Bible Studies In The Word of God

ACTS 24

 

Verse 1. The word descended is used
with “reference to direction, as to or
from Jerusalem, in view of its import-
ance. Thayer defines the original word,
“To come down,” then explains it to
mean, “as from the temple at Jerusa-
lem, from the city of Jerusalem.” Ter-
tullus was a professional speaker whom
the Jews employed to argue their case
against Paul before Felix. What his
nationality was is not clearly shown
in the hist-ory, but he was acquainted
with the procedure of courts.

Verses 2-4. Tertullus, like many
court lawyers of our day, was not
scrupulous in handling the truth, or
in his manner of treating a serious
case that pertained to the personal
rights of a citizen. This paragraph is
devoted to pure flattery of the gover-
nor, for the purpose of prejudicing
him against Paul. I do not think this
part of his speech needs any further
comments.

Verse 5. An orator is supposed to
make his speech before a court after
the accusers and witnesses have said
their part. But Tertullus acted both
as accuser and witness, before the
legal accusers were even present, like
the unprincipled lawyer that he was.
The most of this verse is false, but
the part pertaining to Paul’s leader-
ship among the Nazarenes is true. And
that was the chief grievance the Jews
had against Paul, because they had
previously had” that feeling against
Jesus, the founder of the sect of the
Nazarenes. The last word was applied
to Christians by the Jews, in reference
to Jesus who had lived at Nazareth.

Verses 6, 7. This was a falsehood. (See chapter 21:30-34.)  

Verse 8. By examining of 'whom was an admission that the court had not heard any testimony furnished by Paul’s accusers, thereby convicting himself (and the court) of gross injustice.

Verse 9. Assented means the Jews
agreed with what Tertullus had said;
yet they did not even pretend to have
any witnesses to present to Felix.
Verse 10. Paul began his speech with
remarks that were respectful and com-
plimentary, but not in the nature of
iiattery. Having been in a public posi-
tion over Judea for many years, Felix
could appreciate the truths Paul in-
tended stating before him.

Verse 11. But, twelve days. The
events to which Paul refers had oc-
curred so recently, that it would be
easy to find testimony to the contrary
if any doubt was felt by Felix.

Verses 12, 13. This paragraph is a
general denial of all the charges of
disorder made against Paul, and he
challenged his accusers to present
their testimony.

Verse 14. To confess does not mean
to admit any wrongdoing; it is only
an admission of certain facts of which
he was not ashamed, but which were
objectionable to his critics. Paul does
not admit that he is worshiping God
through heresy, but that he is serving
Him with the system that his ac-
cusers called by such aname. He
further states that the law (of Moses)
and the prophets had taught that same
system to be coming sometime.

Verse 15. In this verse the apostle
expressed the real subject that was the
motive for their objection to him,
namely, a belief in the resurrection.
Which they themselves also allow. The
Pharisees professed to believe in the
resurrection, but denied that it was
through Jesus whom they had crucified
(chapter 4:2).

Verse 16. Conscience is from sUNE1-
mazsls and Thayer’s main definition is,
“The soul as distinguishing between
what is morally good and bad, prompt-
ing to do the former and shun the
latter, commending the one, condemn-
ing the other.” This definition states
the action of the conscience, but it can
act on improper information as well
as proper. When Paul was persecuting
Christians his conscience commended
him for it, because his information
(which was erroneous) was to the
effect that the disciples of Christ were
evildoers. In our present verse he
means he had always exercised him-
self in a way that he thought would
be right regarding both God and man.
His good conscience while persecuting

Christians was due to the improper
information that he had received. The
popular idea is not true that the con-
science is “A creature of education,”
for it is a part of every human being.
However, it is true that the conscience
may be educated, and it depends on the
character of that education whether
it will commend or condemn what it
should.  

Verse 17. The'°§5lm,s refers to the col-
lections that were made by the vario-us
churches (Romans 15: 25-31; 1 Corin-
thians 16: 1-4). The ojjerings were ac-
cording to some Jewish customs that
Paul still had the right to perform as
a Jew, since they were both secular
and religious, and Paul did them as
the former.

Verses 18-20. This paragraph is explained at chapter 21:27-29.

Verse 21. See the comments on verses 14 and 15.

Verse 22. Felix now had a somewhat clearer view of the situation, to the extent that he wanted to see the case through after the other parties to it appeared. He promised Paul to hear the whole matter when the captain arrived. It might be stated, however, that so far as the record shows, neither Lysias nor witnesses ever appeared.

Verse 23. Paul was detained as a prisoner, but the soldier who was made responsible for his keeping was commanded to let him have many liberties usually not given.

Verse 24. Felix earne. He was not residing outside the community; the second word means, “to make a public appearance,” according to the lexicons. His interest had been aroused by Paul’s speech to the extent he wished to hear more about the faith he was preaching. We will hear more about his wife in the next verse.

Verse 25. The subjects of this verse
are in response to the request in the
preceding one, to discuss the faith in
Christ, which shows that the Gospel
contains more than just the “first
principles.” These subjects were es-
pecially appropriate at this time, for
both Felix and his wife were very un-
righteous people. He had induced her
to desert her former husband to marry
him, for no other motive than lust on
the part of each. Thayer defines the
original word for ternperance, “Self-
contro1,” then explains it to mean “the
virtue of one who masters his desires
and passions, especially his sensual
[fleshly or carnal] appetites.” Jndg-
ment to come is defined by Thayer,
“The last or final judgment.” Being a
judge himself and acquainted with the
dignity of judicial sentences, Felix
could feel the weight of Paul’s predic-
tion and was made to tremble, which
is defined in the lexicon “to be terri-
fied.” A convenient season. The sec-
ond word does not appear in the origi-
nal Greek as a separate term. The
phrase is from KA1Ros which Thayer
defines “opportune or seasonable time.”
The word has been translated in the
King James Version by the single
word “time” in 63 places.

Verse 26. The “convenient season”
never appeared as far as the record
informs us, for the same purpose that
Paul had been called the first time.
However, Felix was so depraved as to
think the apostle would try to bribe
the court into releasing him, and for
that purpose he did call for him fre-
quently.

Verse 27. After two years Felix was
replaced by Festus because he had in-
curred the displeasure of the Romans.
During those two years Paul was kept
as a prisoner, his accusers never hav-
ing appeared. In spite of this situa-
tion, to gratify the hatred of the Jews
toward him, Felix kept Paul bound
when he relinquished his office to
Festus.

ACTS 25
Verse 1. Caesarea was the political
headquarters of the Roman Empire in
Palestine, but Jerusalem was the chief
city of the province from many stand-
points. Hence when Festus had been
in his own official city three days, he
went to Jerusalem to acquaint him-
self with conditio-ns in that metropolis.-
Verse 2. The leading Jews lost no
time in approaching Festus with their
complaints against Paul.
Verse 3. Desired favor means they
asked Festus to grant them the favor
of having Paul brought from Caesarea
to Jerusalem. The inspired writer is
the one who is telling the purpose of
the Jews to lie in wait and ki1lPaul
in the journey.
Verse 4. Festus evidently knew noth-
ing of the murderous intent of the
Jews, but supposed they preferred
having Paul tried in their own court;
it was in keeping with court form to
refuse their request under the cir-
cumstances.
Verse 5. Festus invited the proper
persons to accompany him to Caesarea