Paul's Day In Court

Tom:

This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we’re in the Book of Acts, we’re in Acts chapter—lets start Chapter 24: “And after five days”—Verse one, “And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.” Sounds like he brought a lawyer, a mouthpiece for himself.

Dave:

Yeah, yeah, sharp guy.

Tom:

Okay, “And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence.” Sounds like he’s buttering somebody up.

Dave:

That’s right, that’s right.

Tom:

“We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee,—

Dave:

I like that, he’s been pretty tedious so far.

Tom:

I was going to say, Let’s keep it rolling here. “I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.”

Dave:

See, the law profession hasn’t changed.

Tom:

I guess not, Dave. Verse 5: “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him. And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.”

Dave:

That would be this whole gang that’s come with him, probably some people in the audience, some cheers—

Tom:

Right. Yeah, the entourage, as well.

Dave:

—rabble-rousers.

Tom:

Do you think there were any of those who took the vow, that they weren’t going to eat until, till Paul was dead?

Dave:

I—Tom, I think they were delivered of that because he was whisked away by the soldiers. Okay, the high priest himself and the elders, Verse 1: and descended, it says. Well, they are going down to the coast, this is Caesarea, they’re coming down from Jerusalem, which is much higher in elevation.And here comes Tertullus, he introduces Tertullus as the man—the chief prosecutor of this case, I guess, you could call him. They’re buttering him up, buttering up Felix, as you mentioned, Tom. But we would ask you, Felix, most noble Felix, just hear us out because this is a pestilent fellow, and he is causing much trouble. And of course the governor would not want trouble in the empire, that could cause some riots or whatever.

Tom:

Make him look bad before Rome.

Dave:

Yeah, and he’s a mover of sedition. Okay, so that is like plotting against the government and that’s very serious. Actually none of this is true. Throughout all the world, and a ringleader of the sect called the Nazarenes, oh my goodness. Paul was not a Nazarene, he was a Pharisee, a Hebrew, he was a Pharisee he said, I’m a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee, and so forth. Who also had gone about to profane the temple—again that’s not true, he did not. That was a false accusation, remember they said, Well, he had a Gentile in there. Well, they saw Timothy with him, but not inside the temple. He did not take Timothy in the temple. And he says, We took him, we would have judged him according to our law. They were going to judge Jesus according to their law too. The law was stoning. That’s why they could not execute their judgment upon Jesus because He had to be crucified. And Paul, of course, he’s not going to be killed at this point because the Lord wants him to testify in Rome. And he, well he’s kind of putting the chief captain down, he has a little bit of complaint against the Roman soldiers, I mean, Oh, you’re wonderful Felix, you’re a wonderful governor and everything is great, but your soldiers, they’re kind of rough on us, and they took him with great violence. Well, I guess they had to use violence to—this violent crowd.

Tom:

Yeah, zealots to kill Paul for God.

Dave:

To get them to release their grip on Paul, and commanding the accusers to come and, so, here we are! And everybody that’s come with him down from Jerusalem, Yeah, that’s right. So, now Paul has his chair turn.

Tom:

Verse 10: “Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all the things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men.”

Dave:

Well Tom, this is a masterful defense Paul makes. Of course he’s using the same tactics as Tertullus, and he’s buttering up Felix a bit, you know, I’m happy that you’re the judge, Felix because you’ve been judging this nation for a long time, and I more cheerfully answer for myself because I’m at your judgment seat here, and I know that you’ve honestly dealt with us, and so forth. Now it’s only twelve days ago that I went up to Jerusalem and they didn’t— none of these things are true, they didn’t find me in the temple disputing with anyone, nor rousing the people. I wasn’t a rabble-rouser, I wasn’t seditious, I wasn’t involved in seditious activities, nor in the synagogues of the city, and they can’t prove anything of which they now accuse me. Now I like this next verse, Verse 14: “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy,”—so Paul is making his confession, he’s a heretic, by their standards, but not by the Bible’s standards—‘…after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:” Okay, Paul says, Look, they call this heresy, but I am simply going by the Word of God. And I “have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” And he says, I’m determined that I would always have a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men. Paul is certainly a reasonable man. He’s showing that all he’s doing is following the scriptures.This is what he follows, the same scriptures that they themselves claim to follow. We have the same problem today, Tom. We’re accused of all manner of—well people make all manner of false accusations against us, what’s the problem? We try to stick to the Bible and they want to change the Bible, they don’t like what the Bible says, and we’re simply going to stand on the Word of God. And this is all Paul was doing, and that’s all we want to do, and this is why we call it, Search the Scriptures Daily, be like the Bereans, check us out. Please! If you find that we are not true to the Bible in any regard, please write to us or call us, and if you are correct we will apologize publicly.