1Paulus så uforfærdet rådsmedlemmerne i øjnene og sagde: „Ærede medlemmer af det høje råd, jeg har altid levet med en god samvittighed over for Gud.”2Øjeblikkelig befalede ypperstepræsten Ananias, at de, der stod nærmest, skulle give Paulus et slag på munden.3Men Paulus sagde til ham: „Gud vil slå dig, din hykler! Her sidder du og skal dømme mig efter loven, og så giver du stik imod loven ordre til, at de skal slå mig.”4„Hvad bilder du dig ind?” sagde de omkringstående. „Hvordan tør du håne Guds ypperstepræst?”5„Jeg kunne ikke se, at han var ypperstepræst,” svarede Paulus. „Der står jo skrevet: ‚Du må ikke tale ondt om dit folks leder.’[1]” (2.Mos 22,27)6Paulus vidste godt, at den ene halvdel af Rådet bestod af saddukæere og den anden halvdel af farisæere. Derfor råbte han nu ud over forsamlingen: „Jeg er farisæer, og jeg er søn af en farisæer. Når jeg stilles for retten i dag, er det, fordi jeg tror på, at det er muligt at genopstå fra de døde.”7Så snart han havde sagt det, opstod der splid mellem farisæerne og saddukæerne.8Saddukæerne mener nemlig, at der ikke er nogen opstandelse fra de døde, og at der hverken findes engle eller ånder, men farisæerne tror på det alt sammen.9Under den højrøstede diskussion sprang nogle af de skriftlærde farisæere op og råbte: „Manden har ikke gjort noget forkert. Måske har en ånd eller en engel talt til ham.”10Det førte til endnu mere spektakel, og da kommandanten blev bange for, at Paulus skulle blive sønderrevet af dem, gav han sine soldater ordre til at gribe ind og bringe Paulus i sikkerhed i kasernen.11Den nat stod Herren foran ham og sagde: „Vær ved godt mod! For ligesom du har fortalt om mig her i Jerusalem, sådan skal du også fortælle om mig i Rom.”
Sammensværgelsen mod Paulus
12-13Næste morgen rottede mere end 40 jøder sig sammen og svor på, at de hverken ville nyde vådt eller tørt, før de havde slået Paulus ihjel.14Så gik de til ypperstepræsterne og lederne og sagde til dem: „Vi har svoret på, at vi intet vil spise eller drikke, før vi har fået Paulus slået ihjel.15Derfor vil vi bede jer om at forklare kommandanten, at Paulus bliver nødt til at komme for Rådet igen, så I kan forhøre jer nærmere om ham. Vi vil så ligge på lur og dræbe ham, før han når frem.”16Men Paulus’ søstersøn hørte om deres planer, og han gik hen til kasernen og fortalte Paulus om det.17Paulus fik derefter fat i en af officererne og sagde til ham: „Før den unge mand her til kommandanten. Han har noget vigtigt at fortælle ham.”18Officeren tog den unge mand med sig ind til kommandanten og sagde: „Fangen Paulus tilkaldte mig og bad mig føre den unge mand her til dig. Han har noget at fortælle dig.”19Kommandanten tog den unge mand ved hånden, trak ham til side og sagde: „Hvad har du på hjerte?”20Han svarede: „Jøderne har aftalt, at de vil bede dig om at få Paulus bragt ind for Rådet i morgen under påskud af, at de gerne vil forhøre ham noget mere.21Men du skal ikke lade dig overtale, for et eller andet sted på vejen ligger over 40 mænd i baghold, og de har svoret, at de hverken vil nyde vådt eller tørt, før de har fået ham slået ihjel. De venter kun på, at du skal give tilladelse til at føre ham for Rådet.”22Kommandanten sendte ham derpå bort med ordene: „Sig ikke til nogen, at du har røbet det for mig.”
