Acts 23:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

NIV: The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.'

NASB: But on the following night, the Lord stood near him and said, 'Be courageous! For as you have testified to the truth about Me in Jerusalem, so you must testify in Rome also.'

CSB: The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, "Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome."

NLT: That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, 'Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.'

KJV: And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

NKJV: 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.”

When Jesus visited Ananias in Damascus—an entirely different person from the priest mentioned in this passage—and told him about Paul, He said, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Paul didn't spend a lot of time in Jerusalem after that; he visited (Acts 9:26–30; 15; Galatians 2:1–10), but the Jewish leaders considered his conversion heresy and wanted to kill him (Acts 22:17–21).

To this point, Paul has testified to Jews and Gentiles. Whenever he enters a new city, he begins by preaching in the Jewish synagogue (Acts 9:20; 13:14; 14:1; 17:1, 10; 18:4; 19:8). Often, the synagogues will include several Gentiles who want to worship the Jewish God. Typically, as in Corinth, some of the Jews and most of the Gentiles will believe him, and when the synagogue leaders push Paul out, they will all leave and start a new church (Acts 18:4–7).

Paul testified about Jesus in Jerusalem the day prior to this vision. He was attacked by a mob, some of whom thought he brought a Gentile into the temple but most of whom just wanted a melee. The Roman tribune arrested him but didn't know what was going on. He allowed Paul to address the crowd in the temple courtyard (Acts 21:27–40). Paul used that opportunity to explain how he had persecuted Jesus-followers all the way to Damascus in Syria. Before he reached the city, Jesus of Nazareth appeared to him in a great light. Paul became a Jesus-follower that day (Acts 9:1–19; 22:3–16).

In two years, Paul will fulfill the rest of Jesus' promise, standing before Herod Agrippa II and telling the story of his conversion (Acts 26).

Paul has wanted to go to Rome for a long time. It is the heart of the Empire, and he knows the Jews, Gentiles, and leaders there all need Jesus. Now, Jesus tells him he's on his way. It won't be direct, however. Paul will escape an assassination attempt and be held under house arrest in Caesarea Maritima for two years. Then he will go on a dangerous sea voyage that will include a fierce storm (Acts 27:13–38), a shipwreck (Acts 27:39–44), and a viper (Acts 28:3–6). Eventually, however, Paul will reach Rome (Acts 28:16).

Acts 23:1–11 records a Roman military tribune's last effort to uncover why a mob attacked Paul. The crowd dragged him out of the temple and beat him mercilessly (Acts 21:27–33). The tribune asks the Sanhedrin for help, but there are too many divisions. The Sanhedrin can't abide Christians. Paul can't fathom their rejection of Jesus. The Sadducees and Pharisees quickly fall into an old fight about the resurrection of the dead. The tribune takes Paul back to the barracks where, that night, Jesus tells Paul he's on his way to Rome.

Acts 23 continues the tribune's attempt to discover why a mob of Jews suddenly turned violent and attacked Paul (Acts 21:27–33). He takes Paul to the Sanhedrin to see if they understand what his crime is. Paul barely begins his story when he is slapped for impudence. He disrespects the high priest and starts a fight between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The next day, a group of forty Jews invite the Sanhedrin to help them murder Paul. Paul's nephew reports the plot to the tribune who gives up and sends Paul to the governor. The governor awaits Paul's accusers for trial.

Jews from near Ephesus accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple and incited a crowd to attack him. The tribune saved Paul but couldn't uncover the reason for the violence; most of the mob didn't know, and Paul was a Roman citizen, so the tribune couldn't beat the truth out of him (Acts 21—22). When the Sanhedrin would rather murder Paul than talk to him, the tribune sends Paul to the governor. The governor holds Paul without charges for so long he invokes his right to a trial before Caesar. The governor agrees, and Paul finally gets to Rome (Acts 24—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.