EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

Acts 24:1-27

Good News for Everyone

Acts

Marion Adams

Chapter 24 The *Jewish leaders accuse Paul, 24:1-9

v1 Five days later, Ananias the *high priest went to Caesarea. Some leaders and Tertullus, a lawyer, also went. They went to the *governor. They told him why they were accusing Paul. v2 Then they sent for Paul. Tertullus accused him in front of Felix.

‘Most excellent Felix, you have given to us a long period of peace. You are a wise ruler and you have done many good things for our nation. v3 We are all grateful for what you have done, always! v4 I do not want to bother you. However, please be patient with us. Please listen to us for only a few minutes.

v5 We discovered that this man makes trouble. He starts *riots among the *Jews all over the world. He is the leader of a group called Nazarenes (see note below). v6 He also tried to make the *Temple *unclean. So, we arrested him. We wanted to deal with him by our law. v7 But Lysias, the commander, came. He used much force and he took Paul away from us. v8 He ordered the people who accused Paul to come to you. Ask Paul questions yourself. Then you will discover whether Paul has done these things. You will discover whether we are right to accuse him.’ v9 The *Jewish crowd spoke too. They agreed with what Tertullus had said.

Verse 1 Ananias and the other leaders went to Caesarea quickly. When they arrived, they met Felix in the court. Now Paul’s *trial could begin.

First, the leaders told Felix why they were accusing Paul.

Verses 2-4 Then Paul came into the court. Tertullus was a professional lawyer. He began the *trial in the usual way. The usual custom was to praise the *governor. Cicero, a *Roman writer who lived from 106-43 *BC, tells us that. That is what Tertullus did. But most of the things that Tertullus said here were not true. Felix was a wicked and cruel man. During the time when Felix ruled, there were many *riots. To stop those *riots, Felix killed many *Jews. That was how Felix brought peace! Not many *Jews were grateful for that!

Verses 5-7 Then, Tertullus accused Paul. Tertullus said that Paul had done these three crimes:

1. Paul started *riots among the *Jews wherever he went.

2. Paul was the leader of a group that caused trouble. (That group was the *Christians. Tertullus called them ‘Nazarenes’, because Jesus was from *Nazareth.)

3. Paul had tried to bring a *Gentile into the inner part of the *Temple.

The *Romans punished people who caused trouble. Felix had killed many *Jews who had opposed the *Roman government. Tertullus was trying to show that Paul caused trouble everywhere. He wanted Felix to kill Paul, too.

Verses 8-9 Tertullus told Felix to ask Paul questions. The people in the crowd were opposing Paul, too. They agreed with Tertullus.

Paul speaks to Felix, 24:10-23

v10 The *governor nodded to Paul. So Paul replied. This is what he said:

‘You have been the *governor of this nation for many years. I know that. Therefore, I am glad to speak in your court. v11 I went to *worship in *Jerusalem no more than 12 days ago. You can discover easily whether this is true. v12 The *Jews never saw me argue with anyone in the *Temple. I did not cause trouble in the *synagogues, or in the city. v13 They cannot prove those things that they have said against me. v14 Their leaders say that the Way is false. I agree that I follow the Way. But I *worship the God of our *ancestors. I also believe in everything that is in the *Law. And I believe in what the *Prophets wrote. v15 I am as sure about the *resurrection as these people are. I am sure that God will raise everyone from death. He will raise both good people and evil people. v16 I try to have a good conscience about what I do either for God or for people.’

Verse 10 Felix did not ask Paul questions. Instead, he let Paul speak for himself. Paul followed the usual custom. He spoke first about Felix. Paul said good things about Felix. But Paul was not like Tertullus. The things that Paul said were true. Felix knew *Judea very well. He had lived and worked there for many years. He knew all about the *Jewish religion. Felix understood what the *Jews believed. So, Paul was glad to speak to him about it.

