Acts 23:7-17

⁷As soon as he said this, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and there was a sharp division of opinion among those present.

⁸(For Sadducees say there is no such thing as a resurrection, and that there is neither angel nor spirit, while Pharisees believe in both.)

⁹So a great uproar ensued, and some of the Teachers of the Law belonging to the Pharisees' party stood up and hotly protested, “We find nothing whatever wrong in this man. Suppose a spirit did speak to him, or an angel...”

¹⁰The dispute was becoming so violent, that the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces between them, ordered the Guard to go down and rescue him from them, and take him into the Fort.

¹¹That night the Lord came and stood by Paul, and said, “Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem and you must bear witness in Rome also.”

¹²In the morning some Jewish men combined together, and took an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³There were more than forty in the plot;

¹⁴and they went to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to touch food until we have killed Paul.

¹⁵So we want you now, with the consent of the Council, to suggest to the commanding officer that he should bring Paul down before you, as though you intended to go more fully into his case; but, before he comes here, we will be ready to make away with him.”

¹⁶However, the son of Paul's sister, hearing of the plot, went to the Fort, and on being admitted, told Paul about it.

¹⁷Paul called one of the Captains of the garrison and asked him to take the lad to the commanding officer, as he had something to tell him.