24And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, all of whom brought charges against Paul to the governor. ²And when^* he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him,^* saying, “We have experienced^* much^a peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight. ³Both in every way and everywhere we acknowledge this,^* most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. ⁴But so that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. ⁵For we have found^* this man to be a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire^b and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶who even attempted to desecrate the temple, and we arrested him^c.^d ⁸When^* you yourself examine him^* you will be able to find out from him^e about all these things of which we are accusing him.” ⁹And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting these things were so.

¹⁰And when^* the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I^* know you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I defend myself cheerfully with respect to the things concerning myself. ¹¹You can ascertain that it has not been more than^f twelve days since^g I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹²And neither did they find me arguing with anyone or making a crowd develop in the temple courts^* nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city. ¹³Nor can they prove the things^* to you concerning which they are now accusing me. ¹⁴But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things that are in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets, ¹⁵having a hope in God which these men also themselves await: that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶For this reason^h also I myself alwaysⁱ do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people. ¹⁷So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people,^j ¹⁸in which they found me purified in the temple courts,^* not with a crowd or with a disturbance. ¹⁹But there are some Jews from Asia^k who ought to be present before you and bring charges against me,^* if they have anything against me, ²⁰or these men themselves should say what crime they found when^* I stood before the Sanhedrin,^l ²¹other than concerning this one declaration that I shouted while^* standing there before them: ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead!’ ”

Paul Held Awaiting Trial

²²But Felix, because he^* understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the military tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”^m ²³He ordered^* the centurion for him to be guarded and to have some freedom, and in no way to prevent any of his own peopleⁿ from serving him.

²⁴And after some days, when^* Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵And while^* he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid and^* replied, “Go away for the present, and when I^* have an opportunity, I will summon you.” ²⁶At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason also he sent for him as often as possible and^* talked with him. ²⁷And when^* two years had passed, Felix received as successor Porcius Festus. And because he^* wanted to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul behind as a prisoner.^o

Read in Logos

Footnotes

*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had been summoned”)
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*Here this participle (“have experienced”) and the following participle (“are taking place”) have been translated as finite verbs in keeping with English style
aOr “many years,” with “years” understood
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*Here this participle (“found”) has been translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style
bLiterally “the inhabited earth,” but here this is probably rhetorical hyperbole for the Roman Empire, especially since Felix, the Roman governor, is being addressed
cLiterally “whom”
dSome later manuscripts include the following additional material between v. 6 and v. 8: “and we wanted to judge him according to our law, (24:7) but Lysius the military tribune came and took him from our hands with much violence, (24:8) ordering his accusers to come before you.”
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“examine”) which is understood as temporal
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
eLiterally “whom”
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“gestured”)
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
fLiterally “there are not to me more than”
gLiterally “from which time”
*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
hLiterally “by this”
iLiterally “through everything”
jOr “nation”
*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself
kA reference to the Roman province of Asia (modern Asia Minor)
*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“stood”)
lOr “council”
*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“standing there”) which is understood as temporal
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“understood”) which is understood as causal
mLiterally “the case with respect to you”
*Here this participle (“ordered”) has been translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style
nThis could refer to either friends or relatives
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“arrived”) which is understood as temporal
*Here “while” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was discussing”)
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“became”) has been translated as a finite verb
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have”) which is understood as temporal
*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sent for”) has been translated as a finite verb
*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“had passed”)
*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“wanted”) which is understood as causal
oLiterally “bound”