BEFORE ANANIAS THE HIGH PRIEST
Next morning Paul was brought before Ananias the High Priest and the Council.
Paul Smitten.
"And Paul earnestly beholding the council said,
"Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."
At this Ananias became so enraged that he said to those who stood by Paul,
"Smite him on the mouth."
"God shall smite thee, thou whited wall," answered Paul with sudden anger. "Sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?"
Temper Controlled.
Those who stood nearest Paul said, "Revilest thou God's High Priest?" Then Paul, getting control of his feelings answered,
"I did not know, brethren, that he was the High Priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people."
Two Sects.
Paul then noticed that in the council were two parties, some Pharisees and some Sadducees; so by speaking wisely of the resurrection, he won the Pharisees on his side, who said,
"We find no evil in this man. It may be that an angel or a spirit has spoken to him."
This made the Sadducees angry, the two factions got to quarreling and became so angry at each other that the chief captain fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, commanded the soldiers to take him back to the castle.
Divine Comfort.
On the next night while Paul was still in the castle, the Lord stood by him and said,
"Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem so must thou also bear witness at Rome."
A Plot to Kill.
On the following morning about forty of these angary Jews bound themselves together by an oath, swearing that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. To accomplish this, they said to the chief Priests, "we have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will taste nothing until we have slain Paul. Now, you ask the chief captain to bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would inquire something more; and we, as soon as he comes near us, will be ready to kill him."
But their plot became known to Paul's sister's son, who hastened to the castle, and told his uncle all about it. After hearing his nephew's story, Paul called one of the centurions, and said,
The Plot Frustrated.
"Take this young man to the chief captain; for he hath a certain thing to tell him." The centurion did as directed and said to the chief captain,
"Paul, the prisoner, called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee."
"What is it thou hast to tell me?" asked the chief captain.
"The Jews have agreed to ask you to take Paul tomorrow into the Council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. But do not thou yield unto them; for there lie in wait for him about forty men, who have bound themselves together with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him."
The chief captain believed the young man and said to him.
"See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me." The chief captain then called two centurions saying,
"Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. Tell them to be ready at nine o'clock tonight to take Paul safely unto Felix the governor."
Claudius Lysius then wrote a letter to Governor Felix explaining, briefly, why Paul was being sent to him.[[2]] He also sent word to Paul's accusers to go to the Governor and make their charges known.
When Paul, safe and sound, appeared before Felix, the Governor asked,
At Caesarea.
"What province are you from?"
"From Cilicia," Paul answered.
"I will hear thee," said Felix, "when thine accusers are also come."
Paul was then put in Herod's judgment hall until his trial five days later.
In Confinement.
Thus had Paul's life within the short space of a few days been twice preserved from those who wanted to kill him. God had spoken to him, saying, "Be of good cheer," and although he was still a prisoner, there was peace in his soul for he knew he had done only what was right, and that God approved of his labors.