Some one who stood by said, “Revilest thou the high priest?” Paul, at once restored to self-possession, replied, “I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.” The Jews were at that time divided into two highly antagonistic parties,――the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in any future state, or in any spiritual existence. They said, “There is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit.” The Pharisees, on the contrary, believed fully in the resurrection of the dead, and in a future life. Paul took advantage of this division of sentiment among his judges, and, knowing that one of the sources of the bitter hostility excited against him was that he taught that Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the grave, continued his defence by saying,―― “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.” This caused an immediate division between the two parties, and arrayed the Pharisees on the side of Paul. They said, “We find no evil in this man; but, if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.” The dissension between these two rival sects became so intense, that they almost proceeded to blows. “The chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.” In the night, the Lord Jesus appeared to his devoted apostle, and said to him, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” Certain of the Jews, finding it difficult to crush Paul by processes of law, entered into a conspiracy, binding themselves by an oath not to eat nor drink till they had killed him. There were forty of these conspirators; and they were so assured of the sympathy of the Jewish rulers in this endeavor, that they went to them, informed them of their resolve, and sought their co-operation. The plan which they proposed to the chief priests and elders was, that they should officially apply to Claudius Lysias that Paul might be once more brought before the Jewish court for further examination. As the prisoner was being conducted from the fortress to the court, the assassins, lying in wait, would fall upon him, and kill him.