Acts 23:23 – 35

November 9, 2021

23 The commander called in two of his officers and told them, “By nine o’clock tonight have two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea. Take along seventy men on horseback and two hundred foot soldiers with spears. 24 Get a horse ready for Paul and make sure that he gets safely through to Felix the governor.”

25 The commander wrote a letter that said:

26 Greetings from Claudius Lysias to the Honorable Governor Felix:

27 Some Jews grabbed this man and were about to kill him. But when I found out that he was a Roman citizen, I took some soldiers and rescued him.

28 I wanted to find out what they had against him. So I brought him before their council 29 and learned that the charges concern only their religious laws. This man isn’t guilty of anything for which he should die or even be put in jail.

30 As soon as I learned that there was a plot against him, I sent him to you and told their leaders to bring charges against him in your court.

31 The soldiers obeyed the commander’s orders, and that same night they took Paul to the city of Antipatris. 32 The next day the foot soldiers returned to the fortress and let the soldiers on horseback take him the rest of the way. 33 When they came to Caesarea, they gave the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him.

34 The governor read the letter. Then he asked Paul and found out that he was from Cilicia. 35 The governor said, “I will listen to your case as soon as the people come to bring their charges against you.” After saying this, he gave orders for Paul to be kept as a prisoner in Herod’s palace.