King James Version
Acts 24
27 verses with commentary
Paul Before Felix
And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The high priest Ananias's personal descent to Caesarea demonstrates the Jewish leadership's determination to prosecute Paul. Hiring Tertullus, a professional rhetorician (likely Roman or Hellenized), shows their strategic approach using someone skilled in Roman legal oratory. The 'five days' indicates urgent pursuit, revealing how seriously they viewed Paul as a threat to their religious system.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
XXIV.
(1) **After five days.**—The interval may have just allowed time for messengers to go from Cæsarea to Jerusalem, and for the priests to make their arrangements and engage their advocate. Possibly, however, the five days may start from St. Paul’s departure from Jerusalem and this agrees, on the whole, better with the reckoning of the twelve days from the Apostle’s arrival there, in Acts 24:11...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28. Take heed ... unto yourselves--**Compare 1Ti 3:2-7; 4:16; 6:11.
**and to all the flock--**Compare He 13:17. Observe here how the personal is put before the pastoral care.
**over ... which the Holy Ghost hath made you--**Compare Joh 20:22, 23; Ep 4:8, 11, 12; Re 3:1. (Ac 14:23 shows that the apostle did not mean to exclude human ordination).
**overseers--**or, as the same word is everyw...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,
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KJV Study Commentary
Tertullus began with flattery: 'we enjoy great quietness, and very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence.' This rhetorical strategy sought to predispose Felix favorably. 'Providence' (<em>pronoias</em>) attributed divine-like care to a corrupt governor.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness.**—The orator had, it would seem, learnt the trick of his class, and begins with propitiating the judge by flattery. The administration of Felix did not present much opening for panegyric, but he had at least taken strong measures to put down the gangs of *sicarii* and brigands by whom Palestine was infested (Jos. *Ant. xx.* 8, § 5; *Wars, ii.* 13...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-30. after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you--**Two classes of coming enemies are here announced, the one more external to themselves, the other bred in the bosom of their own community; both were to be teachers, but the one, "grievous wolves," not sparing, that is, making a prey of the flock; the other (Ac 20:30), simply sectarian "perverters" of the truth, with the view o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.
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KJV Study Commentary
'We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.' Extended flattery preceded the accusation. The exaggerated gratitude contradicted Jewish resentment of Roman rule. Tertullus sacrificed truth for rhetorical advantage.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**29-30. after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you--**Two classes of coming enemies are here announced, the one more external to themselves, the other bred in the bosom of their own community; both were to be teachers, but the one, "grievous wolves," not sparing, that is, making a prey of the flock; the other (Ac 20:30), simply sectarian "perverters" of the truth, with the view o...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.
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KJV Study Commentary
'That I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.' Tertullus's feigned brevity was a rhetorical technique. The appeal to 'clemency' sought favorable disposition before presenting charges.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **That I be not further tedious . . .**—Better, *that I may not detain thee too long.* Here again we note the tact of the sycophant. He speaks as if obliged to restrain himself from the further panegyrics which his feelings would naturally prompt.
**Of thy clemency . . .**—The Greek word expresses the idea of equitable consideration. The epithets of the hired orator stand in striking contrast ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**31. by the space of three years--**speaking in round numbers; for it was nearer three than two years.
**I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears--**What an appeal to be able to make! "And if this was an apostle's part, how much more a pastor's!" [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:
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KJV Study Commentary
Tertullus's three accusations - pestilent fellow, mover of sedition, ringleader of Nazarenes - were calculated to alarm Roman authorities. Calling Christianity a 'sect' (Greek 'hairesis,' heresy) and Paul its ringleader painted him as politically dangerous. The charge of sedition 'among all the Jews throughout the world' was utterly false but strategically crafted to threaten Roman interests in ma...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **We have found this man a pestilent fellow.**—The Greek gives the more emphatic substantive, *a pestilence, a plague.* The advocate passes from flattering the judge to invective against the defendant, and lays stress on the fact that he is charged with the very crimes which Felix prided himself on repressing. St. Paul, we may well believe, did not look like a *sicarius, *or brigand, but Tertu...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-35. I commend you to God--**the almighty Conservator of His people.
**and to the word of his grace--**that message of His pure grace (Ac 20:24) by the faith of which He keeps us (1Pe 1:5).
**which--**that is, God.
**is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance, &c.--**Observe how salvation--not only in its initial stages of pardon and regeneration, but in all its subseque...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.
