Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Acts, chapters 22 -24. Chapter 22 Brethren and
fathers, hear my defense before you now. And
when they heard that he spoke to them in the
Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.
Then he said, I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus
of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. at the
feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness
of our father's law, and was zealous toward God,
as you all are today. I persecuted this way to
the death, binding and delivering into prisons
both men and women, as also the high priest bears
me witness, and all the council of the elders,
from whom I also received letters to the brethren,
and went to Damascus to bring in chains, even
those who were there, to Jerusalem to be punished.
Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near
Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light
from heaven shone around me, and I fell to the
ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul,
Saul, why are you persecuting me? So I answered,
Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus
of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And those
who were with me indeed saw the light and were
afraid, but they did not hear the voice of him
who spoke to me. So I said, What shall I do,
Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into
Damascus, and there you will be told all things
which are appointed for you to do. And since
I could not see for the glory of that light being
led by the hand of those who were with me, I
came into Damascus. Then a certain Ananias, a
devout man according to the law, having a good
testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there,
came to me. And he stood and said to me, Brother
Saul, receive your sight. And at that same hour,
I looked up at him. Then he said, The God of
our fathers has chosen you that you should know
his will and see the just one and hear the voice
of his mouth. For you will be his witness to
all men of what you have seen and heard. And
now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized
and wash away your sins, calling on the name
of the Lord. Now it happened when I returned
to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple. that
I was in a trance, and saw him saying to me,
Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly,
for they will not receive your testimony concerning
me. So I said, Lord, they know that in every
synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe
on you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen
was shed, I also was standing by consenting to
his death, and guarding the cloth of those who
were killing him. Then he said to me, Depart,
for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.
And I listened to him until this word. And then
they raised their voices and said, Away with
such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit
to live. Then as they cried out and tore off
their clothes and threw dust into the air, the
commander ordered him to be brought into the
barracks, and said that he should be examined
under scourging, so that he might know why they
shouted so against him. And as they bound him
with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood
by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who
is a Roman and uncondemned? When a centurion
heard that, he went and told the commander, saying,
Take care what you do, for this man is a Roman.
Then a commander came and said to him, Tell me,
are you a Roman? He said, Yes. The commander
answered, With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.
And Paul said, But I was born a citizen. Then
immediately those who were about to examine him
withdrew from him. And the commander was also
afraid after he found out that he was a Roman,
and because he had bound him. The next day, because
he wanted to know for certain why he was accused
by the Jews, he released him from his bonds and
commanded the chief priests and all their council
to appear, and brought Paul down and set him
before them. Chapter 23 Then Paul, looking earnestly
at the council, said, Men and brethren, I have
lived in all good conscience before God until
this day, and the high priest Ananias commanded
those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
Then Paul said to him, God will strike you, you
whitewashed wall, for you sit to judge me according
to the law, and you command me to be struck contrary
to the law? And those who stood by said, Do you
revile God's high priest? Then Paul said, I did
not know, brethren, that he was the high priest,
for it is written, You shall not speak evil of
a ruler of your people. But when Paul perceived
that 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. Concerning
the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am being
judged. And when he had said this, a dissension
arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees,
and the assembly was divided. For Sadducees say
that there is no resurrection, and no angel or
spirit, but the Pharisees confess both. Then
there arose a loud outcry, and the scribes of
the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying,
We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit
or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight
against God. Now when there arose a great dissension,
the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled
to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to
go down and take him by force from among them
and bring him to the barracks. But the following
night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good
cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for me
in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at
Rome. And when it was day, some of the Jews banded
together and bound themselves under an oath,
saying that they would neither eat nor drink
till they had killed Paul. Now there were more
than forty who had formed this conspiracy. They
came to the chief priests and elders and said,
We have bound ourselves under a great oath that
we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul.
