✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJVVBL

Atos 23

ARC · Chapter 23/28

1E, pondo Paulo os olhos no conselho, disse: Varões irmãos, até ao dia de hoje tenho andado diante de Deus com toda a boa consciencia.

2Porém o summo sacerdote, Ananias, mandou então aos que estavam junto d'elle que o ferissem na bocca.

3Então Paulo lhe disse: Deus te ferirá, parede branqueada: tu estás aqui assentado para julgar-me conforme a lei, e contra a lei me mandas ferir?

4E os que ali estavam disseram: Injurias o summo sacerdote de Deus?

5E Paulo disse: Não sabia, irmãos, que era o summo sacerdote; porque está escripto: Não dirás mal do principe do teu povo

6E Paulo, sabendo que uma parte era de sadduceos e outra de phariseos, clamou no conselho: Varões irmãos, eu sou phariseo, filho de phariseo, no tocante á esperança e resurreição dos mortos sou julgado.

7E, havendo dito isto, houve dissensão entre os phariseos e sadduceos; e a multidão se dividiu.

8Porque os sadduceos dizem que não ha resurreição, nem anjo, nem espirito; mas os phariseos confessam ambas as coisas.

9E originou-se um grande clamor; e, levantando-se os escribas da parte dos phariseos, contendiam, dizendo: Nenhum mal achamos n'este homem, e, se algum espirito ou anjo lhe fallou, não resistamos a Deus.

10E, havendo grande dissensão, o tribuno, temendo que Paulo fosse despedaçado por elles, mandou descer a soldadesca, e arrebatal-o do meio d'elles, e leval-o para a fortaleza.

11E na noite seguinte, apresentando-se-lhe o Senhor, disse: Paulo, tem animo: porque, como de mim testificaste em Jerusalem, assim te importa testificar tambem em Roma.

12E, vindo o dia, alguns dos judeos fizeram uma conspiração, e se conjuraram, dizendo que não comeriam nem beberiam, emquanto não matassem a Paulo.

13E eram mais de quarenta os que fizeram esta conjuração.

14Os quaes foram aos principaes dos sacerdotes e aos anciãos, e disseram: Conjurámo-nos, sob pena de maldição, que nada provaremos, até que matemos a Paulo.

15Agora, pois, vós, com o conselho, fazei saber ao tribuno que vol-o traga ámanhã, como que querendo saber mais alguma coisa de seus negocios, e, antes que chegue, estaremos promptos para o matar.

16E o filho da irmã de Paulo, ouvindo estas ciladas, foi, e entrou na fortaleza, e o annunciou a Paulo.

17E Paulo, chamando a si um dos centuriões, disse: Leva este mancebo ao tribuno, porque tem alguma coisa que lhe communicar.

18Tomando-o elle, pois, o levou ao tribuno, e disse: O preso Paulo, chamando-me a si, me rogou que te trouxesse este mancebo, que tem alguma coisa que dizer-te.

19E o tribuno, tomando-o pela mão, e pondo-se á parte perguntou-lhe em particular: Que tens que me denunciar?

20E disse elle: Os judeos se concertaram rogar-te que ámanhã leves Paulo ao conselho, como que tendo a inquirir d'elle mais alguma coisa ao certo:

21Porém tu não os creias; porque mais de quarenta homens d'entre elles lhe andam armando ciladas: os quaes se obrigaram, sob pena de maldição, a não comerem nem beberem, até que o tenham morto: e já estão apercebidos, esperando a tua promessa.

22Então o tribuno despediu o mancebo, mandando-lhe que a ninguem dissesse que lhe havia manifestado aquillo.

23E, chamando a si dois centuriões, lhes disse: Apromptae para as tres horas da noite duzentos soldados, e setenta de cavallo, e duzentos archeiros para irem até Cesarea;

24E apparelhae cavalgaduras, para que, pondo n'ellas a Paulo, o levem a salvo ao presidente Felix.

