We begin chapter 23 with Paul addressing the council. Paul stated he always lived before God with a clear conscience. Hearing that Ananias commanded those close to Paul to slap him across the mouth, Paul called Ananias (This was not the Ananias who helped regain Paul his sight in Damascus in chapter 22 but an Ananias he did not know) a corrupt hypocrite saying God would slap him. He said he was breaking the law by issuing such a command.
Those near Paul told him he was the high priest to which Paul apologized for his statement. Paul confessed his error by quoting the Scriptures that say one must never speak evil of their rulers. (It seems rulers could get away with many things just because of their position. Perhaps that command was given when the rulers were God honoring, honest men who did not manipulate or deal with others based on an agenda of their choosing.)
Standing before the group, Paul realized some were Pharisees who believed in spirits, angels and the resurrection of the dead. Others were Sadducees who did not believe in any of those things. Knowing that, he shouted he was on trial simply because he believed in the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. That statement created a huge uproar and argument between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees supported Paul saying they found no wrong in him and that maybe he did indeed see a spirit or an angel. ( I find it odd the Sadducees did not believe in angels and such but held al the things of God in highest regard. If we look at Exodus12 when the Lord killed the firstborn of Egypt but passed over the Israelites who brushed blood on their door frames. Verse 23 tells us, "For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit His death angel to enter your house and strike you down." The Lord Himself spoke of His death angel. The Sadducees accepted Passover but not angels.)
The conflict grew more and more violent and the commander ordered the soldiers to forcibly remove Paul for his own safety and take him to the fortress.
That night the Lord spoke to Paul saying, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well."
(As seems to be the way they handled things when they couldn't get their desired results legally) A group of 40 fanatical Jews made a pact to not eat or drink until they killed Paul. They told the leading priests and elders about their plan and asked them to have the commander send Paul to come before them again to ask more questions regarding their issue with him. The plan was to kill Paul while he traveled to the council.
Paul's nephew heard of the plan and came to Paul and told him. Paul told one of the Roman officers and asked him to take his nephew to the commander. Then the nephew shared the plan with the commander and the commander told the nephew to not let anyone know he had told the Romans of the plan.
The commander called his troops to take Paul to Caesarea to Governor Felix. He sent 200 soldiers, 200 spearmen and 70 mounted troops, along with horses for Paul to ride, to get him safely there under the cover of nightfall that very night. The commander, Claudius Lysias sent a long a letter to his Excellency Governor Felix, describing the situation, who Paul was, why he sent him and of the plot to kill Paul who was a Roman citizen. He also stated he found no charges worthy to imprison or kill Paul. During a prisoner transfer, Roman law required a letter describing the case to be sent along with the prisoner. Of course his letter did not mention the commander having Paul being prepared to be tied to be flogged. Notice also the letter stated Paul's innocence. The trip covered about 64 miles. (For the group wanting Paul to be punished, or even better to be killed, they had to be very determined to walk the 64 some miles to present their case to Governor Felix.)
The soldiers got Paul safely to Caesarea and delivered him along with the letter from the commander to Governor Felix. When Felix read the letter, he asked Paul what providence he was from, to which Paul answered Cilicia. Felix said he would hear the case himself and ordered Paul kept in prison at Herod's headquarters.
(Perhaps if Paul had been free to travel on his own, he may have never made it. He may have been killed by those wanting to get rid of him. However, it seems the Lord took care of Paul by having him taken by Roman soldiers to safely make the journey to Caesarea unharmed.)