What is the meaning of Acts 23:28?

since I wanted to understand

• The speaker is Claudius Lysias, the Roman commander in Jerusalem (Acts 23:26).

• His desire “to understand” shows a commitment to justice; he will not condemn Paul on hearsay (cf. Deuteronomy 19:15; Proverbs 18:13).

• Acts 22:30 echoes the same motive: “he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Council to assemble, and he brought Paul down.”

• John 7:51 presents the same principle: “Does our law judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he is doing?”

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their charges against him

• The Jewish crowd had shouted accusations that Paul taught “against our people and our law and this place” and defiled the temple (Acts 21:28).

• None of these charges involved civil crime under Roman law; they centered on theology—especially the resurrection (Acts 23:6).

• Later, Tertullus will admit Paul’s case is about “questions of your own law” (Acts 24:6, 12-13).

• Lysias wants the precise accusations, anticipating he must write them in an official report to the governor (Acts 23:29; 24:22-23).

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I brought him down

• “Down” refers to the descent from the Antonia Fortress to the Temple area where the Sanhedrin met.

• By escorting Paul personally, Lysias both protects a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-29) and guarantees orderly proceedings (Acts 23:10).

• Roman authority is being used by God to preserve Paul for future ministry, fulfilling Acts 9:15.

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to their Sanhedrin

• The Sanhedrin (also called the Council) is Israel’s highest religious court (Mark 14:55; Luke 22:66).

• Lysias hands jurisdiction back to the Jewish leaders for matters of doctrine while keeping oversight for any public-order issues.

• This moves the narrative toward Paul’s eventual appeal to Caesar (Acts 25:11), demonstrating how each legal step advances God’s plan.

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summary

Acts 23:28 records the Roman commander’s deliberate effort to discover the specific religious accusations against Paul by convening the Sanhedrin. Lysias seeks factual clarity, protects Paul’s rights as a Roman citizen, and channels the dispute into its proper forum. In doing so, the verse highlights God’s providence: civil authority unwittingly safeguards His servant, enabling the gospel to progress from Jerusalem toward Rome.