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Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as the King James Version ( KJV ). Acts 22:25-23:11 read as follows:
"25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. 23 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? 4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? 5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK EVIL OF THE RULER OF THY PEOPLE. 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissention between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. 9 And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. 11 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."
Notice that Paul started the dissension referenced in the above-given passage from the Holy Bible ( see verses six through ten ).
Moreover, Psalm 142:6 reads as follows: "Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger that I." Thus, the big picture ( so to speak ) regarding this situation is that God, through His providence, delivered Paul from his persecutors ( see Acts 9:10-16 ( especially verses 15 and 16, for example ) and 2 Timothy 3:10, 11, for example ). As Christians ( see Acts 11:26, for example ) today, God, through His providence, will likewise deliver us from our persecutors. As Christians, we will lead quiet and peaceable lives "in all godliness and honesty" ( see 1 Timothy 2:2 ). See also Romans 15:1-4 ( especially verse 4, for example ), for example. Please study the Holy Bible ( which is God's word - see Psalm 119:65-73, 142, 151, John 17:1, 3, 17, 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17, and Titus 1:1, 2, for example ).
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:
<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>
NOTE: The copy of the Holy Bible pictured above employs a format, whereby capital and small capital letters are used in the New Testament to indicate a quotation from the Old Testament ( see The Holy Bible: containing the Old and New Testaments, King James Version, THOMAS NELSON PUBLISHERS, Nashville, Copyright 1989 Thomas Nelson, Inc., p. iii. ). Thus, the use of all-capital letters in verse five ( above ) is explained.