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KJV Study Commentary
The accusation that Paul 'went about to profane the temple' was the most serious from a Jewish perspective but also carried Roman weight since Rome protected religious sanctuaries. Though completely false (Paul was purifying himself, Acts 21:26), this charge could incite both Jewish and Roman concern. The claim they wanted to judge Paul by Jewish law falsely portrays themselves as reasonable arbit...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Who also hath gone about to profane the temple.**—Better, *who even attempted to profane.* Here the case was clearly to be supported by the evidence of the Jews of Asia. The charge, we see, was modified from that in Acts 21:28. Then they had asserted that he had actually taken Trophimus within the sacred precincts. Now they were contented with accusing him of the attempt.
**Whom we took . . ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-35. I commend you to God--**the almighty Conservator of His people.
**and to the word of his grace--**that message of His pure grace (Ac 20:24) by the faith of which He keeps us (1Pe 1:5).
**which--**that is, God.
**is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance, &c.--**Observe how salvation--not only in its initial stages of pardon and regeneration, but in all its subseque...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse, present in some manuscripts, claims Lysias 'came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands.' The accusation blamed Roman intervention for preventing Jewish justice. This distorted the rescue that saved Paul from mob murder.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-35. I commend you to God--**the almighty Conservator of His people.
**and to the word of his grace--**that message of His pure grace (Ac 20:24) by the faith of which He keeps us (1Pe 1:5).
**which--**that is, God.
**is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance, &c.--**Observe how salvation--not only in its initial stages of pardon and regeneration, but in all its subseque...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.
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KJV Study Commentary
'By examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.' Tertullus invited Felix to interrogate Paul, confident their accusations would be confirmed. This challenge backfired when Paul's defense proved compelling.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **By examining of whom . . .**—Literally, *from whom thou shalt be able, by examining him thyself, to know thoroughly . . .* The English construction suggests that the “accusers” are the persons to be examined, but as the Greek relative is in the singular this cannot possibly be the meaning. Tertullus apparently suggests that the judge should interrogate the prisoner—perhaps, by using a techni...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-35. I commend you to God--**the almighty Conservator of His people.
**and to the word of his grace--**that message of His pure grace (Ac 20:24) by the faith of which He keeps us (1Pe 1:5).
**which--**that is, God.
**is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance, &c.--**Observe how salvation--not only in its initial stages of pardon and regeneration, but in all its subseque...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.
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KJV Study Commentary
'And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.' The Jewish leaders collectively endorsed Tertullus's accusations. Corporate false witness compounded individual perjury. Group pressure reinforced lies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36-38. he kneeled down and prayed with them all, &c.--**Nothing can be more touching than these three concluding verses, leaving an indelible impression of rare ministerial fidelity and affection on the apostle's part, and of warm admiration and attachment on the part of these Ephesian presbyters. Would to God that such scenes were more frequent in the Church!
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 24
Chapter Outline
The speech of Tertullus against Paul.(1-9)
Paul's defence before Felix.(10-21)
Felix trembles at the reasoning of Paul.(22-27)
**Verses 1-9**
See here the unhappiness of great men, and a great unhappiness it is, to have their services praised beyond measure, and never to be faithfully told of their faults; hereby they are hardened and encouraged in ...
Read full commentary →Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Paul's response - 'thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation' - was tactful acknowledgment without the fawning flattery Tertullus used. Paul's 'more cheerfully' indicates confidence in both his innocence and God's providence. His focus on Felix's experience with Jewish matters suggested the governor could discern truth from the accusations' rhetoric.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Forasmuch as I know . . .**—We note at once the difference between St. Paul’s frank manliness and the servile flattery of the advocate. He is content to appeal to the experience of the “many years” (really about six, but this was more than the average duration of a procuratorship, and the words might, therefore, be used without exaggeration) during which he had held office. Such a man was n...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36-38. he kneeled down and prayed with them all, &c.--**Nothing can be more touching than these three concluding verses, leaving an indelible impression of rare ministerial fidelity and affection on the apostle's part, and of warm admiration and attachment on the part of these Ephesian presbyters. Would to God that such scenes were more frequent in the Church!
