant marching feat and shows how seriously Lysias took the threat against Paul.

Caesarea (vv. 23, 33) was the provincial capital of Rome and the seat of the Roman procurator. The city had a large artificial harbor built by Herod the Great and served as the military and administrative center for Roman rule in Judea.

Events and Customs

The Sanhedrin (τὸ συνέδριον) mentioned in this chapter was the highest Jewish council, consisting of 71 members under the leadership of the high priest. Its composition included both Pharisees and Sadducees, and the theological tension between these groups was well known. Paul strategically exploited this division by declaring himself a Pharisee and raising the issue of the resurrection.

The Oath of Cursing (ἀνεθεμάτισαν, vv. 12–14) was a self-imposed oath (herem) in which they pledged neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. Such oaths were known in Jewish tradition, and rabbinic texts discuss how one could be released from such oaths if they proved impossible to fulfill. The fact that more than 40 men participated, involving the chief priests and elders, shows the extent of the opposition to Paul.

Key Terms

Συνείδησις ἀγαθή ("good conscience," v. 1) was a term well known to Jewish audiences. Paul uses the verb πεπολίτευμαι ("I have conducted myself as a citizen"), which emphasizes his conduct as both a Jewish and Roman citizen.

Ἀνάστασις νεκρῶν ("resurrection of the dead," vv. 6, 8) was the theological dividing point between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Sadducees accepted only the five books of Moses as authoritative and found no clear teaching on resurrection there, while the Pharisees included the prophets and oral tradition that supported belief in the resurrection.

Chapter-Specific Findings

Herod's palace in Caesarea, where Paul was held (v. 35), is partially excavated and reveals a magnificent building with frescoes, mosaics, and views of the sea. The Praetorium (πραιτώριον τοῦ Ἡρῴδου) served as both the official residence and courtroom for the procurator, which explains why Paul was held there awaiting trial.

Personer4

Claudius Lysias1 Paul12 Felix2 Ananias (Ananias, husband of Sapphira, who sold a property and withheld part of the proceeds)1

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