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out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust 24 into the air,* the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know for what cause they cried so 25 against him. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman 26 citizen uncondemned? When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this 27 man is a Roman. Then the chief captain†

came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a 28 Roman? He said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, I was born free. 29 Then they who would have examined him immediately left him and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a 30 Roman, because he had bound him. On the next day, because he would know the certainty why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all the Sanhedrim to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

* The Jews could not endure the idea that Gentiles were to share in the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. They were not only bigotted, but greatly mistaken in their interpretation of the prophecies respecting Christ.

† Or tribune The Romans then gave laws to the Jews, and their officers and armies were stationed in various parts of Judea.

The chief priest and other ecclesiastical characters constituted a court, called the Sanhedrim.

1

CHAP. XXIII.

AND Paul looking attentively on the Sanhedrim, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God, until 2 this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them who stood by him, to smite 3 him on the mouth. Then Paul said unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall :† Dost thou sit to judge me according to law, and yet contrary to law dost command me to 4 be smitten? And they that stood by said, 5 Revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I knew not, brethren, that he was the high priest for it is written, Thou shalt not 6 speak evil of the ruler of thy people. Now when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: for the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. 7 And when he had so said, there was a dissen

tion between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: 8 and the multitude was divided. For the

* Paul appears to have been sincere and concientious, even while he opposed Christianity. He says, he thought he was doing God service. He probably believed Jesus to be an Impostor. His error and fault lay in not examining more impartially as to the character and miracles of Christ.

+ Is it not probable Paul had reference here to the remark of Christ, who likened the Pharisees to whited sepulchres ?

Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees 9 confess both.* And there was a great clamour: and the scribes who were of the sect of the Pharisees arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 10 And when the contention became very great, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the 11 castle. And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

12

And when it was day, some of the Jews combined together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat 13 nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty who had made this 14 conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will cat 15 nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to-morrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him; and before he comes near, we will prepare to 16 kill him. And when Paul's sister's son heard

* See Mat. xxii. 23, where the same account is given of the Sadducees.

of their conspiracy, he went and entered into 17 the castle, and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain; 18 for he hath something to tell him. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto 19 thee. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went aside privately, and asked him, 20 What is it thou hast to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldst bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would inquire 21 something of him more particularly. But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him more than forty of them, who have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink, till they have killed him : and now they are ready, expecting a promise 22 from thee.* Then the chief captain let the young man depart, and charged him, saying, Tell no man that thou hast shewed these things

23

to me.

And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third 24 hour of the night; and provide them beasts that they may set Paul on, and bring him

That is, a promise to bring down Paul

25 safe unto Felix the governor.*

And he

26 wrote a letter after this manner: Claudius

Lysias, unto the most excellent governor 27 Felix, greeting. This man was taken by the Jews, and would have been killed by them : then I came with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. 28 And when I would have known the cause for

which they accused him, I brought him forth 29 into their council: Whom I found to be

accused concerning questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge deserving of 30 death, or of bonds. And when it was told me that there was a conspiracy of the Jews against the man, I sent immediately to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also, to say any thing against him before thee. Farewell.

31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them,

took Paul, and brought him by night to Anti32 patris. On the morrow they left the horsemen

to go with him, and returned to the castle; 33 who, when they came to Cæsarea, and deliv

ered the epistle to the governor, presented
34 Paul also before him. And when the governor
had read the letter, he asked of what province
he was.
And when he understood that he
35 was of Cilicia :† I will hear thee, said he,

when thine accusers are also come. And he
commanded him to be kept in Herod's judg
ment-hall.

*Felix was at this time governor of Judea under the emperor of Rome, to whom the Jews were in subjection.

f Cilicia was a province of Asia Minor, in which Tarsus was situated.

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