Quotes About Authority

But since it is a dispute about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”

And he drove them away from the judgment seat.

At this, the crowd seized Sosthenes the synagogue leader and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

But if you are seeking anything beyond this, it must be settled in a legal assembly.

After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.

While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil.

Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.

Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks.

As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.

as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.

the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.

But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”

On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.

Then those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

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

At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”

But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”

“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ëDo not speak evil about the ruler of your people.í”