NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 69
A cts 2 4 : 1 6
2025
23:28
Acts 22:30
23:29
Acts 18:1415;
25:1819; 26:31;
28:18
23:30
Acts 24:19; 25:16
23:33
Acts 8:40
23:34
Acts 6:9; 21:39; 22:3
23:35
Acts 25:16
24:1
Acts 23:2, 2430, 35
24:3
Acts 23:26; 26:25
24:5
Mark 1:24
Acts 16:20; 17:6;
24:14
24:6
Acts 21:28, 30
24:9
1 Thes 2:16
24:10
o apologeomai (0626)
Acts
25:8
24:11
Acts 21:27
24:13
Acts 25:7
24:14
Acts 9:2; 26:22
24:15
Dan 12:2
Matt 22:3132
John 5:2829
Acts 23:6; 28:20
24:16
Acts 23:1
and they were about to kill him when I
arrived with the troops. When I learned
that he was a Roman citizen, I removed
him to safety. 28 Then I took him to their
high council to try to learn the basis of
the accusations against him. 29 I soon
discovered the charge was something
regarding their religious law—certainly
nothing worthy of imprisonment or
death. 30 But when I was informed of a
plot to kill him, I immediately sent him
on to you. I have told his accusers to
bring their charges before you.”
31 So that night, as ordered, the soldiers
took Paul as far as Antipatris. 32 They re
turned to the fortress the next morning,
while the mounted troops took him on to
Caesarea. 33 When they arrived in Caesarea,
they presented Paul and the letter to Gover
nor Felix. 34 He read it and then asked Paul
what province he was from. “Cilicia,” Paul
answered.
35 “I will hear your case myself when your
accusers arrive,” the governor told him. Then
the governor ordered him kept in the prison
at Herod’s headquarters.*
Paul in Caesarea (24:1–26:32)
Paul Appears before Felix
Five days later Ananias, the high
priest, arrived with some of the Jew
ish elders and the lawyer* Tertullus, to pre
sent their case against Paul to the governor.
2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus pre
sented the charges against Paul in the fol
lowing address to the governor:
24
“You have provided a long period of
peace for us Jews and with foresight have
enacted reforms for us. 3 For all of this, Your
Excellency, we are very grateful to you. 4 But
I don’t want to bore you, so please give me
your attention for only a moment. 5 We have
found this man to be a troublemaker who
is constantly stirring up riots among the
Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of
the cult known as the Nazar enes. 6 Further
more, he was trying to desecrate the Temple
when we arrested him.* 8 You can find out
the truth of our accusations by examining
him yourself.” 9 Then the other Jews chimed
in, declaring that everything Tertullus said
was true.
10 The governor then motioned for Paul to
speak. Paul said, “I know, sir, that you have
been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years,
so I gladly present my o defense before you.
11 You can quickly discover that I arrived in
Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago to
worship at the Temple. 12 My accusers never
found me arguing with anyone in the Temple,
nor stirring up a riot in any synagogue or on
the streets of the city. 13 These men cannot
prove the things they accuse me of doing.
14 “But I admit that I follow the Way, which
they call a cult. I worship the God of our an
cestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law
and everything written in the prophets. 15 I
have the same hope in God that these men
have, that he will raise both the righteous
and the unrighteous. 16 Because of this, I
always try to maintain a clear conscience
before God and all people.
23:35 Greek Herod’s Praetorium. 24:1 Greek some elders and an orator. 24:6 Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion
to verse 6, all of verse 7, and an additional phrase in verse 8: We would have judged him by our law, 7but Lysias, the commander of
the garrison, came and violently took him away from us, 8commanding his accusers to come before you.
Excellency was often applied to persons
of high social, political, or economic
status (Luke 1:3).
23:31 Antipatris, a city rebuilt by Herod
the Great in 9 bc on the Plain of Sharon,
was a convenient military control point
between Jerusalem and Caesarea.
23:35 The governor followed the
proper protocol and waited for Paul’s
accusers to arrive before granting an
official hearing. • Herod’s headquarters was Herod the Great’s palace at
Caesarea; it subsequently became the
residence of the Roman governors of
Judea.
24:127 Tertullus presented a legal
case against Paul in a Roman court on
behalf of the high priest (24:19). Then
Paul cheerfully made his defense and
defended his faith (24:1021), and the
governor adjourned the hearing without
a decision and left Paul in prison for two
years (24:2227).
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
24:14 Tertullus presented the case for
the prosecution, beginning with the
customary speech of praise intended to
attract the attention and sympathy of
the governor, followed by the statement
of charges (24:58).
24:5 Troublemaker (or agitator) was a
charge of political sedition. A Roman
court would have taken this charge very
seriously (see 16:21; 17:7; 18:13). Similar
accusations were made against Jesus
before Pilate (Luke 23:2, 5, 14). • The
term cult (or party, or sect) is used here
in a negative sense to put Paul’s religion
under a pallor of suspicion if not illegal
ity (see also Acts 24:14).
24:6 trying to desecrate the Temple: See
note on 21:2829.
24:1021 Paul’s defense was that
(1) he wasn’t in Jerusalem long enough
to incite a riot; (2) none of his accusers
had ever seen him stirring up a riot;
and (3) he worshiped in accord with
GOSPELS & ACTS
Jewish law and everything written
in the prophets.
24:14 the Way: See note on 9:2. • Paul
emphasized his common ground with
his Jewish audience, including his worship, belief in the Jewish law, accep
tance of the prophets, and hope in the
resurrection (24:14, 15; see 24:21).
24:15 At the last judgment God will
raise both the righteous and the unrighteous. Paul kept this final appointment
with God constantly in mind (24:16). The
fear of the “coming day of judgment”
unnerved Felix in a subsequent conver
sation with Paul (24:25).
24:16 Paul stressed that he had acted
with a clear conscience (see 20:27, 33;
23:1; 1 Cor 4:4; 2 Cor 1:12; 4:2; see
2 Tim 1:3). He had not departed from
his Jewish heritage (Acts 24:14), and he
had no fear of God’s judgment (24:15).
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
