This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Acts 23:23-35, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
Once upon a time, a man named Paul was in trouble. Some people wanted to hurt him, so a kind soldier named Claudius Lysias came to save him. Claudius Lysias made sure that Paul was safe.
He asked two important soldiers called centurions to prepare for a journey to Caesarea. He told them to bring 200 soldiers, 70 horse riders, and 200 people with spears, all at the third hour of the night. He also wanted them to get horses ready for Paul, so that he could travel safely to Felix the governor.
He also wrote a letter to the governor, a very important man named Felix.
In the letter, Claudius Lysias wrote, “I am writing to tell you about a man who was in trouble. Some people were going to hurt him, but I found out that he was a Roman citizen, so I saved him. I wanted to know why they wanted to hurt him, so I brought him to their council. I found out that they were accusing him of breaking their laws, but he did not deserve to be hurt or punished. Later, I heard that there was a plan to hurt him, so I sent him to you right away. I want his accusers to come and tell you why they wanted to hurt him.”
The soldiers did what they were told to do and took Paul with them to Antipatris in the middle of the night. The next day, they went back to their base and allowed the horse riders to continue to take Paul to Caesarea. When they got there, they gave the letter to Governor Felix and showed Paul to him.
After Felix read the letter, he asked Paul where he came from. When Paul said he was from a place called Cilicia, Felix told him that he would wait until the people who accused him arrived to listen to both sides of the story.
Meanwhile, Felix ordered that Paul be kept safe in a place called Herod’s praetorium.
Biblical Lessons
- God can use even difficult situations to bring about good things for his people.
- It is important to stand up for what is right, even if it means facing trouble.
- We should trust in God’s plan, even when we do not understand what is happening.
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