Acts 24:1-16

Paul before Felix

1 After ¹five days the high priest ²Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought charges to ³the governor against Paul.

2 After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor, "S ince we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation,

3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, ⁴most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

4 "But, that I may not weary you any further *, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing.

5 "For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the ⁵sect of the Nazarenes.

6 "And he even tried to ⁶desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. [We wanted to judge him according to our own Law.

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 ⁷The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.

10 When ⁸the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: "K nowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense,

11 since you can take note of the fact that no more than ⁹twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

12 "¹⁰Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or ¹¹causing a riot.

13 "¹²Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me.

14 "But this I admit to you, that according to ¹³the Way which they call a ¹⁴sect I do serve ¹⁵the God of our fathers, ¹⁶believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;

15 having a hope in God, which ¹⁷these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

16 "In view of this, ¹⁸I also do my best to maintain always * a blameless conscience both before God and before men.

Cross References

• 1. Acts 24:11
• 2. Acts 23:2
• 3. Acts 23:24
• 4. Acts 23:26; Acts 26:25
• 5. Acts 15:5; Acts 24:14
• 6. Acts 21:28
• 7. 1 Thessalonians 2:16
• 8. Acts 23:24
• 9. Acts 21:18, 27; Acts 24:1
• 10. Acts 25:8
• 11. Acts 24:18
• 12. Acts 25:7
• 13. Acts 9:2; Acts 24:22
• 14. Acts 15:5; Acts 24:5
• 15. Acts 3:13
• 16. Acts 25:8; Acts 26:4ff, 22; Acts 28:23
• 17. Daniel 12:2; John 5:28; John 11:24; Acts 23:6
• 18. Acts 23:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "and"
• [b]. Lit "orator"
• [c]. Or "presented their evidence" or "case"
• [d]. Lit "to hear...briefly"
• [e]. Lit "the inhabited earth"
• [f]. Lit "also"
• [g]. The early mss do not contain the remainder of v 6, v 7, nor the first part of v 8
• [h]. Lit "an attack of a mob"
• [i]. Lit "the ancestral God"
• [j]. Lit "practice myself"