25Escreveu uma carta, que continha isto:

26Claudio Lysias, a Felix, potentissimo presidente, saude.

27Esse homem foi preso pelos judeos; e, estando já a ponto de ser morto por elles, sobrevim eu com a soldadesca, e lh'o tomei, informado de que era romano.

28E, querendo saber a causa por que o accusavam, o levei ao seu conselho.

29E achei que o accusavam de algumas questões da sua lei: mas que nenhum crime havia n'elle digno de morte ou de prisão.

30E, sendo-me notificado que os judeos haviam de armar ciladas a esse homem, logo t'o enviei, mandando tambem aos accusadores que perante ti digam o que tiverem contra elle. Passa bem.

31Tomando pois os soldados a Paulo, como lhe fôra mandado, o trouxeram de noite a Antipatris.

32E no dia seguinte, deixando aos de cavallo irem com elle, tornaram á fortaleza.

33Os quaes, logo que chegaram a Cesarea, e entregaram a carta ao presidente, lhe apresentaram Paulo.

34E o presidente, lida a carta, perguntou de que provincia era; e, entendendo que da Cilicia,

35Ouvir-te-hei, disse, quando tambem aqui vierem os teus accusadores. E mandou que o guardassem no pretorio de Herodes.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Before the Sanhedrin, Paul causes division between Pharisees and Sadducees by mentioning the resurrection. When a plot by more than forty men to kill him is uncovered, he is sent under heavy guard to Caesarea, to the governor Felix.

Explanation

Paul shows strategic insight by exploiting the theological divide between the Pharisees (who believed in the resurrection) and the Sadducees (who did not), sparking a dispute that ends up shielding him from direct violence. The vision he receives from Jesus himself, confirming that he would also testify in Rome, gives divine context to events that seemed like mere political persecution. The assassination plot, revealed by his nephew, shows that Paul's protection came both from divine intervention and from ordinary people willing to act.

