Now after afive days the high priest bAnanias came down with some elders, 1with an 2attorney named Tertullus, and they 3brought charges to cthe governor against Paul.Lit andLit oratorOr presented their evidenceActs 24:11Acts 23:2Acts 23:24 2 And after Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,“As we have attained much peace through you—and because by your provision reforms are being carried out for this nation— 3 we welcome this in every way and everywhere, amost excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.Acts 23:26; 26:25 4 But, that I may not weary you any further, I plead with you by your forbearance to hear us briefly. 5 For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout 1the world, and a ringleader of the asect of the Nazarenes.Lit the inhabited earthActs 15:5; 24:14 6 And he even tried to adesecrate the temple; and 1then we arrested him. 2[We wanted to judge him according to our own Law.Lit alsoThe early mss omit rest of v 6, v 7, and first part of v 8Acts 21:28 7 But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, 8 ordering his accusers to come before you.] By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.” 9 aAnd the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.1 Thess 2:16
10 And when athe governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul answered:“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,Acts 23:24 11 since you are able to ascertain the fact that no more than atwelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.Acts 21:18, 27; 24:1 12 aAnd neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor across the city did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or bcausing 1a riot.Lit an attack of a mobActs 25:8Acts 24:18 13 aNor are they able to prove to you of what they are now accusing me.Acts 25:7 14 But this I confess to you, that according to athe Way, which they call a bsect, I do serve 1cthe God of our fathers, dbelieving everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;Lit the ancestral GodActs 9:2; 24:22Acts 15:5; 24:5Acts 3:13Acts 25:8; 26:4ff, 22f; 28:23 15 having a hope in God, for which athese men are waiting, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.Dan 12:2; John 5:28f; 11:24; Acts 23:6 16 In view of this, aI also 1do my best to maintain always a conscience without fault both before God and before men.Lit practice myselfActs 23:1 17 Now aafter several years I bcame to bring 1alms to my nation and offerings;Or gifts to charityActs 20:31Acts 11:29f; Rom 15:25-28; 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8:1-4; 9:1, 2, 12; Gal 2:10 18 in which they found me, having been apurified in the temple, without any bcrowd or uproar. But there were some cJews from 1Asia—West coast province of Asia MinorActs 21:26Acts 24:12Acts 21:27 19 who ought to have been present before you and to amake accusation, if they should have anything against me.Acts 23:30 20 Or else let these men themselves tell what wrongdoing they found when I stood before athe Sanhedrin,Matt 5:22 21 other than for this one statement which aI shouted out while standing among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.’”Acts 23:6; 24:15
22 But Felix, having a more accurate knowledge about athe Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the 1commander comes down, I will decide your case.”Military leader over 1,000 soldiersActs 24:14 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be akept in custody and yet bhave some rest, and not to prevent any of chis friends from ministering to him.Acts 23:35Acts 28:16Acts 23:16; 27:3
24 But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his 1wife who was a Jewess, and summoned Paul and heard him speak about afaith in Christ Jesus.Lit own wifeActs 20:21 25 But as he was discussing arighteousness, bself-control, and cthe judgment to come, Felix became frightened and answered, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will call for you.”Titus 2:12Gal 5:23; Titus 1:8; 2 Pet 1:6Acts 10:42 26 At the same time, he was also hoping that amoney would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to summon for him quite often and converse with him.Acts 24:17 27 But after two years had passed, Felix 1was succeeded by Porcius aFestus, and bwishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul cimprisoned.Lit received a successor, Porcius FestusActs 25:1, 4, 9, 12; 26:24f, 32Acts 12:3; 25:9Acts 23:35; 25:14