all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made
him stand before them.
023:001 Then Paul, fixing a steady gaze on the Sanhedrin, said, "Brethren,
it is with a perfectly clear conscience that I have discharged
my duties before God up to this day."
023:002 On hearing this the High Priest Ananias ordered those who were
standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
023:003 "Before long," exclaimed Paul, "God will strike you,
you white-washed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me
in accordance with the Law, and do you yourself actually
break the Law by ordering me to be struck?"
023:004 "Do you rail at God's High Priest?" cried the men who stood by him.
023:005 "I did not know, brethren," replied Paul, "that he was
the High Priest; for it is written, `Thou shalt not speak
evil of a ruler of Thy people.'"
023:006 Noticing, however, that the Sanhedrin consisted partly
of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees, he called out loudly
among them, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees.
It is because of my hope of a resurrection of the dead that I
am on my trial."
023:007 These words of his caused an angry dispute between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees, and the assembly took different sides.
023:008 For the Sadducees maintain that there is no resurrection,
and neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge
the existence of both.
023:009 So there arose a great uproar; and some of the Scribes
belonging to the sect of the Pharisees sprang to their feet
and fiercely contended, saying, "We find no harm in the man.
What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel----!"
023:010 But when the struggle was becoming violent, the Tribune,