Acts 24:10-21

Paul's Defense Before Felix

Once the governor nodded to him, Paul began his defense. He expressed pleasure at getting to state his case before one who had years of experience in judging on matters involving the Jews. In answer to (1), the apostle noted he had only been back in Judea for 12 days, with the last 5 of those being spent in custody. It would have been hard to be a plague in such a short time. They had not found him in the temple either disputing with others or stirring up the crowd, as was suggested in (2), so there was neither time nor evidence of rebellion against Rome, which even Felix knew the Jews would have welcomed. Paul also said they could not prove their charge of (4) trying to desecrate the temple. However, concerning (3), he did worship God according to the Way, which his Jewish accusers called a sect, or party. Coffman notes, "Implicit in such a name is the trueness and rightness of it. There are many ways of sin, but only one way of eternal life."

Paul did plead guilty to worshipping the God of the Jewish fathers and believing all that was written in the law of Moses and the prophets. He readily admitted that he based his hope in God, as his accusers also did, who would raise both the righteous and wicked from the dead. Because of that belief, Paul said he tried to live as his conscience directed, so he would not offend God or man. After some five years in other parts of the world, Paul had returned to Jerusalem with a gift for the needy of the Jewish nation. Instead of profaning the temple, they found him there after he had completed his vow of purification. The apostle suggested that the Asian Jews who brought the original charges against him, and stirred up the mob, should have been present to refute the facts which he presented. He even invited those Sadducean accusers who were present to step forward and show the error in his one statement before the Sanhedrin, "Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day" (Acts 24:10-21).