Chapter 24

The apostle Paul is about to launch into a career of witnessing to the VIPs of the Roman empire. In chapters 24-26 he will witness and declare himself to three of the most famous people of his day: Felix, the present governor [procurator] of Judea; Festus, in chapter 25, and the second governor to whom he witnesses; and finally in chapter 26 he is going to witness to Herod Agrippa II, a member of one of the most famous families of the ancient world. Chapters 24-26 is a trial before three judges. Actually, the judges are on trial, not Paul. During the next two years Paul will be imprisoned in Caesarea and during that time he is going to be heard by three separate judges, and while these judges are trying the case and making decisions it is they who are going to be on trial. In each case the apostle Paul will present to them the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and will clarify the issues with regard to eternal life. What is really being determined in these three trials is what will happen to the judges in eternity.

Verse 1 – “After five days.” During these five days certain things have happened. One day the Sanhedrin woke up and realised that Paul had left town. Under Roman guard the apostle Paul was brought safely to Caesarea, thus frustrating the plot of the forty young Jews to kill him. It became necessary to get Paul, and to do this the Sanhedrin must hire a lawyer. This they did, the one called here Tertullus. It was customary in those days for people who were not Roman citizens to hire Roman attorneys to represent them in Roman courts.

Ananias the high priest descended with the elders” – Ananias had been exposed to Roman law some years before through being in trouble with the Samaritans, and he went before the emperor Claudius for trial. The emperor decided in favour of Ananias and against the Samaritans. From that time Ananias the high priest was pro-Roman. So as he approaches this trial he is coming with great confidence, he is certain that the Romans will again favour him. Ananias had a fanatical hatred for the apostle Paul. In fact, it was abnormal and probably a matter of demon possession. The elders are members of the Sanhedrin who are willing to purger themselves, and undoubtedly these are the Sadducees who do not believe in the resurrection.

“who informed the governor against Paul” – this means to bring accusations into the Roman court.

Verse 2 – “And when he [Tertullus] was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness.” It can be immediately seen that the prosecutor has a weak case, and so he has to start by flattering Felix, the governor. The word “enjoy” is tugxanw which means to obtain—“we have obtained”; “much peace” – should be “great tranquillity.” Tertullus is going to accuse Paul of disturbing the peace. So he flatters Felix by saying he has been keeping the peace. This is not true. He has encouraged certain brigands to pillage and is taking a certain percentage of the profits. Actually he is stirring up a lot of trouble. The first charge against Paul is going to be of disturbing the peace. In other words, there was a riot in Jerusalem and it is all Paul’s fault. In fact it was the fault of religion; religion sponsored that riot. Secondly, he is going to accuse Paul of being the leader of a faction against the Jews. Finally, they are going to accuse him of profaning the temple. This is an offence against both Jewish and Roman law, since the Romans protected the Jews in the function of their worship.

Verse 3 – the word “accept” means to embrace with satisfaction.

Verse 5 – “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow.” This means he is a plague; “a mover of sedition” – i.e. he is causing a riot, he is trying to overthrow the government, he is in revolt. This charge is a violation of Roman law.

“and a mover of sedition among the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” – Felix has never heard of the sect of the Nazarenes, but it sounds like a subversive group. It is true that Christians were called Nazarenes. This was supposedly to identify them with Jesus Christ whom they considered to be a false messiah. Actually, the word Nazarene means a despised one. The implications of the charge are obvious: it was an attempt to make it sounds as though Paul was raising a revolution.

Verse 6 – the third charge. “Who also hath gone about to profane the temple; whom we have seized.” This is where the sentence actually ends. The rest of the verse is not found in the original. Attempting to profane the temple is a violation of Jewish and Roman law. Roman law protected the temples because the temples were banks in the ancient world. Consequently this is an attempt to say that Paul is stealing money. Apparently Tertullus knew that that would bother Felix because Felix does not want competition, he wants all the money. When other people rob the Jews it doesn’t leave enough money for Felix to rob! So this is also designed to arouse the antagonism of Felix.

Verse 7 is not found in the original.

Verse 8 – “Commanding his accusers to come unto thee” is not found in the original. The text resumes from verse 6 with “by examining of whom thyself.” But this is not a correct translation. Tertullus us still speaking, and it should be: “from whom you may be able, having examined him yourself concerning all these things, to know fully that of which we accuse him.”

