Acts 22:30-Acts 23:11 - Paul Before The Council
30 Next day, as he was anxious to find out the real reason why the Jews accused him, he unbound him, ordered the high priests and all the Sanhedrin to meet, and brought Paul down, placing him in front of them.
1 With a steady look at the Sanhedrin Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived with a perfectly good conscience before God down to the present day." 2 Then the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 At this Paul said to him, "You whitewashed wall, God will strike you! You sit there to judge me by the Law, do you? And you break the Law by ordering me to be struck!"
4 The bystanders said, "What! would you rail at God's high priest?"
5 "Brothers," said Paul, "I did not know he was high priest" (for it is written, You must not speak evil of any ruler of your people). 6 Then, finding half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisees, Paul shouted to them, "I am a Pharisee, brothers, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection from the dead that I am on trial!" 7 When he said this, a quarrel broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; the meeting was divided. 8 For while the Sadducees declare there is no such thing as resurrection, angels, or spirits, the Pharisees affirm them all.
9 Thus a loud clamour broke out. Some of the scribes who belonged to the Pharisaic party got up and contended, "We find nothing wrong about this man. What if some spirit or angel has spoken to him?" 10 The quarrel then became so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul in pieces; he therefore ordered the troops to march down and take him from them by force, bringing him inside the barracks.
11 On the following night the Lord stood by Paul and said, "Courage! As you have testified to me at Jerusalem, so you must testify at Rome."