Acts 23:11-15

Paul was outspoken and sometimes brash with his knowledge of Jesus Christ and often offended the traditions of Jewish leaders. He spoke the truth and left it to God to defend him.

Warned by friends not to go to Jerusalem, Paul may have begun to doubt his decision. The Lord encouraged Paul not to be afraid because he was under the sovereign care of God. As Paul had borne witness to Jesus as a prisoner in Jerusalem, so he would do as a prisoner in Rome. Paul’s chains would glorify God in ways that would have been impossible without them. The willingness of the Jewish council to cooperate with the assassination plot against Paul shows how conscious they were of their weak case against him.

Acts 23:11-15

11 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.”

12 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. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 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. 15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”