Acts 24:22

And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way - `the way' (see the note at ),

He deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain ('the chiliarch' or 'tribune') shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. Felix might have dismissed the case as a tissue of unsupported charges. But if, from his interest in the matter, he really wished to have the presence of Lysias and of others concerned, a brief delay was not unworthy of him as a judge. Certainly, so far as recorded, neither Lysias nor any other parties appeared again in the case. It would seem, however, from , that at that time his prepossessions in favour of Paul were strong. The probability is, that while unable to condemn-being convinced of the futility of the charges against him-yet unwilling to enrage the Jews by an acquittal, he made his desire to confer with Lysias a pretext for delaying judgment.