now you therefore together with the council suggest
to the commander that he be brought down to you
to -morrow as though you were going to make further
inquiries concerning him but we are ready to
kill him before he comes near so when paul's
sister's son heard of their ambush he went and
entered the barracks and told paul then paul
called one of the centurions to him and said
take this young man to the commander for he has
something to tell him so he took him and brought
him to the commander and said Paul the prisoner
called me to him and asked me to bring this young
man to you. He has something to say to you. Then
the commander took him by the hand, went aside
and asked privately, What is it that you have
to tell me? And he said, The Jews have agreed
to ask that you bring Paul down to the council
tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire
more fully about him. But do not yield to them,
for more than forty men lie in wait for him,
men who have bound themselves by an oath that
they will neither eat nor drink till they have
killed him. and now they are ready, waiting for
the promise from you. So the commander led the
young man depart and commanded him, Tell no one
that you have revealed these things to me. And
he called for two centurions, saying, Prepare
two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two
hundred spearmen, to go to Caesarea at the third
hour of the night, and provide mounts to set
Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.
He wrote a letter in the following manner. Claudius
Lysias To the most excellent governor, Felix.
Greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and
was about to be killed by them. Coming with the
troops, I rescued him, having learned that he
was a Roman. And when I wanted to know the reason
they accused him, I brought him before their
council. I found out that he was accused concerning
questions of their law, but had nothing charged
against him deserving of death or chains. And
when it was told me that the Jews lay in wait
for the man, I sent him immediately to you. and
also commanded his accusers to state before you
the charges against him farewell then the soldiers
as they were commanded took paul and brought
him by night to antipatris the next day they
left the horsemen to go on with him and returned
to the barracks when they came to caesarea and
had delivered the letter to the governor they
also presented paul to him and when the governor
had read it he asked what province he was from
And when he understood that he was from Cilicia,
he said, I will hear you when your accusers also
have come. And he commanded him to be kept in
Herod's praetorium. Chapter 24 Now after five
days, Ananias the high priest came down with
the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus.
These gave evidence to the governor against Paul.
And when he was called upon, Tertullus began
his accusation, saying, Seeing that through you
we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being
brought to this nation by your foresight, we
accept it always and in all places most noble
Felix, with all thankfulness. Nevertheless, not
to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to
hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us.
For we have found this man a plague, a creator
of dissension among all the Jews throughout the
world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized
him, and wanted to judge him according to our
law. But the commander Lysias came by, and with
great violence took him out of our hands, commanding
his accusers to come to you. By examining him
yourself, you may ascertain all these things
of which we accuse him. And the Jews also assented,
maintaining that these things were so. Then Paul,
after the governor had nodded to him to speak,
answered, Inasmuch as I know that you have been
for many years a judge of this nation, I do the
more cheerfully answer for myself, because you
may ascertain that it is no more than twelve
days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship,
and they neither found me in the temple disputing
with anyone, nor inciting the crowd, either in
the synagogues or in the city, nor can they prove
the things of which they now accuse me. But this
I confess to you, that according to the way which
they call a sect. So I worship the God of my
fathers, believing all things which are written
in the law and in the prophets. I have hope in
God, which they themselves also accept, that
there will be a resurrection of the dead, both
of the just and the unjust. This being so, I
myself always strive to have a conscience without
offense toward God and men. Now after many years
I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation,
in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found
me purified in the temple, neither with a mob
nor with tumult. They ought to have been here
before you to object, if they had anything against
me. Or else let those who are here themselves
say if they found any wrongdoing in me while
I stood before the council, unless it is for
this one statement which I cried out standing
among them. concerning the resurrection of the
dead, I am being judged by you this day. But
when Felix heard these things, having more accurate
knowledge of the way, he adjourned the proceedings
and said, When Lysias the commander comes down,
I will make a decision on your case. So he commanded
the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have
liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his
friends to provide for or visit him. And after
some days when Felix came with his wife Drusilla,
who was Jewish, He sent for Paul and heard him
concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned
about righteousness, self -control, and the judgment
to come, Felix was afraid and answered, Go away
for now. When I have a convenient time, I will
call for you. Meanwhile, he also hoped that money
would be given him by Paul, that he might release
him. Therefore he sent for him more often and
conversed with him. But after two years, Portius
Festus succeeded Felix, and Felix, wanting to
do the Jews a favor, Left ball bound. I hope
you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did.
And I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow
to continue on our journey. God bless you and
have a great day.