Verses 11-13 Then Paul spoke about himself. Again, he told the truth. He had not come to *Jerusalem to cause trouble. He was not there for long enough to start *riots! He had not come to *Jerusalem for political reasons. He had come for *spiritual reasons. He wanted to *worship God. He had not argued with anyone either. The *Jews could not prove anything that they said.

Paul used a *Greek word for ‘prove’ that lawyers used. It meant that there had to be evidence. But there was no evidence against Paul.

Verse 14 Next, Paul argued that he was a true *Jew. He *worshipped the same God that the *Jews *worshipped. He agreed with everything that was in the *Jewish *scriptures. But he was also a *Christian. The *Christian *faith did not oppose the *Jewish *faith. *Christians followed Jesus, the *Messiah. Jesus made the *Jewish *faith complete.

Verses 15-16 Then, Paul said that he believed in the *resurrection. He believed that everybody will rise from death. Paul knew that he, like everybody, must meet God. So, he tried to have a good conscience. He tried to serve God well and he tried to serve people well.

v17 ‘I had not been in *Jerusalem for several years. Then I went there to take some money. The money was to help the poor people in my nation. And I went there to offer *sacrifices. v18 I was offering *sacrifices when they found me in the *Temple. I had finished my time of *purification. I was not with a crowd and there was no *riot.

v19 Some *Jews from Asia were there. If they want to speak against me, they should come here. They should accuse me in front of you. v20 Or ask the men who are here. They can tell you. They did not prove that I was guilty in front of the *Sanhedrin. v21 They can say only one thing against me. It is what I shouted in the court. I shouted, “I am on *trial today because I believe in the *resurrection of dead people.” ’

v22 Felix stopped the *trial, because he knew a lot about the Way. He said, ‘I will make my decision when Lysias, the commander, arrives.’ v23 Then he ordered the captain to guard Paul. But he told the captain not to lock Paul’s door. He told the captain to let Paul’s friends look after him.

Verses 17-18 Paul had come to *Jerusalem for two reasons only:

1. to bring money that he had collected for his nation’s poor people;

2. to *worship God in the *Temple.

Paul did not do anything bad in the *Temple. When the *Jews found him there, he was following *Jewish customs.

Verses 19-21 Some *Jews from Asia had accused Paul first. They were the original witnesses. They saw what Paul did in *Jerusalem. But they were not in the court. The *Sanhedrin had not been able to prove that Paul was guilty. He was guilty only of believing in the *resurrection of dead people. But that was not a crime against *Roman law.

Verse 22 ‘Felix stopped the *trial, because he knew a lot about the Way.’ Probably, Felix knew about *Christian beliefs because he had a *Jewish wife (Acts 24:24). What Paul said was right. And Felix knew that it was right. Paul was not guilty, because he had not done any crime. But Felix did not want to offend the *Jews. So, he made an excuse. He said that he must wait for Lysias. But he did not need to do this. He had a letter from Lysias (Acts 23:26-30). Felix wanted more time to make his decision.

Verse 23 Paul was still a prisoner. But because he was a *Roman citizen, Felix allowed his friends to visit him.

Paul speaks to Felix and Drusilla, 24:24-27

v24 Several days later, Felix came to the place where Paul was staying. Felix’s wife, Drusilla, came with Felix. She was *Jewish. Felix sent for Paul. He listened to Paul as Paul spoke. Paul spoke about *faith in *Christ Jesus. v25 Paul talked to Felix and Drusilla about doing the right things. He spoke about self-control (when we stop ourselves from doing wrong things). He spoke about the day when God’s judgement would come. Felix was afraid. He said, ‘You have said enough for now. You may leave. I will send for you again, when I have time to listen.’ v26 After this, Felix often sent for Paul. And he talked with him. Also, Felix hoped that Paul would give some money to him.

v27 Two years later, Porcius Festus became the new *governor. But Felix wanted to support the *Jews. So, he left Paul in prison.

Verses 24-27 Drusilla was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I (see Acts 12:1-23). Felix had persuaded her to leave her husband, Azizus, the king of Emesia. A *magician helped Felix to do this. Drusilla was Felix’s third wife.