“From whom” is “from the immediate source of whom [Paul], you may be able, having examined.” In other words, Tertullus is saying to Felix that if he examines this man he will see that what he has said is true: he has disturbed the peace; he had led a revolt against the Jews and against Rome; he has profaned the temple.

“to know fully, that of which we accuse him” – “we accuse” is a present active indicative which means that we are going to stick with our accusation.

Verse 9 – the perjury. “And the Jews” – the religious Jews who had come from Jerusalem also joined the indictment; “also assented [joined in the indictment], saying” – the word for saying here is the word for alleging, faskw. “And the Jews joined in the indictment, alleging that these things were so.”

Verse 10 – Paul’s defence. Felix has to follow the Roman system which says a man is innocent until proven guilty and there can be no proven guilt until the defendant has a chance to answer charges.

“after that the governor beckoned unto him” – but the governor didn’t beckon. No Roman governor would raise his hand and beckon, it was contrary to his dignity. The Greek word is neuw, which meant that the governor would look down his nose and nod, and that was the signal for the defence to take the stand. When the governor of the province nods, that is permission for the defence to speak.

“Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know” – the word to know is not o)ida, because that would be complimentary; he uses e)pistami, which means to comprehend history at the time you are living, to know what is going on around you. (A point: The only way to understand contemporary history is to know Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine is the only basis for a clear comprehension of what is going on today.) Paul is saying that he understands the historical situation.

“that thou hast been a ruler [judge] of this nation” – Felix has been in the province of Judea for some time and Paul understands this situation; Felix is experienced in Roman law, is an experienced judge. And because he is Paul says …

“I do answer” – incorrect. He says, “I defend myself cheerfully.” In effect: “I am delighted to defend myself because you have had lots of experience as a judge.”

1. Paul appeals to the spirit of Roman law, i.e. an objective attitude on the part of the judge; a fair hearing for the defence.

2. Paul is familiar with Roman law and therefore he is going to be logical and impersonal.

3. Paul avoids flattery [such as the flattery of Tertullus] but he does not neglect courtesy.

4. Paul will deny the charges and demand proof of guilt.

5. Paul will distinguish between accusation and proof.

6. Paul will follow up by presenting his side. He will point out the religious issue and separate it from the state.

7. He will in turn indict Hebrew religion, demonstrating its failure to go to a logical conclusion in recognising the Messiah.

Verse 11 – “Because that thou mayest understand.” Felix will never understand the spiritual implications of what Paul did, but he can certainly understand the

legal implications because legally Paul is innocent. “Thou mayest” is literally, “You are able.” He uses e)piginwskw which means to fully understand, and so the literal Greek says, “You being constantly able to fully understand the point that I am about to make.”

“that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem” – Paul has been charged with having started a riot, with being a revolutionary, and of profaning the temple. He is now going to show that it is humanly impossible to have been in Jerusalem for twelve days, to have been incarcerated for half of those twelve days, and to have done these things. And he says, “I came to worship.” The word to worship means to do homage, to reverence God, and it is a future participle which means that he had a purpose in mind. His whole purpose in coming to Jerusalem was to worship, and this is absolutely contrary to rioting, to starting a revolution, and to profaning the temple. You can’t worship in the temple and profane the temple at the same time. The verb expresses Paul’s attitude to the temple.

Verse 12 – “And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man” – Paul had not interrupted any man in the temple, but the Jews interrupted! Paul didn’t interrupt their procedure, they interrupted his.

“neither raising up the people” – if he had been a revolt leader he would have to have been found in synagogues in other cities: “neither in the synagogues, nor in the city.” They had not brought up one scrap of evidence to show that he had been profaning the temple, that he was in synagogues all over Judea talking against Rome; neither did he incite the riot. They have no evidence. The only people who had accused Paul in the temple and who had caused all the trouble were the Asian Jews, and they didn’t even show their faces in the Roman court. They didn’t dare because they were in violation of Roman law and would have been seized and punished. So the very witnesses against Paul can’t even show up because they were the ones who started the riot, not Paul.

Verse 13 – “Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.” This is a challenge to the defence.

Verse 14 – Paul acknowledges his relationship with Judaism. “But this I confess unto thee” – the word to confess means to acknowledge: o)mologew. He is now going to present some information t the court.

“that after the way which they call heresy” – the word “after” is kata, “according to the norm or standard of the way [Christianity].”

