Paul's Trial before Felix - Acts 24

24 Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. ² When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. ³ Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.

The Jews are spending a good amount of time indicating to Felix that they have had a long period of peace under him, which is good for Felix, and they lift up Felix so he is flattered and can see the benefit of prolonged friendship with the Jewish council.  They play on the ambitions of Felix as a politician that he wants this peace for his own benefit.  In a sense, it is a form of blackmail.  They are saying that he needs a good relationship with them or they can make trouble, the very thing they are accusing Paul of doing.  It is incredibly ironic, but it shows their hearts.  The same was true in their prosecution of Jesus.  They hung Him on a cross because He claimed to be God.  Yet, as Jesus pointed out to them, they take the role of God by making their own rules so they can do what they want to do and be in a separate class above the people.  They worshiped themselves and they killed Jesus for the crime they were actively doing.

This is very true today for those who oppose Christianity or the principles of the Bible.  They accuse Christians of many things and in so doing are always doing the exact action of their accusation.  For example, many say that Christians are judging others when they refuse to let homosexual persons be leaders in their church.  Yet, they judge Christians and their beliefs when they say Christians are guilty of judging.  This is only possible when people do not have a singular truth.  For Christians, the Truth is a person and that is Jesus Christ.  For those who do not believe in Jesus as the Son of the one true living Lord, the truth moves on a sliding scale and is not stable.

⁵ “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect ⁶ and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him.  ⁸ By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”

⁹ The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.

The charge they make against Paul is that he is a mover of sedition.  He purposely incites riots through speech or organization.  So they start with flattery to Felix with regard for the peace they’ve enjoyed (good for Felix) and charge Paul with the opposite (bad for Felix).  They know that Roman leaders are ambitious and they are playing their prosecution of Paul to it.

There is a missing verse 7 in the NIV version of the Bible.  This verse makes a slight complaint regarding the commander Lysias saying the violence associated with the riot was his cause not theirs.  They would have handled Paul among themselves (killed him).  They unknowingly show that they have no respect for Roman law, but think they are saying how peace would have been maintained.

¹⁰ When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. ¹¹ You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. ¹³ And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. ¹⁴ However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. ¹⁶ So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Paul defends himself as before the court, they must have proof of their accusation, of him committing this crime.  He further describes to the Romans that he has the same hope his accusers have, but believe differently and this is the real disturbance.  Romans would be familiar with this aspect of overreaction from the Jews regarding their beliefs against those who disagree. 

Paul also centers on resurrection, this is the central topic of the Christian church.  The resurrection of Jesus and this is the argument with which they disagree.

The real disappointment is that there are not defenders of Paul from the church in Jerusalem, or Antioch.  They have left Paul to defend himself.  Obviously Luke is there, and maybe a few others with Luke, but the larger Christian church doesn’t send representatives.  If they are there, there is no mention of it.

¹⁷ “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. ¹⁸ I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance. ¹⁹ But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin— ²¹ unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”

Now Paul acknowledges he has been in Asia and indicates that they might have something against him since that is where he has been for many years.   If he has stirred up sedition there, where are those accusers and why aren’t they in the room?  Why aren’t they here if these accusations are true. He hasn’t been in this area long enough to have done what they are saying.