Paul told Felix and Drusilla the good news about Jesus. But he also told them about God’s judgement. He spoke about doing right things. Both Felix and Drusilla had done wicked things. So, Felix became afraid and he sent Paul away. But Felix still spoke with Paul after this.

Luke says that Felix wanted money. If Felix received money, he would let Paul out of prison. That arrangement was not legal. But people often paid to get their freedom. Felix was greedy for money. But perhaps Felix also wanted to hear more about Jesus. Perhaps he wanted God to forgive him.

However, Felix did not stop doing cruel things. In about *AD 58, there was a fight in Caesarea. It was a fight between the *Jews and the *Greeks there. Felix became angry. He ordered soldiers to kill many *Jews. He also let the soldiers rob the rich *Jews. The *Jewish writer Josephus wrote about this. (He lived from about *AD 37 to AD 100.)

The *Jews asked the *Roman government to remove Felix. The *Jews had a right to ask it under *Roman law. Felix tried to be friends with them again. He left Paul in prison to please them. But the *Roman government removed Felix anyway. They appointed a new *governor for *Judea. His name was Porcius Festus.

Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.'high priest ~ the most important priest in the Jewish Temple.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
governor ~ an important ruler.
riot ~ when an angry crowd complain about something. They make lots of noise and they sometimes fight.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
unclean ~ when something is not right to use because God does not accept it.
trial ~ a legal examination in which a person answers questions. Then the judge decides whether the person is guilty of a crime.
Roman ~ a person from Rome; a word that describes someone from Rome; or it describes something from Rome. The Roman soldiers fought against people in many countries. And they defeated them. They made the people obey the rules that officials in Rome made. They made the people pay taxes to Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
BC ~ years Before Christ came to the earth.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
Nazareth ~ the town where Jesus lived when he was young.
Gentile ~ not Jewish; a person that is not a Jew; a person who does not know God. ‘Gentiles’ can mean people from all countries (but it does not include Jews).
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
synagogue ~ a building where Jews gathered for prayer. They went there to study the scriptures. And they went there to attend other public meetings.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
scripture ~ the Bible, the book that contains God’s holy messages; the Old Testament.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.

Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
ancestors ~ a person’s relatives that lived a long time ago.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
prophet ~ someone who tells God’s messages; a person that God sends to speak for him.
resurrection ~ when someone comes back to life after death; when someone rises from death to life.
Judea ~ a region in the country where the Jews lived.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
spiritual ~ when something belongs to the spirit; when something belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things; a word that people use to refer to holy things.
spirit ~ a person’s spirit is the part in them that will always be alive. It will be alive even after his or her body is dead. There are good spirits. Those include God’s Spirit and his angels. There are also evil spirits. These include Satan and his angels.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
Satan ~ the name for the worst spirit among the evil spirits, who are against God. He has another name, which is the Devil. He is God’s enemy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Greek ~ the language that the people from Greece spoke; the language in which authors wrote the New Testament; a person from Greece.

Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
anoint ~ to mark a person with oil. This shows that God has chosen him or her.

New Testament ~ the Bible’s last part, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church. It is about what Christians believe. And it is about what they do.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
sacrifice ~ when someone kills an animal and he offers it to God (or a false god). In this way, he asks God (or a false god) to forgive him.
purification ~ when Jews prepare themselves to offer sacrifices to God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
sacrifice ~ when someone kills an animal and he offers it to God (or a false god). In this way, he asks God (or a false god) to forgive him.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Sanhedrin ~ a special group in Israel that met together to be judges over the people. The priests’ leaders were in it. The important Jews were also in it. And the men that taught about the Law were in it. The high priest led the group.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.

high priest ~ the most important priest in the Jewish Temple.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
magician ~ someone who makes strange things happen to surprise people. These things are not usual. In order to do them, he has to use a special power. This power is not from his own body. This power is very bad and it is not from God.
AD ~ AD 50 means 50 years after Jesus was born, and so on.

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