“Heresy”

1. The Greek word is a)iresij and it means faction, discord, opposition that is hurting.

2. Paul is referring to the second charge given in verse 5.

3. But this so-called sect is not a deviation from Judaism, it is the extension of it.

4. Paul turns the tables on his accusers here by claiming that they have profaned their own spiritual heritage. The epistle to the Hebrews says the same thing.

5. The Old Testament Scriptures are shadows pointing to Christ, the reality.

6. Judaism as represented here by his accusers—the chief priests, the scribes, and the Pharisees—recognises the Old testament Scriptures, therefore they should recognise Jesus Christ. But they do not.

“so worship I the God of my Fathers [Jesus Christ], believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets” – the law and the prophets refers to the

Old Testament Scriptures. It is Paul who acknowledges the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures, these people do not. It is the Sanhedrin who have rejected, and it is the Sanhedrin, therefore, who are the heretics.

Verse 15 – he does agree with the Pharisees on one point. “And I have [keep on having] a hope toward God, which they themselves also allow.” The word “allow” means to accept: prosdexomai [dexomai = to receive; proj = face to face]. When they read this in the Scripture, face to face with the Scripture, they accept it.

“there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” – and they have studied this in passages such as Daniel 12. They recognised that these things were true. However, certain people no longer accepted the Scriptures, and these were the Sadducees.

Verse 16 – “And herein do I exercise myself.” The word exercise means he exerted himself to the utmost—a)skew means maximum exertion. (The word “exercise” would be a)gonizw) This is mental or spiritual exertion.

“to have always a conscience” – he is referring to the part of his soul where the norms and standards are. His conscience is loaded up with divine norms and standards which agree with the Old Testament. His norms and standards follow the dispensational line, and therefore he is in line with the fulfilment of the Old Testament.

“void of offence” – unblameable; “toward God, and toward men” – how does he get that way? Rebound, forget it, and move on. And he has, after committing his great error in getting out of the will of God. “Toward man” – he is clear as far as the law is concerned.

Verses 17-21, the true facts of the case.

Verse 17 – “After many years [of absence].” In the first place, Paul is demonstrating once again that he is not a revolutionist. A revolutionist has to stay in one spot for some time. He had only been a few days in Jerusalem when this thing broke out.

“I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings” – how can he do this and be an enemy of the state? How can he do this and be a revolutionary? A revolutionary comes in and takes advantage of the poverty and claims to solve the problem by overthrowing the establishment.

Verse 18 – “Whereupon certain Jews from [the Roman province of] Asia.” These are not even Jews from this province; “discovered me purified in the temple” – the word “purify” is a perfect passive participle from a)gnizw, and it means to live under a vow of abstinence. Translation: “discovered me, having come under a vow of abstinence.” A)gnizw is in the perfect tense, which means he took this vow in the past with the result that he was going to go through with it. Passive voice: he received the vow. In other words, he was allowing religious people to minister to him. They were people who were totally antagonistic to the whole principle of grace. The passive voice means that to take this vow he recognised the religious leadership.

“neither with the multitude, nor with the tumult” – “multitude”: he was not promoting a revolution; “tumult”: he was not involved with mob action, he was not guilty of civil disobedience. By stating the facts Paul has refuted all the charges.

Verse 19 – “Who [the mob, the Asian Jews] ought to have been here before thee.” In other words, if they are and object, if they are going to substantiate the fact that I was leading a revolt and that I started a riot, then they ought to be here to say so; “had ought against me” – should be “and to accuse me.”

Literal translation: “But who from among the Asian Jews, who it keeps on being necessary to appear before you, and to accuse, if they have anything face to face with me.” He is saying that under Roman law, if they say that I started mob action, engaged in civil disobedience, they should come there and state it. The very ones who ought to be witnessing against Paul can’t come to court because they are the ones who are guilty.

Verse 20 – “Or else let these same say, if they found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council.” Notice that they did not produce as evidence an account of the previous trial. The Jewish trial is completely ignored. The dare not mention it because what happened in that trial (the matter of resurrection) is a bone of contention in the Sanhedrin, and the Sanhedrin, instead of trying Paul, got into a battle among themselves. Furthermore, if they brought up the previous trial they would have to give a complete account—and it had ended up in a riot! The Romans had to rescue Paul before he was killed.

