Ananias

1Paul looked right at the council, the leaders who judged people. He said, "Brothers, I have lived before God with a good conscience until this day."

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

NoteThe council was the group of Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. They were like judges. They decided if someone had broken God's law. A good conscience means your heart knows you have done right.

2Ananias was the high priest, the top leader at the temple. He told the men near Paul to hit him on the mouth.

And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

NoteThe high priest was the leader of all the priests. Priests worked at the temple, God's special house in Jerusalem. Ananias was the high priest's name.

3Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me by the law. But you break the law by ordering them to hit me."

Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

NoteWhitewash is white paint. People painted old walls white to make them look clean and new. Paul meant the man looked good outside but was not good inside.

4The men standing nearby said, "How dare you insult God's high priest!"

And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?

5Paul said, "Brothers, I did not know he was the high priest. The Scriptures say, 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.'"

Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

NotePaul is quoting a rule from the Scriptures, God's holy books. The rule says not to speak against the leader of your people.

6Paul saw that some there were Sadducees and some were Pharisees. These were two groups of leaders who did not agree with each other. He called out, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, and my father was one too. I am on trial because I hope God will bring dead people back to life."

But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

NoteThe Pharisees and Sadducees were two groups of Jewish leaders. They often disagreed about God's law. Paul's father was a Pharisee, so Paul grew up as one. Coming back to life after dying is called resurrection.

7As soon as he said this, the Pharisees and Sadducees began to argue. The whole group split apart.

And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

8The Sadducees say that dead people do not come back to life. They also say there are no angels and no spirits. The Pharisees believe in all of these.

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

NoteThe Sadducees believed only what the first books of God's law said. So they did not believe in angels, or spirits, or coming back to life. The Pharisees believed in all three.

9Everyone began shouting. Some teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued hard. They said, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel really did speak to him?"

And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees’ part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

NoteTeachers of the law studied God's holy books. They explained the books to other people. The old word for them is scribes.

10The arguing got so bad that the commander grew afraid. He thought they might tear Paul to pieces. He told his soldiers to go down and pull Paul away from them. They brought Paul into the soldiers' fort.

And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

NoteThe commander led about a thousand Roman soldiers. Rome ruled this land with its army. The soldiers lived in a strong building right beside the temple.

1Five days later Ananias came down to the city of Caesarea. He was the high priest, the top leader of the priests. Some older leaders came with him. They also brought a speaker named Tertullus. He told the governor Felix their complaint against Paul.

And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

NoteA governor was the man Rome sent to run a whole region. Felix was the governor here. Paul was being held in Caesarea, a city by the sea. The Roman governor lived in that city. Ananias and the other leaders traveled there from Jerusalem to speak against Paul.

2Paul was called in. Tertullus began to accuse him. He said, "Because of you, we have had peace for a long time. Your careful planning has made things better for our nation."

And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

NoteTertullus was a speaker paid to argue in court. He began with praise to make Felix like him. That was a normal way to start a speech back then.

3"Always and everywhere we say thank you for this, most excellent Felix."

We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

Note"Most excellent" was a polite title for an important official. It is like saying "sir" to a judge today.

4"But I do not want to take up too much of your time. Please be kind and hear us say just a few words."

Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

5"We have found that this man causes trouble wherever he goes. He starts fights among Jewish people all over the world. He is a leader of the group called the Nazarenes."

For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

NoteNazarenes was a name people used for the followers of Jesus. Jesus grew up in a town called Nazareth. The name was often said in an unkind way.

6"He even tried to do wrong things inside the temple. So we grabbed him. We wanted to judge him by our own law."

Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

NoteThe temple was the great building in Jerusalem where Jews worshiped God. Only certain people were allowed in certain parts of it. Bringing the wrong person inside was a very serious charge.

7"But Lysias, the army commander, came and pulled him away from us by force."

But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

NoteLysias was the Roman commander of the soldiers in Jerusalem. A crowd had grabbed Paul there and wanted to hurt him. Lysias sent soldiers to pull Paul out and keep him safe.

8"Lysias told the ones accusing him to come to you. If you ask questions yourself, you can learn about everything we say he did."

Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

9The other Jewish leaders there agreed. They said all these things were true.

And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.