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Acts 23:1–5. Paul, fixing his gaze on the Sanhedrin, said: Men and brethren! I have lived with all my good conscience before God until this day. The high priest Ananias ordered those standing in front of him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him: God will beat you, you whitewashed wall! you sit to judge according to the law, and, contrary to the law, you order me to be beaten. Those present said: Do you revile the high priest of God? Paul said: I did not know, brethren, that he was a high priest; for it is written: “Do not speak evil of the ruler of your people” (Ex. 22:28). Paul no longer speaks to the people and not to the crowd, “fixing his gaze on the Sanhedrin,” that “he lived with all his good conscience,” that is, in his actions he does not recognize himself as guilty of anything before them and worthy of these shackles. “You sit to judge according to the law, and, contrary to the law, you order me to be beaten.” That is, breaking the law, becoming guilty of lawlessness; as if he says: “Being worthy of very many punishments.” “Do you revile the High Priest of God? Paul said: I did not know, brethren, that he was a high priest." How did he say: “Are you sitting to judge according to the law?” Yes, Paul pretends that he does not know, but this was not harmful, but beneficial for the listeners. But I (Blessed Theophylact - Ed.) am very convinced that Paul really did not know that Ananias was the high priest, since Paul had recently arrived in Jerusalem, did not deal with the Jews and saw Ananias among many other persons. Yes, among the many and varied persons, the high priest was invisible. “You, whitewashed wall!” he calls him this because although Ananias took on the bright image of a man who seemed to defend the law and judge according to the law, his thought was full of lawlessness. Therefore, Paul exposes in him the hypocritical appearance of an outward disposition towards the law. Acts 23:6–8. Having learned that there were one part of the Sadducees and the other of the Pharisees, Paul exclaimed in the Sanhedrin: Men and brethren! I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; I am being judged for hoping for the resurrection of the dead. When he had said this, a quarrel arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the congregation was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; and the Pharisees admit both. Again he says humanly: “I am a Pharisee,” but everywhere I am rich in grace. However, he does not deceive here either, because according to his ancestors he is the “son of a Pharisee.” And since the Jews did not want to say why they accuse him, he considers himself forced to express it himself: “I am being judged for the hope of the resurrection of the dead,” and he justifies himself both by their accusation and their slander. The Sadducees, being foolish, did not even know God, and therefore did not believe that there would be a resurrection. "The Pharisees admit both." However, the Sadducees do not recognize three positions (resurrection, the existence of an Angel and the existence of the Spirit). How does a writer say “both?” But the Spirit and the Angel are one and the same; in addition, “both” is also said about three objects. The writings of non-literate people and fishermen should not be measured by the measure of elegant external decoration, which distinguishes the works of specialist writers - this is where heresies are born. Acts 23:9–10. There was a great cry; and the scribes of the Pharisees stood up and argued, saying: We find nothing bad in this man; if the spirit or angel spoke to him, let us not resist God. But as the discord increased, the captain, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down and take him from among them and take him to the fortress. Something is missing here to complete the thought. The spirit, it is said, or the Angel inspired him with the content of the speech is unknown. Or is this said on behalf of the Pharisees, in which case the words “if a spirit or an angel spoke to him” should be understood as follows: “Here he speaks of the resurrection; Obviously, either the Spirit or an Angel taught him the doctrine of the resurrection.” "The commander of a thousand, fearing". I was afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces, since he said that he was a Roman, and the matter was not far from danger. Finally the soldiers kidnap him, I think, as their property. Acts 23:11–14. The next night the Lord appeared to him and said: Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. When the day came, some of the Jews made a plot and swore not to eat or drink until they killed Paul. There were more than forty who made such a spell. They came to the chief priests and elders and said: The Lord appeared to Paul because He is a comforter in sorrows. But He did not appear to Paul before he fell into danger (the Lord strengthens us through sorrows), and after His appearance He deigns to save his life by human means. Acts 23:14–15. We swore an oath not to eat anything until we kill Paul. So now you and the Sanhedrin let the captain know so that he will bring him to you tomorrow, as if you want to more accurately examine the matter about him; we, before he approaches, are ready to kill him. He says that they “swore an oath” instead of saying: they will renounce their faith in God if they do not do what they plan. Thus, if they made a false promise, they were under an oath as deceivers; if they had succeeded in killing Paul, they would again expose themselves to damnation as murderers, or God would anathematize them. Acts 23:16–24. Hearing about this plan, the son of Pavlova’s sister came and, entering the fortress, notified Pavel. Paul, calling one of the centurions, said: Take this young man to the captain, for he has something to say to him. He took him and brought him to the captain and said: The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to take this young man to you, who has something to tell you. The commander of a thousand, taking him by the hand and stepping aside with him, asked: what do you have to say to me? He replied that the Jews agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as if they wanted to more accurately investigate the matter about him. But don't listen to them; for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, who have sworn not to eat or drink until they kill him; and they are now ready, awaiting your order. Then the captain released the young man, saying: Don’t tell anyone that you announced this to me. And, calling two centurions, he said: prepare for me two hundred foot soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred archers, so that from the third hour of the night they will go to Caesarea. Prepare also the donkeys so that, having seated Paul, they will convey him to the governor Felix. According to God’s dispensation, the Jews did not notice how “the son of Paul’s sister” could hear them. Again Paul is saved as a result of human forethought, since he leaves everyone, even the centurion, in the dark, so that the matter does not come to light. One should not condemn Paul for the fact that he was afraid of danger - this only testifies to the weakness of his nature (since he was a man) and should serve as praise for his will, since, even fearing blows and death, he did not do anything unworthy of himself because of the fear of this. Acts 23:25–35. He also wrote a letter with the following content: “Claudius Lysias to the honorable ruler Felix - rejoice. The Jews seized this man and were ready to kill him; I, coming with soldiers, took him away, learning that he was a Roman citizen. Then, wanting to find out what they accused him of, he brought him to their Sanhedrin and found that he was accused of controversial opinions concerning their law, but that there was no guilt in him worthy of death or chains. And when it dawned on me that the Jews were plotting against this man, I immediately sent him to you, ordering the accusers to speak against him before you. Be healthy." So the soldiers, according to the orders given to them, took Paul and led him at night to Antipatris. And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the fortress. And they, having come to Caesarea and given the letter to the governor, introduced Paul to him. The governor, having read the letter, asked what region he was from, and, learning that he was from Cilicia, said: I will listen to you when your accusers appear. And he ordered him to be in custody in Herod's Praetorium. Here is a letter written in defense of him and in accusation of the Jews. Look: Paul is declared innocent not by Jews, but by foreigners, just as Christ is declared innocent by Pilate. "In Herod's Praetorium". It is remarkable that Herod’s praetorium was in Caesarea. You might be interested in: