20He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.
21Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
22So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
23Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
24Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”
25And he wrote the following letter:
26Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
27This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,
28and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.
29I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
30When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
31So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.
32The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.
33When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
34The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
35he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
— Acts 23:20-35

Related Resources from Heartlight

Letter to Governor Felix
Devo: Unstoppable!

"[After hearing of the plan to kill Paul,] the commander called two of his officers and ordered, "Get 200 soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine..."

Nothing Worthy of Imprisonment
Devo: Unstoppable!

"[The commander in charge of Paul's arrest sent the following letter to Governor Felix in Caesarea along with the armed protection for Paul:] "This..."

To Caesarea
Devo: Unstoppable!

"So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. They returned to the fortress [in Jerusalem] the next morning, while the..."

Acting with Authority for Paul
Devo: Unstoppable!

"[In response to Paul's nephew informing him about the planned ambush of Paul on the way to the ruling council's meeting in Jerusalem,] the commander...."

Astonishing Help!
Devo: Unstoppable!

"But Paul's nephew — his sister's son — heard of [the group of men who made a vow to kill Paul with an ambush on his way to the ruling council] and..."

Waiting for His Day in Court
Devo: Unstoppable!

"[Paul had arrived in Caesarea to appear before the Governor, Felix, who told him:] "I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive," the..."