Acts Chapter Twenty-Four

 Act 24:1  And after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders, and a certain orator, Tertullus, who made a statement to the governor against Paul. 

Act 24:2  And Tertullus being called, he began to accuse, saying, 

Act 24:3  Obtaining much peace through you and excellent accomplishments having come to this nation due to your forethought, in everything and everywhere we accept with all thankfulness, most excellent Felix. 

Act 24:4  But that I not hinder you more, I beseech you to hear us briefly in your fairness. 

Act 24:5  For having found this man pestilent and moving insurrection among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the Nazarene sect; 

Act 24:6  who also attempted to profane the temple, whom we also seized and wished to judge according to our law; 

Act 24:7  but Lysias the chiliarch coming up with much force took him away out of our hands, 

Act 24:8  commanding his accusers to come to you, from whom you will be able yourself to know, having examined as to all these things of which we accuse him. 

Act 24:9  And the Jews also joined in, alleging these things to be so. 

Act 24:10  But the governor signaling to him to speak, Paul answered: Understanding you as being a judge to this nation many years, I cheerfully defend myself as to the things concerning myself. 

Act 24:11  You are able to know that not more than twelve days are to me since I went worshiping in Jerusalem; 

Act 24:12  and neither did they find me reasoning with anyone in the temple, or making a gathering of a crowd, neither in the synagogues, nor throughout the city; 

Act 24:13  nor are they able to prove that concerning which they now accuse me. 

Act 24:14  But I confess this to you that according to the Way, which they say is a sect, so I worship the ancestral God believing all things according to that having been written in the Law and the Prophets, 

Act 24:15  having hope toward God, which these themselves also admit, of a resurrection being about to be of the dead, both of just and unjust ones. 

Act 24:16  And in this I exercise myself to have always a blameless conscience toward God and men. 

Act 24:17  And after many years I arrived doing alms and offerings to my nation, 

Act 24:18  among which they found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd, nor with tumult, but by some Jews from Asia, 

Act 24:19  who ought to be present before you and to accuse if they have anything against me. 

Act 24:20  Or these themselves say if they found anything unjust in me, I standing before the sanhedrin, 

Act 24:21  than concerning this one voice which I cried out standing among them, that I am being judged today before you concerning a resurrection of the dead. 

Act 24:22  And hearing these things, Felix put them off, knowing more accurately about the Way, saying, When Lysias the chiliarch comes down, I will examine the things as to you. 

Act 24:23  And having ordered the centurion to keep Paul, and to have ease, and not to forbid anyone of his own to minister or to come to him, he dismissed them. 

Act 24:24  And after some days, Felix having arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul. And he heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 

Act 24:25  And Paul having reasoned concerning righteousness and self control, and the Judgment that is about to be, becoming afraid, Felix answered, For the present, go; but taking time later, I will call for you; 

Act 24:26  and with it all also hoping that silver would be given to him by Paul, that he might free him. Because of this he also more frequently sent for him and conversed with him. 

Act 24:27  But two years being completed, Felix welcomed a successor, Porcius Festus. And wishing to show a favor to the Jews, Felix left Paul bound. 

ACTS CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

HOT AIR & IMPRISONMENT

Verses 1-9: Tertullus lays out the accusations against Paul before Felix. The attending Jews are in agreement.  

1. Who is Tertullus and why is he there? He is a hired attorney, trained in Roman traditional court proceedings. His nationality is unclear. 

2. What is Tertullus doing in verses 2-4? It is common practice to address the court with respect. Tertullus seems to take it to a false flattery level.

3. Remember that these Jews wanted Paul dead. What was their accusation(s) against Paul? Insurrection among the Jews, the world and a ringleader of the Nazarene sect (implicating a radical nature). Profaning the temple.

Verses 10-13: Paul starts his defense.

4. Summarize Paul’s defense. I've been in Jerusalem 12 days. Not once was I teaching in the temple. Not once did I attempt to gather crowds. They cannot prove any of these accusations.

Additional: Compare the opening statements of Paul and Tertullus as they address Felix. Do you have any observations? Paul is conspicuously leaving out the false flattery that Tertullus speaks.

Verses 14-23: Paul further notes that the ones who accuse him are not even there! He worships the same God as them according to the Way. "The Way" concerns resurrection of the dead in which he has hope.

5. Paul further defends himself. What does he admit to? He worships God according to the Way (of Christ). Paul is further adjoining the resurrection of Jesus to the Jewish religion. He is correct. He worships the same God spoken of in scripture (Law). Christians being a "sect" is their word for his walk, and he is ok with that.

   a. What does he have to say about the Asian Jews? Where are they? They are the ones starting all of this.

6. Describe Paul’s imprisonment.  House arrest. He may have visitors. 

Additional: What does verse 22 indicate about the motivation of Felix? Once he knew more about the whole story. He could not proceed without further evidence from Lysias. As eloquent as Tertullus was, his hot air did not amount to much.

Verses 24-27: Paul preaches to Felix (to no avail). Paul stays in prison for two years. Festus takes over. Paul is left in prison.

7. How does Felix react to Paul’s teaching? Fear. I scares him.

Additional: What insights to Felix do we find in verse 24?  His wife was a Jew, so he was not without some understanding of Jewish religion. He was interested enough to hear some of the gospel but did not respond. We also see that he hoped he would gain financially through Paul offering a ransom for his release.

Consider the length of time Paul is in custody (27) and compare it to the promise in 23:11. Paul must have relied on this promise to foster his patience. What promise(s) do Christians rely on?

Eph 1:5  having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
Eph 1:7  in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,