Acts 24 - Introduction
THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 24 OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 24:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BOOK OF ACTS. CHAPTER 24 OUTLINE AND COMMENTARY. MARK DUNAGAN I. OUTLINE OF CHAPTER 24:... [ Continue Reading ]
"After five days" When on the next day the Jews came to request that Paul be brought and reexamined by the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:15), they found that he had been moved to Caesarea, and that the Roman governor had ordered them to appear there and present their case (Acts 23:35). This expression can mean... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 24:2-3 "Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness" "As. trained and experienced professional lawyer, Tertullus began with... [ Continue Reading ]
"But, that. may not weary you any further,. beg you to grant us, by your kindness,. brief hearing" It was customary among professional lawyers of the time to claim that their speech would be very brief. "Felix is so busy keeping the peace, that it would be. shame to keep him away from his duties muc... [ Continue Reading ]
"For we have found this man. real pest and. fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world" "The Greek gives the more emphatic noun. a pestilence,. plague, an epidemic... Everywhere he goes there have been extensive disturbances of the peace" (Reese p. 838). Thus this lawyer... [ Continue Reading ]
"And he even tried to desecrate the temple" At this point the Jews do not argue that Paul had actually done this (compare with Acts 21:28 where the claim is that he had defiled the temple), but rather they had prevented such action by arresting him. "Then we arrested him" The truth of the matter is... [ Continue Reading ]
"But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands" This accusation against Lysias is probably an act of revenge on the part of the Jews, because it was Lysias who had moved Paul to Caesarea and spoiled their plot. Tertullus is engaging in rewriting history, what... [ Continue Reading ]
"By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him" This may be. hint from Tertullus that Felix needs to torture Paul. "A hint of the examination by scourging, which Paul had escaped, Tertullus knew not how, at the hands of Lysias.... [ Continue Reading ]
Apparently with any previous notification of the charges and without time to put together his defense, Paul is expected to defend himself without having any legal counsel of his own. Yet, Jesus had promised the apostles inspiration during such times (Luke 21:15). "Knowing that for many years you hav... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 24:11-12 "No more than twelve days ago. went up to Jerusalem to worship" With. little investigation Felix could easily find out how long Paul had been in Jerusalem. The seven days of Acts 21:17 plus the. days of Acts 24:1 account for these 12 days. Seeing that five of these days had already bee... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 24:13-14 "According to the Way which they call. sect. do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets" Here Paul answers the insinuation that Christianity is some heretical sect or illegal offshoot of Judaism. Christia... [ Continue Reading ]
"Having hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be. resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked" Remember, Ananias (a Sadducee) had come down to Caesarea (Acts 24:1). So who is the heretic? Paul believes what the Scriptures teach whereas Ananias and the Sadd... [ Continue Reading ]
"In view of this" That is, in view of the coming resurrection and judgment. "I also do my best to maintain always. blameless conscience both before God and before men" What. wonderful goal! Notice that Paul digs in again and continues to hit upon the same themes that he pursued in Acts 23:1. Paul be... [ Continue Reading ]
"Now after several years" Paul could not be stirring up trouble in Jerusalem, he had only been there for. little over. week and this visit came after years of being absent from Jerusalem. Five years had gone by since his last visit mentioned in Acts 18:22, eight years since his visit at the time of... [ Continue Reading ]
"In which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar" This answers the charge that Paul had defiled the temple. At the very time when the Jews from Asia found him, he was not in the midst of defiling the temple, rather he was presenting offers and in. pur... [ Continue Reading ]
"Who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me" Excellent point. None of the people present were the actual eyewitnesses of this accusation against Paul. Neither Ananias, nor the elders nor Tertullus had seen Paul do anything in the temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
"Or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when. stood before the Council" The Jews present only had knowledge of what Paul had said in the trial before the Council. "They found" The truth is that the meeting in chapter 23 had ended with. great debate with some saying Paul was in... [ Continue Reading ]
"Other than for this one statement which. shouted out while standing among them, 'For the resurrection of the dead. am on trial before you today'" Once more the Holy Spirit cleverly pricks the conscience of the Sadducees. Notice that Paul had to shout just to get this statement out; this infers that... [ Continue Reading ]
"But Felix, having. more exact knowledge about the Way" Remember, Felix had been in Palestine for some time, in addition he was living with Drusilla,. member of the Herodian family and he had probably heard many things about Christianity going all the way back to John the Baptist or even before. "Ha... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet Paul is treated with courtesy. He is allowed to be visited by friends during his imprisonment. During this time some feel that Luke traveled through Palestine gathering information, interviewing eyewitnesses, and collected material for the gospel that he would write (Luke 1:1). Such. degree of f... [ Continue Reading ]
"Some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla" The word arrived suggests that after his trial Felix and his wife had been away for. time and now had returned. "Drusilla, his wife who was. Jewess" Drusilla was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I, and at this time (57-58 A.D.) she was around twent... [ Continue Reading ]
"But" While Felix had been flattered by Tertullus (Acts 24:2ff), he gets an ear full from Paul. "Paul was at liberty to choose for himself the special topic of discourse, and he did so with direct reference to the spiritual wants of his hearers" (McGarvey p. 240). "As he was discussing righteousness... [ Continue Reading ]
"At the same time too, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him". person cannot repent with such. divided heart. How can. terrified man repent when he is still holding on to such greedy desires? Remember Felix had h... [ Continue Reading ]
"But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded" He was removed from power because he was accused of misgovernment by the Jews. He was called to Rome to stand trial before Nero and barely escaped execution because of the influence of his brother and was banished to Gaul, where he died. Drusilla... [ Continue Reading ]