Acts 24:22

22 Soothly Felix delayed them, and knew most certainly of the way [Soothly Felix deferred them, most certainly he knowing of the way], and said, When Lysias, the tribune, shall come down, I shall hear you.

Acts 24:22 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 24:22

And when Felix heard these things
Which were said on both sides, both by plaintiff and defendant, the charges brought against Paul, and his answer to them, as a judge ought to do:

having more perfect knowledge of that way;
the Christian religion, which the Jews called heresy, and Paul had embraced; the sense is, either that he had a more perfect knowledge of it than he had before; and by what Paul had said, he saw that it was not contrary to the law, nor had any tendency to promote sedition and tumult; or rather, when he should have more perfect knowledge of this new way, called the sect of the Nazarenes, he would determine this cause, and not before: wherefore

he deferred
them; put them off to longer time, and would make no decision in favour of one side or the other:

and said, when Lysias the chief captain shall come
from Jerusalem to Caesarea,

I will know the uttermost of your matters:
as for the way, or religion of the Christians, he proposed doubtless to consult other persons; and as for the profanation of the temple, and especially about stirring up of sedition, he would inquire of Lysias about that; and when he had got full information of these particulars, then he promised them to bring things to an issue, and finish the cause.

Acts 24:22 In-Context

20 either these themselves say [or these themselves say], if they found in me any thing of wickedness, since I stand in the council,
21 but only of this [one] voice, by which I cried standing among them, For of the again-rising of dead men I am deemed this day of you [For of the again-rising of dead I am deemed this day of you].
22 Soothly Felix delayed them, and knew most certainly of the way [Soothly Felix deferred them, most certainly he knowing of the way], and said, When Lysias, the tribune, shall come down, I shall hear you.
23 And he commanded to a centurion to keep him, and that he had rest [+And he commanded to a centurion to keep him, and to have rest], neither to forbid any man to minister of his own things to him.
24 And after some days Felix came, with Drusilla his wife, that was a Jewess, and called Paul, and heard of him the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.