I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.
Parallel translations
- KJV Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.
- BSB I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- NKJV I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains.
- NASB and I found that he was being accused regarding questions in their Law, but was not charged with anything deserving death or imprisonment.
- NLT I soon discovered the charge was something regarding their religious law—certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Lysias concludes the dispute concerned questions of Jewish law, with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. The Roman officer formally declares Paul innocent of any crime.
Overview
This is one of several official testimonies in Acts to the political innocence of Christianity (compare Acts 18:14-15; 25:25; 26:31). Lysias judges the matter purely religious, not criminal. Luke shows that the gospel poses no threat to civil order, even as it provokes religious opposition.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Acts 26:31When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
- Acts 25:25But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him,
- Acts 18:15but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.”
- Acts 28:18who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.
- Acts 25:19–20but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
- Acts 25:11For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
- Acts 25:7–8When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,
- Acts 24:10–21When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, “Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,
- Acts 23:6–9But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
- Acts 24:5–6For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 23:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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