Fun facts

  • Paul's nephew, mentioned here, is the only biblical reference to his family besides indirect mentions — suggesting that part of his family still lived in Jerusalem.
  • The escort of 470 soldiers (200 soldiers, 70 horsemen, and 200 spearmen) to transport a single prisoner shows how serious the threat was and how seriously Rome took keeping public order in the province of Judea.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Atos 23:1Paul opens his address before the Sanhedrin by stating that he had lived up to that point with a good conscience before God, a declaration of innocence even before any formal accusation.
  2. Atos 23:2Ananias was the high priest at the time, not to be confused with the Ananias of Damascus in chapter 9 or the one in chapter 5. Ordering a defendant struck before even hearing his defense was a clear violation of Jewish judicial procedure itself.
  3. Atos 23:3Paul reacts sharply to the order to strike him before the trial has even begun, calling the high priest a “whited wall”—an image of a fine-looking surface hiding rot underneath—and pointing out the hypocrisy of judging him against the very law he was supposed to uphold.
  4. Atos 23:4Those present are shocked at Paul’s boldness in directly insulting the high priest, a figure of the highest religious authority.
  5. Atos 23:5Paul apologizes, saying he did not know it was the high priest who had given the order, and cites an Old Testament law forbidding speaking evil of a ruler of the people.
  6. Atos 23:6Paul uses a clever tactic: knowing the council was split between Pharisees and Sadducees, he shifts the discussion to belief in the resurrection, which only the Pharisees accepted, turning the two groups against each other instead of against him.
  7. Atos 23:7As soon as Paul mentions the resurrection, an internal dispute breaks out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, dividing the very assembly that was supposed to judge him.
  8. Atos 23:8A direct summary of the theological difference between the two main Jewish religious groups of the time: the Sadducees followed only the five books of Moses in a more literal way, while the Pharisees accepted more developed ideas such as the resurrection and angels.
  9. Atos 23:9The uproar grows, and the scribes on the Pharisaic side even go so far as to defend Paul, saying they find no fault in him and admitting the possibility that he really had received a spiritual revelation.
  10. Atos 23:10With the fight spiraling out of control, the Roman commander fears Paul will be torn apart in the confusion and orders the soldiers to force him back into the fortress.
  11. Atos 23:11This is the first clear indication that Paul will eventually reach Rome, something that will only be fulfilled two years of imprisonment later, at the end of the book. It functions as a promise that guides the rest of the narrative.
  12. Atos 23:12The next day, a group of Jews makes an extreme oath: not to eat or drink until they succeed in killing Paul, showing the level of hatred he stirred up.
  13. Atos 23:13Luke records the exact size of this group of conspirators, more than forty men, making clear this was not an isolated plan by just a few people.
  14. Atos 23:14The conspirators approach the chief priests and elders to tell them the plan and ask for logistical help in carrying it out.
  15. Atos 23:15Their strategy is to convince the council to ask the Roman commander to bring Paul back before the Sanhedrin, claiming they want more information, so they can ambush him along the way.
  16. Atos 23:16This is the Bible’s only mention of a relative of Paul, showing he had family living in Jerusalem. The nephew, whose name we do not know, is the one who learns of the murder plot and prevents his uncle’s death.
  17. Atos 23:17As soon as he learns of the plan through his nephew, Paul asks a centurion to take the young man to the commander to tell him what he knew.
  18. Atos 23:18The centurion obeys and takes the young man to the commander, explaining that it was Paul the prisoner himself who asked for him to be heard.
  19. Atos 23:19The commander takes the young man aside to a private spot, takes him by the hand in a gesture of personal attention, and asks directly what he has to tell him.
  20. Atos 23:20The nephew reveals the Jews’ plan to ask that Paul be brought back before the council under the pretext of further questions.
  21. Atos 23:21He warns that more than forty men were lying in ambush, ready to kill Paul along the way, and were only waiting for the commander’s approval to act.
  22. Atos 23:22The commander lets the young man go, but demands total secrecy, telling him not to tell anyone that he had revealed this information.
  23. Atos 23:23A huge escort, nearly four hundred soldiers between infantry, cavalry, and spearmen, to take a single prisoner to Caesarea. It shows the scale of the uproar Paul caused and how careful the Roman commander was to avoid a scandal involving a Roman citizen under his watch.
  24. Atos 23:24The commander also provides mounts to transport Paul safely to Governor Felix, an escort fit for someone important, even though he was a prisoner.
  25. Atos 23:25The commander writes an official letter explaining the situation to the governor, a document Luke reproduces almost in full next.
  26. Atos 23:26The letter opens with a standard formal Roman greeting: from Claudius Lysias, the commander, to the “most excellent” governor Felix.
  27. Atos 23:27Lysias sums up the case in his own favor, describing how he rescued Paul from being killed by the Jews as soon as he learned he was a Roman citizen.
  28. Atos 23:28He explains that, wanting to understand the real charge against Paul, he brought him before the Jewish religious council to investigate.
  29. Atos 23:29Lysias concludes, in the official report, that the accusation was only about internal questions of Jewish law, with no crime deserving death or imprisonment.
  30. Atos 23:30He justifies sending Paul urgently to Felix by pointing to the discovery of the ambush plot, and asks that the accusers themselves bring their charges directly to the governor.
  31. Atos 23:31Following the orders they received, the soldiers take Paul by night to Antipatris, a town about halfway to Caesarea.
  32. Atos 23:32The next day, the infantry returns to the fortress in Jerusalem, leaving only the cavalry to continue escorting Paul, now in a safer region.
  33. Atos 23:33On arriving in Caesarea, the horsemen deliver both the letter and Paul himself directly to Governor Felix.
  34. Atos 23:34After reading the letter, Felix asks what province Paul is from, and on learning he is from Cilicia, decides how to proceed.
  35. Atos 23:35Felix promises to hear the case once the accusers arrive, and orders Paul kept under guard in Herod’s former palace, used as the seat of Roman government in Caesarea.

Chapters

12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App StoreGoogle Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App StoreGoogle Play