Acts 23:5-9
The Message
5 Paul acted surprised. “How was I to know he was Chief Priest? He doesn’t act like a Chief Priest. You’re right, the Scripture does say, ‘Don’t speak abusively to a ruler of the people.’ Sorry.”
6 Paul, knowing some of the council was made up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided to exploit their antagonism: “Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It’s because of my Pharisee convictions—the hope and resurrection of the dead—that I’ve been hauled into this court.”
7-9 The moment he said this, the council split right down the middle, Pharisees and Sadducees going at each other in heated argument. Sadducees have nothing to do with a resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can’t see it, they don’t believe it. Pharisees believe it all. And so a huge and noisy quarrel broke out. Then some of the religion scholars on the Pharisee side shouted down the others: “We don’t find anything wrong with this man! And what if a spirit has spoken to him? Or maybe an angel? What if it turns out we’re fighting against God?”
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Acts 23:5-7
New International Version
5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’[a]”(A)
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees(B) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,(C) I am a Pharisee,(D) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”(E) 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Footnotes
- Acts 23:5 Exodus 22:28
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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