Acts 23:1-11

Paul fixed his eyes on the members of the council and said, “My brothers, up to this day I have lived my life before God with a perfectly clear conscience.” At that moment, Ananias the high priest ordered those standing near Paul to strike him in the mouth. Paul responded, “God is going to strike you, you corrupt pretender! For you sit there judging me according to the law, yet you broke the law when you ordered me to be struck.” Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare insult the high priest of God?” Paul answered, “I had no idea, brothers, that he was the high priest. For the Scriptures say, ‘Do not curse the ruler of your people.’ ” Just then Paul realized that part of the council were Sadducees, who deny the resurrection of the dead, and others were of the separated ones. So he shouted, “My fellow Jews, I am a separated one, and the son of a separated one. That’s why I’m on trial here. It’s because of the hope I have that the dead will rise to live again.” When he said this, a heated argument started among them, dividing the council between the Sadducees and the separated ones. Paul knew that the Sadducees teach there is no resurrection and do not believe in angels or spirits, but the separated ones believe in them all. This sparked an even greater uproar among them. Finally, some of the separated ones who were religious scholars stood up and protested strongly, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. It could be that the Spirit has spoken to him or an angel came to him.” When the shouting match became intense, the commander, fearing they would tear Paul to pieces, intervened and ordered his soldiers to go in to their meeting and seize him and take him back to their headquarters. That night our Lord appeared to Paul and stood before him and said, “Receive miracle power. For just as you have spoken for me in Jerusalem, you will also speak for me in Rome.”