Acts 24
CHAPTER 24
Acts 24:1-27 . PAUL, ACCUSED BY A PROFESSIONAL PLEADER BEFORE FELIX, MAKES HIS DEFENSE, AND IS REMANDED FOR A FURTHER HEARING. AT A PRIVATE INTERVIEW FELIX TREMBLES UNDER PAUL'S PREACHING, BUT KEEPS HIM PRISONER FOR TWO YEARS, WHEN HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY FESTUS.
1. after five days--or, on the fifth day from their departure from Jerusalem.
Ananias . . . with the elders--a deputation of the Sanhedrim.
a certain orator--one of those Roman advocates who trained themselves for the higher practice of the metropolis by practicing in the provinces, where the Latin language, employed in the courts, was but imperfectly understood and Roman forms were not familiar.
informed . . . against Paul--"laid information," that is, put in the charges.
2-4. Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, &c.--In this fulsome flattery there was a semblance of truth: nothing more. Felix acted with a degree of vigor and success in suppressing lawless violence [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 20.8.4; confirmed by TACITUS, Annals, 12.54].
by thy providence--a phrase applied to the administration of the emperors.
5-8. a pestilent fellow--a plague, or pest.
and a mover of sedition among all the Jews--by exciting disturbances among them.
throughout the This was the first charge; and true only in the sense explained on Acts 16:20 .
a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes--the second charge; and true enough.
6. hath gone about--attempted.
to profane the temple--the third charge; and entirely false.
we . . . would have judged according to our law.
7. But . . . Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him out of our hands--a wilful falsehood and calumnious charge against a public officer. He had commanded the Sanhedrim to meet for no other purpose than to "judge him according to their law"; and only when, instead of doing so, they fell to disputing among themselves, and the prisoner was in danger of being "pulled in pieces of them" ( Acts 23:10 )--or as his own letter says "killed of them" ( Acts 23:27 )--did he rescue him, as was his duty, "by force" out of their hands.
8. Commanding his accusers to come unto thee--Here they insinuate that, instead of troubling Felix with the case, he ought to have left it to be dealt with by the Jewish tribunal; in which case his life would soon have been taken.
by examining whom--Lysias, as would seem ( Acts 24:22 ).
thyself mayest, &c.--referring all, as if with confidence, to Felix.
10. thou hast been many years a judge to this nation--He had been in this province for six or seven years, and in Galilee for a longer period. Paul uses no flattery, but simply expresses his satisfaction at having to plead before one whose long official experience of Jewish matters would enable him the better to understand and appreciate what he had to say.
11. thou mayest understand--canst easily learn.
that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem--namely, 1. The day of his arrival in Jerusalem ( Acts 21:15-17 ); 2. The interview with James ( Acts 21:18-26 ); 3. The assumption of the vow ( Acts 21:26 ); 4, 5, 6. Continuance of the vow, interrupted by the arrest ( Acts 21:27 , &c.); 7. Arrest of Paul ( Acts 21:27 ); 8. Paul before the Sanhedrim ( Acts 22:30 , 23:1-10 ); 9. Conspiracy of the Jews and defeat of it ( Acts 23:12-24 ), and despatch of Paul from Jerusalem on the evening of the same day ( Acts 23:23 Acts 23:31 ); 10, 11, 12, 13. The remaining period referred to ( Acts 24:1 ) [MEYER]. This short period is mentioned to show how unlikely it was that he should have had time to do what was charged against him.
for to worship--a very different purpose from that imputed to him.
12, 13. they neither found me . . . Neither can they prove the things, &c.--After specifying several particulars, he challenges proof of any one of the charges brought against him. So much for the charge of sedition.