Verse 21 – “Except I be for this one voice [word], that I cried standing among them.” He indicates that there was a trial, he stood among them in the past with the result that he was there for some time. The perfect tense merely indicates there was a trial.

“touching [concerning] the resurrection of the dead I am called in question” or correctly, “for which I am being judged by you this day.” So when he mentions that he was being judged because of the resurrection Felix knows immediately that this doesn’t have anything to do with Roman law.

Verse 22 – “And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way [Christianity], he deferred [adjourned] them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.” In other words, he was going to get more facts from other sources. It was obvious to Felix that Paul was not guilty, but Felix is an opportunist and sought to use the situation to his political advantage. And to gratify his own stupidity Felix will keep Paul in prison in hopes of obtaining a bribe. He will continue to keep Paul in prison on his departure to Rome in hopes that somehow this will gain favour with the Jews and they will not accuse him before Caesar. Felix will continue to use Paul to gain his own ends, however God is going to overrule Felix and accomplish His divine plan. The trial ends in a stalemate over which God will change the picture.

Verse 23 – “And he commanded a centurion to keep [guard] Paul.” The usual word for guard is fulassw, but the word which is used here is terew which means to keep, guard or protect something that belongs to you. The reason that terew is used here is because Felix regards Paul as one of his greatest opportunities to get rich. Felix regards Paul as an investment. If he had regarded him as a prisoner of the Roman empire he would have used fulassw and commanded a soldier to take him to a cell. Instead he calls a centurion and provides Paul with a house and the freedom of his friends to come and go, so that it would be possible for arrangements to be made for the paying of a bribe. So the situation smells! You protect your investments—terew; you guard your prisoners—fulassw. Therefore Paul was to have his liberty, and the word is not the ordinary word for liberty [e)leuqeria], it is the Greek word a)nesij which means to be in a relaxed state of confinement. In other words, he is not in a cell, a prison system. They put Paul under house arrest and his friends are free to come and go because in this way they will be able to bring Paul the money whereby he will be released by bribery.

“to minister” means to supply his needs, especially financial needs!

Verse 24 – “which was a Jewess.” Drusilla was one half Arab and one half Jewish. When a person has any Jewish blood at all they are considered to be Jews.

“he sent for Paul” – this was not a trial. The word to send, memetempw, means to invite. He invited Paul to spend the day with him; “and heard him concerning the faith in Christ” – Paul preached the gospel to two of the most famous people in the Roman empire at this time, and he didn’t pull any punches.

Verse 25 – “And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come.” This is what Paul did all day. There were a lot of conversations during the day when he was at the palace with them. The word for “reason” is dialegomai. It means to teach in a conversation. If he had been preaching in front of them it would have been didaskw, or khrussw, or lalew; but none of these words is used. Dialegomai means that during the day he constantly discussed with them. The present active participle says that he did it all day and at different times. At one time he would talk about righteousness, and this was imputed righteousness, as per John 16:8-10. Paul doesn’t talk to them about morality, he talks to them about getting ⁺R.

The word translated “temperance” is not temperance at all, it is e)gkrateia which means inner strength. Drusilla is miserable, so Paul talks to her about inner power, inner happiness. What is the power to have inner happiness? Doctrine in the soul. E)gkrateia is the inner power of doctrine, but the issue with Drusilla has to be first of all getting the gospel in there.

“Felix trembled” – the verb is the aorist middle participle of ginomai. It means to become something you were not. The noun is e)mfoboj [foboj = fear; e)m = inside], it means to be fearful inside. Felix had inner fear.

“Go thy way” – poreuomai; “when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” – the word “call” means to invite, metakalew. There is no convenient season; he has just had it, that’s all.

Verse 26 – Felix is still waiting for a bribe, that is why he is keeping Paul around; “that he might loose him” – the word “loose” is not found here, it says “that he might release him.”

“wherefore he sent for him the oftener” – now he just converses with Paul in the hope that the bribe was forthcoming.

Verse 27 – “And after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room.” Tow years after this all began Felix had a lot of complaints against him, the Jews began to riot, the Jews complained to Nero. Nero wanted everything quiet in this province, so he called Felix back and sent out in his place Porcius Festus.

Once Festus came, no longer did he keep Paul in the easy manner in which Felix did because Festus wasn’t interested in a bribe. Felix is going to be disgraced and lose everything that he had. His wife Drusilla is going to leave him and she and her son will die in Pompei when Vesuvius erupts in 79 AD.