Acts 23:1-9 ▼

1 And Paul having earnestly beheld the sanhedrim, said, 'Men, brethren, I in all good conscience have lived to God unto this day;'

2 and the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to smite him on the mouth,

3 then Paul said unto him, 'God is about to smite thee, thou whitewashed wall, and thou -- thou dost sit judging me according to the law, and, violating law, dost order me to be smitten!'

4 And those who stood by said, 'The chief priest of God dost thou revile?'

5 and Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he is chief priest: for it hath been written, Of the ruler of thy people thou shalt not speak evil;'

6 and Paul having known that the one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the sanhedrim, 'Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee -- son of a Pharisee -- concerning hope and rising again of dead men I am judged.'

7 And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

8 for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both.

9 And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, 'No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'