Acts 23:1-11 - Paul Before The Sanhedrin

¹ Paul fixed his eyes upon the council and said, "Brothers, with a clear conscience I have done my duty to God up to this very day." ² At this the high priest Ananias ordered the people standing near him to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, "You white-washed wall, God will strike you! Do you sit as a judge to try me in accordance with the law and yet in violation of the law you order them to strike me?"

⁴ The people standing near him said, "Do you mean to insult God's high priest?"

⁵ Paul answered, "I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest, for the Scripture says, 'You must not speak evil against any ruler of your people.'" ⁶ Because Paul knew that part of them were Sadducees and part of them Pharisees, he began to cry out in the council chamber, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a Pharisee's son, and now I am on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead." ⁷ When he said that, an angry dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the crowded court was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees hold that there is no resurrection, and no such thing as an angel or spirit, but the Pharisees believe in all of them.

⁹ So there was a vociferous yelling until some of the scribes, belonging to the party of the Pharisees, got up and fiercely contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or angel has really spoken to him!" ¹⁰ Since the dispute kept growing hotter and hotter, the colonel became alarmed that Paul might be torn in pieces by them, and so ordered the army to march down and take him out of their hands and bring him back to the barracks.

¹¹ But that same night the Lord stood by Paul's side and said, "Courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, you must testify for me in Rome, too."