Acts 24:5

"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 would have attempted to argue that the disturbances in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Thessalonica and Ephesus were all Paul's fault, rather than disturbances caused by the hatred and jealousy of the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles.

Acts 24:5 "A ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" This is the first time in Scripture that the term "Nazarene" is used in reference to Christians. Paul is so prominent in preaching the gospel that he is viewed as the leader of this movement. The accusation is that Paul has invented. new religion that is unauthorized, that he is not advocating Judaism, but rather. religion that is not licensed by the state. "To this day Christians are known in Hebrew and Arabic as 'Nazarenes'" (Bruce p. 465).