Acts 23.1-35 tells us that Paul is in custody and gives his defense before the Sanhedrin; Paul divides the counsel by stating his heritage as a Pharisee from Beit Hillel who believed in the resurrection; angering the Sadducees; Paul is rescued again by the Roman commander from a fight in the council; Yeshua comforts Paul who was distraught because he had an opportunity to teach a huge crowd of Jews in the Temple, but it failed, and later he would have the chance to teach the Sanhedrin but that ended in a physical fight; Paul is delivered from a plot of the Assassins through warning from his nephew to the commander; Paul escapes to Caesarea with a military escort; Paul is confined there for two years awaiting trial; then he will be sent to Rome for another two years. Including travel time, Paul will spend the next five years in Roman custody.
v 1…And Paul, looking intently at the council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”
v 2…And the high priest Ananias (not the one in Yeshua’s day) commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth (to silence what he perceived as his insolence).
v 3…Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you white-washed wall (hypocrite)! And do you sit to try me according to the Law (Torah), and in violation of the Law order me to be struck (he was not what he appeared to be)?”
v 4…But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?”
v 5…And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest, for it is written (on record), ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people (Paul had been gone a long time and the position changes; he was not wearing his high priestly garments).’ “
v 6…But perceiving that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees (both had differing religious concepts on the resurrection, angels, demons, the Scriptures that were accepted, etc), Paul crying out in the council, “Brethren, I am (exist as) a Pharisee, so son of Pharisees (Phil 3.5); I am on trial for the hope of the resurrection of the dead!”
v 7…And as he said this, there arose a discussion between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.
v 8…For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection nor an angel, nor a spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
v 9…And there arose a great uproar (outcry), and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party (sect) stood up and began to argue heatedly (striving to Paul’s defense), saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him? Let us not fight against God (notice they do not refute Paul’s assertion in v 6 that he was a Pharisee, because they knew he was at that time-Acts 26.3)?”
v 10…And a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them (one side was physically trying to save him from the anger of the other side) and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him to the barracks.
v 11…But on the night following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome, also.”
v 12…And when it was day, the Jews (probably Sadducees who were aligned with Beit Shammai and the Zealot party) formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul (this is what Peter went so far to do when he denied Yeshua, an oath and a curse-Mark 14.71).
v 13…And there were more than forty who formed the plot (and Israel has not eaten or drank spiritually since).
v 14…And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
v 15…Now, therefore, you and the council notify the commander to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case by a more thorough investigation; and we for our part are ready to slay him before he comes near.”
v 16…But the son of Paul’s sister (his nephew) heard of their ambush (like Paul he probably was a talmid under a teacher where he heard of this plot), and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.
v 17…And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Lead this man to the commander, for he has something to report to him.”
v 18…For he took him and led him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to lead this young man to you since he has something to tell you.”
v 19…And the commander took him by the hand and stepping aside, began to inquire of him privately, “What is it that you have to report to me?”
v 20…And he said, “The Jews (Sadducees in the Sanhedrin) have agreed (with the forty assassins) to ask you to bring Paul down tomorrow to the council, as though they were going to inquire somewhat more thoroughly about him.
v 21…So do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they slay him; and now they are ready and waiting for the promise from you.”
v 22…Therefore the commander let the young man go, instructing him, “Tell no one that you have notified me of these things (he was commander for a reason-he was prudent and did not “share” secrets with many).
v 23…And he called to him two of the centurions, and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night (9 pm) to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen (this is a large force because he was impressed with the Jewish hatred of Paul).”
v 24…They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felis the governor.
v 25…And he wrote a letter having this form.
v 26…”Claudius Lysias (the commander), to the most excellent governor (Luke addressed Theophilus the same way in Acts 1.1) Felix, greetings.
v 27…When this man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, I came upon them with the troops and rescued him (God used these Romans to protect him), having learned that he was a Roman.
v 28…And wanting to ascertain the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council;
v 29…and I found him to be accused over questions about their Law (Torah), but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.
v 30…And when I was informed that there would be a plot against this man, I sent him to you at once, also instructing his accusers to bring charges against him before you.”
v 31…So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatis (built by Herod for his father Antipater, meaning “forefather”).
v 32…But the next day, leaving the (seventy) horsemen to go with him (Paul), they (the infantry) returned to the barracks.
v 33…And when these (the seventy horsemen) had come to Caesarea (the Roman headquarters in Israel) and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
v 34…And when he had read it, he asked from what province he was; and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,
v 35…he said, “I will give you a hearing after your accusers arrive also,” giving orders for him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium (a guard room where Paul was kept; in the palace/fortress built by Herod).
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