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's verifiable timeline - 'no more than twelve days' - allowed Felix to investigate the facts. This specific, checkable detail demonstrates Paul's confidence in truth. The stated purpose 'to worship' directly refuted charges of sedition or temple profanation, showing Paul's real intent was religious devotion within Jewish custom.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.**—This was, by implication, St. Paul’s answer to the charge of the attempted profanation. One who had come to worship was not likely to be guilty of the crime alleged against him.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36-38. he kneeled down and prayed with them all, &c.--**Nothing can be more touching than these three concluding verses, leaving an indelible impression of rare ministerial fidelity and affection on the apostle's part, and of warm admiration and attachment on the part of these Ephesian presbyters. Would to God that such scenes were more frequent in the Church!
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people , neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul systematically denied each element: no disputing with anyone, no stirring up crowds, no profaning temple or synagogue or city. The Greek structure emphasizes complete denial - 'neither... nor... nor... nor.' This direct refutation of specific charges, inviting verification, shows the strength of truth compared to vague accusations based on prejudice.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **They neither found me in the temple . . .**—The answer traverses all parts of the indictment. He had not even entered into a discussion in the Temple. He had not even gathered a crowd around him in any part of the city. He challenges the accusers to bring any adequate evidence—*i.e., *that of two or three witnesses, independent and agreeing—in proof of their charges.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's challenge - 'Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me' - shifts burden of proof to accusers. In Roman law, accusers bore responsibility for proving charges. Paul's confidence that they couldn't substantiate allegations reveals the baselessness of their case, depending on prejudice and innuendo rather than evidence.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 21 Ac 21:1-16. Sailing from Ephesus, They Land at Tyre, and Thence Sailing to Ptolemais, They Proceed by Land to Cæsarea and Jerusalem.
**1. we were gotten--**"torn."
**from them--**expressing the difficulty and pain of the parting.
**with a straight course--**running before the wind, as Ac 16:11.
**unto Coos--**Cos, an island due south from Miletus, which they would reach in about ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's confession - 'after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers' - brilliantly reframes the issue. What they call 'heresy' (Greek 'hairesis,' sect), Paul identifies as true worship of Israel's God. His claim to believe 'all things which are written in the law and in the prophets' positions Christianity as Judaism's fulfillment, not its contradiction.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **After the way which they call heresy.**—Better, *which they call a sect.* The Greek noun is the same as in Acts 24:5, and ought, therefore, to be translated by the same English word. As it is, the reader does not see that the “way” had been called a *heresy.* In using the term “the way,” St. Paul adopts that which the disciples used of themselves (see Note on Acts 9:2), and enters an implie...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. And finding a ship--**their former one going no farther, probably.
**to Phoenica--**(See on Ac 11:19).
**went abroad--**One would almost think this extracted from a journal of the voyage, so graphic are its details.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul identifies shared hope in resurrection as common ground between himself and his accusers - 'which they themselves also allow.' This brilliant strategy shows the inconsistency of condemning him for believing what they themselves affirm. The resurrection of 'both of the just and unjust' reflects Paul's teaching that final judgment awaits all (Romans 2:5-11).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Which they themselves also allow . . .**—We have the same tact, perhaps also the same sympathy, as in Acts 23:6. He identifies himself, on this point, not only with the Pharisees but with the great bulk of the Jewish people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. when we ... discovered--**"sighted," as the phrase is.
**Cyprus, we left it on the left hand--**that is, steered southeast of it, leaving it on the northwest.
**sailed into--**"unto"
**Syria, and landed at Tyre--**the celebrated seat of maritime commerce for East and West. It might be reached from Patara in about two days.
**there the ship was to unlade her burden--**which gave the ap...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's life goal - 'to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men' - summarizes his ethical commitment. This 'conscience without offense' doesn't claim sinless perfection but rather integrity in pursuing known truth and quickly addressing failures. The dual focus (God and men) reflects Jesus's great commandments and shows Paul's balanced spirituality.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **And herein do I exercise myself . . .**—The “herein” seems equivalent to “in this belief.” Because he held that doctrine of a resurrection as a stern and solemn reality, the one law of his life was to keep his conscience clear from wilful sin. (See Note on Acts 23:1.) The words must have been almost as bitter to Felix as to Ananias; but he has, at all events, the decency to listen in silenc...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-6. finding disciples--**finding out the disciples, implying some search. They would expect such, from what is recorded, Ac 11:19. Perhaps they were not many; yet there were gifted ones among them.
