24
“We Have Found This Man to Be a Public Menace”
1 Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they presented formal charges before the governor against Paul.
2 After Paul had been called in, Tertullus began to make his accusation: “Seeing as it is a long period of peace that we are enjoying due to ˢyour leadership, and in view of the fact that there are taking place for the good of this nation, by ˢyour foresight, many necessary reforms,
3 it is in all ways and in all places that we want to express our contentment, most honorable Felix, and that with the utmost gratitude.
4 So as to weary ˢyou not a moment further, however, I beg you to listen to our brief account with your usual graciousness.
5 We have found this man to be a public menace and an instigator of riots among all the Jews throughout the empire, and a ringleader of the Nazarene sect,
6 who also tried to desecrate the very temple itself, whom we consequently arrested,+
8 by whose own words you yourself will be able, on examining him in regard to all these matters, to verify the accuracy of the charges we are bringing against him.”
9 The Jewish authorities joined in the attack, too, asserting that these things were in fact true.
10 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “Knowing that ˢyou have been a judge over this nation for indeed many years, it is with raised confidence that I present my defense in relation to these matters concerning me.
11 As ˢyou can easily verify, it was no more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship in Jerusalem;
12 neither in the temple courts, nor in the synagogues, nor throughout the city did they find me arguing with so much as a single person, or causing a crowd to gather.
13 Nor are they able to give ˢyou proof to go along with the things of which, at the present time, they are accusing me.
14 I do openly acknowledge to ˢyou, however, this: It is, indeed, in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, that I worship and serve the God of our ancestors, believing everything throughout the Torah+ and the things written in the Prophets,
15 having in relation to God a well-founded hope, the realization of which these men, too, are themselves expectantly awaiting, namely, that there is going to take place a resurrection indeed of both the righteous and the wicked.
16 Because of this, I myself, too, constantly take pains to maintain, in my relations with God and mankind, a blameless conscience.
17 “Now after being away for several years, it was in order to bring my people gifts for the poor that I returned, and to present offerings,
18 in the process of which they found me in the temple courts without any crowd or disturbance, after I had completed the ceremony of purification.
19 There are some Jews from the province of Asia, furthermore, who ought to be present and making their accusations here in front of ˢyou, if they should have any charges at all to bring against me.
20 Or else it is these men themselves who must state exactly what it was that they found wrong with me when I stood before the Sanhedrin,
21 other than this one thing I shouted while standing among them: ‘It is because of my faith in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial today here before ᵖyou.’ ”
22 At that point Felix adjourned the proceedings, possessing as he did a knowledge of the Way that was fairly accurate. “I will decide ᵖyour case when Lysias, the commanding officer, himself comes down,” he said.
23 He ordered the officer to keep Paul under guard, although he could have some freedom, and to prevent none of his friends from tending to his needs.
24 Some days later, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him as he talked about faith in Messiah Jesus.
25 Now as Paul discoursed on righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became very afraid and responded, “ˢYou may leave for now. When I find time, however, I will send for you again.”
26 At the same time, he was also hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe. That is why, sending for him, too, as often as at all possible, he continued having conversations with him.
27 After a good two years had passed, however, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because he wanted to gain favor with the Jewish authorities, Felix left Paul in prison.