Paulus hos guvernør Felix
23Kommandanten kaldte så på to af sine officerer og gav dem følgende ordre: „Gør klar til at tage af sted til Cæsarea i aften klokken ni med 200 fodfolk, 200 spydkastere og 70 ryttere.24Sørg også for en hest til Paulus og bring ham til guvernøren Felix i god behold.”25Så skrev han et brev til guvernøren:26Til Hans Excellence, guvernør Felix. Mange hilsener!27Denne mand blev pågrebet af jøderne, og de var ved at slå ham ihjel. Men da jeg blev klar over, at han var romersk statsborger, kom jeg med mine folk og reddede ham.28Da jeg gerne ville vide, hvad de havde at anklage ham for, førte jeg ham frem for deres Råd.29Det viste sig at være nogle stridigheder om deres religiøse love. Det var ikke noget, han kunne fængsles for, endsige dømmes til døden for.30Da jeg imidlertid fik underretning om, at der var planlagt en sammensværgelse imod ham, besluttede jeg at lade ham overføre til dig. Jeg vil så give hans modstandere besked om, at de kan komme til dig med deres anklager mod ham. Ærbødigst, Claudius Lysias.31Soldaterne tog så af sted med Paulus, som de havde fået besked på, og i løbet af natten nåede de frem til Antipatris.32Næste dag førte rytterne ham videre til Cæsarea, mens de øvrige soldater vendte tilbage til kasernen.33Da de ankom til Cæsarea, fremstillede de Paulus for provinsens guvernør, som fik det medfølgende brev.34Han læste det og spurgte så Paulus, hvilken provins han kom fra. „Kilikien,” svarede Paulus.35„Godt,” sagde guvernøren, „du vil blive afhørt, når dine anklagere når frem.” Han gav så ordre til, at Paulus skulle holdes i forvaring i Kong Herodes’ borg.
Apostlenes Gerninger 23
English Standard Version
fra Crossway1And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” (Job 27,5; Ap G 24,16; 1.Kor 4,4; 2.Kor 1,12; 2.Kor 4,2; 2.Kor 5,11; 2.Tim 1,3; Heb 13,18)2And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. (1.Kong 22,24; Klag 3,30; Mika 5,1; Ap G 24,1; 2.Kor 11,20)3Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” (5.Mos 25,1; Es 30,13; Ez 13,10; Matt 23,27; Joh 7,51)4Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” (1.Sam 2,28; Salm 106,16)5And Paul said, “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.’” (2.Mos 22,28; Ap G 24,1)6Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” (Matt 22,23; Ap G 2,26; Ap G 24,15; Ap G 24,21; Ap G 26,5; Ap G 26,6; Ap G 28,20; Filip 3,5; Kol 1,5)7And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.8For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all. (Luk 20,27; 1.Kor 15,12)9Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” (Mark 2,16; Luk 5,30; Joh 12,29; Ap G 4,5; Ap G 22,7; Ap G 22,17; Ap G 23,29)10And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. (Ap G 21,34; Ap G 22,24; Ap G 23,16; Ap G 23,32)11The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” (1.Sam 3,10; Ap G 18,9; Ap G 19,21; Ap G 22,15; Ap G 27,23; 2.Tim 4,17)
A Plot to Kill Paul
12When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. (Ap G 23,14; Ap G 23,21; Ap G 23,30)13There were more than forty who made this conspiracy.14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.15Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”16Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. (Ap G 23,10; Ap G 23,32)17Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.”18So he took him and brought him to the tribune and said, “Paul the prisoner called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, as he has something to say to you.” (Ef 3,1)19The tribune took him by the hand, and going aside asked him privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?”20And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more closely about him. (Ap G 23,14)21But do not be persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready, waiting for your consent.” (Ap G 23,12; Ap G 23,14)22So the tribune dismissed the young man, charging him, “Tell no one that you have informed me of these things.”
Paul Sent to Felix the Governor
23Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night.[1]24Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.” (Luk 20,20; Ap G 23,26; Ap G 23,33; Ap G 24,1; Ap G 24,2; Ap G 24,10; Ap G 25,14; Ap G 26,30)25And he wrote a letter to this effect:26“Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. (Ap G 15,23; Ap G 24,1)27This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. (Ap G 21,27; Ap G 21,32; Ap G 22,25)28And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. (Ap G 22,30)29I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. (Ap G 18,15; Ap G 23,9; Ap G 25,19; Ap G 25,25; Ap G 26,31; Ap G 28,18)30And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.” (Ap G 9,24; Ap G 23,12; Ap G 23,20; Ap G 23,35; Ap G 24,19; Ap G 25,16)31So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.32And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. (Ap G 23,10; Ap G 23,16)33When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.34On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, (Ap G 21,39; Ap G 25,1)35he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium. (Matt 27,27; Ap G 23,30)