So glad you could join us again to share another Daily Bread. As we left off, Paul was just brought before the council because the Jewish people in Jerusalem were upset at his teaching of the New Testament and they wanted him to be put to death. Paul, looking steadfast at the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived with a clean conscience before God until this day.

          The high priest, Ananias, ordered those who stood by Paul to slap him on the mouth. Then Paul said to Ananias, God will slap you, you hypocrite, because you sit to judge me after the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law? Those who stood by said, You dare to speak to God’s high priest that way? Paul answered, Brethren, I didn’t know that he was the high priest, for it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.

          Now, remember how clever Paul is. When he recognized that within the council, part of them were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I am called here in question of the hope and resurrection of the dead. When he said this, a quarrel began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and they were divided because the Sadducees believe that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees believe in these spiritual things.

          There was quite a fuss, and the scribes that belonged to the Pharisees' part arose, and argued, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God. And when a big debate ensued, the chief captain, afraid that Paul might be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

          Well, Paul’s nephew heard about their scheming, so he went into the castle, and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions over to him, and said, Bring this young man to the chief captain, he has something to tell him. So he was brought to the chief captain, and said, The Jewish people have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though you want to speak to him, but don’t listen to them because they’re waiting for him, more than forty men, who have pledged that they won’t eat or drink until they’ve killed him. They’re just waiting for word from you.

          So the chief captain let the young man leave, and ordered him, Don’t tell anyone that you told me these things. The chief captain called two centurions and said, Get 200 soldiers ready to go to Cæsarea, and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at 9 p.m. Give them horses to put Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix, the governor. And he sent this letter with him:

          Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris (which is about halfway between Jerusalem and Cæsarea). The next day they left the horsemen to continue on with Paul, and returned to the castle. When they arrived in Cæsarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. When the governor had read the letter, he asked Paul what province he was from, and when he understood that he was from Cilicia, Felix said, I will listen to you when your accusers arrive. And he ordered that Paul be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.

          When we come back, we’ll find out what happens when the people present their argument against Paul, and how Paul responds to it, so hurry on back for the next Daily Bread.