CHAPTER 24
Tertullus's accusation against Paul, and his own defense before the governor.
Acts 24:1-21 Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a certain lecturer named Tertullus, who presented accusations against Paul to the governor. When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "We enjoy much peace through you and, because of your reforms for this nation, we accept you everywhere and always, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. And so that I may not detain you further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary fairness. For we found this man a lethal fellow, stirring up rebellions among all the Jews throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, who even tried to profane the temple, whom we seized; and you can examine him yourself concerning all these matters, if you are willing to learn the facts of which we accuse him." The Jews also joined in the charge, claiming that these things were so. But Paul, having made a sign with his hand to the governor, responded: "Since many years you have been a judge for this nation, and with a clear conscience I make my defense, being able to prove to you that not more than twelve days have passed since I went up to worship at Jerusalem; and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, neither in the synagogues nor in the city; nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets, having hope toward God, which these also themselves accept, that there shall be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. In this I also exercise my conscience to God and to men always. And I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings, and in these I was purified in the temple, not with a crowd or with chaos. Some Jews from Asia ought to be here before you and to make charges if they have anything against me. Or let these men themselves say what wrong they found when I stood before the council, unless it be for one voice that cried out among them against me, when I said, 'Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you today.'"
" But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect ." After calling him to be an apostle of Christ, saying that he served the Lord, the ancestral God, he shows there is one God of both the Old and the New Testaments, whom the prophets and the law proclaimed, whom Paul preached when he said, believing all that is written according to the law and the prophets. Inasmuch as Christ is here also introduced indirectly, yet previously by dwelling on the word of the resurrection, if these were labored over from the beginning. For once this was shown, it was easy to introduce also the matters concerning Christ, namely that he rose. [DIDYMUS]
Acts 24:22-26 Felix postponed them, knowing more precisely the matters concerning the route, saying, “When Lysias the chiliarch goes down I will investigate the things concerning you,” and ordering the centurion to keep him guarded and to give him liberty and not to prevent any of his own men from attending him. After some days Felix came with Drusilla his own wife, who was a Jewess, and summoned Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus. As he discoursed with him about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix became afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient opportunity I will summon you.” And hoping that money would be given him by Paul, he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
" Felix postponed them, knowing more precisely ." It should be noted that Felix knew of the faith, having been thoroughly instructed from the Old Testament concerning Christ, and he did not release Paul out of favor for the Jews, or perhaps because of bribery, as the following account showed. It was also evident that he had a wife who was a Jewess, from whom these matters were continually heard. This woman, contrary to the law, had been joined to him, being a Jewess married to a Greek. Perhaps she was originally Jewish, but by marriage to him became a Hellenist; therefore she also declared to him her own faith, persuading him to become a faithless husband. [AMMONIUS]