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Acts 23:1

in Acts 23

Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.

KJV

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

This verse in Acts 23

Commentary

10 notes on this verse
And Paul, earnestly beholding - ἀτενίσας atenisas. Fixing his eyes intently on the council. The word denotes “a fixed and earnest gazing; a close observation.” See Luk 4:20. Compare the notes on Act 3:4. Paul would naturally look with a keen and attentive observation on the council. He was arraigned before them, and he would naturally observe the appearance, and endeavor to ascertain the character of his judges. Besides, it was by this council that he had been formerly commissioned to persecute the Christians, Act 9:1-2. He had not seen them since that commission was given.

This site's exposition

in all good conscience

on Acts 23:1-2

Paul claims to have conducted himself before God in all good conscience, a claim he makes again before Felix at 24:16. The high priest Ananias answers with a blow, breaking the law he sits to administer.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Cassiodorus

Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles · Written before 585.

proposed

"And Paul looking upon the council, said," etc. When Paul had said right in front of the council: "Men, brethren, I have conversed with all good conscience before God until this present day," the high priest Ananias commanded the men who stood by him to …

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 48 · Written before 407.

proposed

"And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." It shows his boldness, and how it awed them. What he means is this: I am not conscious to myself of having wronged you at all, or of having done anything worthy of these bonds.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

proposed

Paul speaks now not to the people and not to the crowd, "looking intently at the Sanhedrin," that "he had lived with a perfectly good conscience," that is, he is not conscious of being guilty before them in any of his actions, nor deserving of …

The Reformation1 voice

A commentator

John Calvin

1509–1564

Commentaries (1554)

Paul beginneth with the testimony of a good conscience, that all the whole multitude may understand that he is unjustly charged with such an heinous offense, as if he had gone about to overthrow the worship of God.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament (1755)

proposed

And Paul earnestly beholding the council - Professing a clear conscience by his very countenance; and likewise waiting to see whether any of them was minded to ask him any question, said, I have lived in all good conscience before God till this day - He speaks chiefly of the time since he became a Christian.
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And Paul earnestly beholding the council,.... Fastening his eyes upon them, looking wistly and intently at them, and thereby discovering a modest cheerfulness, and a becoming boldness, confidence, and intrepidity, as being not conscious of any guilt, and well assured of the goodness of his cause: said, men and brethren; see Act 22:

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day--The word has an indirect reference to the "polity" or "commonwealth of Israel," of which he would signify that he had been, and was to that hour, an honest and God-fearing member.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

I have lived in all good conscience - Some people seem to have been unnecessarily stumbled with this expression. What does the apostle mean by it? Why, that, while he was a Jew, he was one from principle of conscience; that what he did, while he continued Jew, he did from the same principle; that, when God opened his eyes to see the nature of Christianity, he became a Christian, because God persuaded his conscience that it was right for him to become one; that, in a word, he was sincere through the whole course of his religious life, and his conduct had borne the most unequivocal proofs of it. The apostle means, therefore, that there was no part of his life in which he acted as a dishonest or hypocritical man; and that he was now as fully determined to maintain his profession of Christianity as he ever was to maintain that of Judaism, previously to his acquaintance with the Christian religion.

The words behind it

20 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Acts 24:16

    In this hope, I strive always to maintain a clear conscience before God and man.

    it leads to

    • 1 Timothy 1:5

      The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

      Reached by 3 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Corinthians 4:2

      Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to…

  • Through

    1 Corinthians 4:4

    My conscience is clear, but that does not vindicate me. It is the Lord who judges me.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 143:2

      Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.

    • 1 John 3:20–21

      Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

  • Through

    2 Timothy 1:3

    I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as did my forefathers, as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers.

    it leads to

    • Romans 1:8–9

      First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 1:12

    And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom,…

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 2:17

      For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

    • 1 Corinthians 2:13

      And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

  • Through

    Hebrews 13:18

    Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.

    it leads to

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
The Pentecost, El Greco, about 1600, Museo del Prado. Public domain.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cassiodorus, Complexiones on the Acts of the Apostles; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 48; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.