**who said to Paul ... that he should not go up to Jerusalem--**(See on Ac 20:23; also see on Ac 21:11-14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's statement about bringing 'alms to my nation' referred to the collection from Gentile churches for Jerusalem's poor (Romans 15:25-27). This humanitarian mission directly refuted charges of sedition or anti-Jewish sentiment. The mention of 'offerings' indicates his participation in temple ceremonies, further demonstrating devotion to Jewish practice.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Now after many years.**—Four years had passed since the previous visit of Acts 18:22. The use of “many” in this instance may be noted as throwing light on Acts 24:10.
**To bring alms to my nation, and offerings.**—The “alms” were, of course, the large sums of money which St. Paul had been collecting, since his last visit, for the disciples (possibly in part, also, for those who were not dis...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-6. finding disciples--**finding out the disciples, implying some search. They would expect such, from what is recorded, Ac 11:19. Perhaps they were not many; yet there were gifted ones among them.
**who said to Paul ... that he should not go up to Jerusalem--**(See on Ac 20:23; also see on Ac 21:11-14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's account of being found in the temple 'purified, neither with multitude, nor with tumult' directly contradicts accusations of profaning the temple or causing sedition. The detail that 'certain Jews from Asia' instigated trouble points to the real troublemakers. Paul's peaceful temple presence for legitimate religious purposes demolishes the prosecution's case.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **Whereupon certain Jews from Asia . . .**—Literally, *in which things, *or *wherein.* Many of the better MSS. give the relative pronoun in the feminine, as agreeing with “offerings,” and indicating that he was, as it were, occupied with them at the very time when the Jews from Asia found him, not profaning the Temple, but purified with all the completeness which the Nazarite vow required.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4-6. finding disciples--**finding out the disciples, implying some search. They would expect such, from what is recorded, Ac 11:19. Perhaps they were not many; yet there were gifted ones among them.
**who said to Paul ... that he should not go up to Jerusalem--**(See on Ac 20:23; also see on Ac 21:11-14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Paul's devastating point - his real accusers aren't present - exposes the prosecution's weakness. Under Roman law, accusers must face the accused and prove charges. The Asian Jews who actually started the riot were absent, suggesting they couldn't substantiate their accusations. This procedural failure should have resulted in case dismissal under proper Roman jurisprudence.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Who ought to have been here before thee.**—The originators of the disturbance shrank from the consequences of their actions, and either remained at Jerusalem or else started on their homeward journey as soon as the Feast was over.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. when we had finished our course--**completing the voyage
**from Tyre, we came--**which they would do the same day.
**to Ptolemais--**anciently called Accho (Jud 1:31), now St. Jean d'Acre, or Acre.
**and saluted the brethren, and abode, &c.--**disciples gathered probably as at Tyre, on the occasion mentioned (Ac 11:19).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
'Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council.' Paul challenged his accusers to specify actual offenses from the Sanhedrin trial. Their inability to cite specific crimes exposed the accusation's emptiness.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **If they have found any evil doing in me . . .**—The better MSS. give, “what evil thing” (or, *what wrong act*) “they found in me.” This, from St. Paul’s point of view, was the one instance in which any words of his had been even the occasion of an uproar, and in them he had but proclaimed a belief which he held in common with their best and wisest teachers. So far as the proceedings before ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-10. next day we that were of Paul's company departed--**(The words "the were of Paul's company" are omitted in the best manuscripts. They were probably added as the connecting words at the head of some church lessons).
**and came to Cæsarea--**a run along the coast, southward, of some thirty miles.
**Philip the evangelist--**a term answering apparently very much to our missionary [Howson],...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
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KJV Study Commentary
'Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.' Paul reduced the entire case to the resurrection doctrine. This theological dispute was not criminal matter for Roman courts.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-10. next day we that were of Paul's company departed--**(The words "the were of Paul's company" are omitted in the best manuscripts. They were probably added as the connecting words at the head of some church lessons).
**and came to Cæsarea--**a run along the coast, southward, of some thirty miles.
**Philip the evangelist--**a term answering apparently very much to our missionary [Howson],...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 10-21**
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be ...
Read full commentary →Paul Held in Custody
And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.
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KJV Study Commentary
Felix's response - 'having more perfect knowledge of that way' - indicates he understood Christianity better than the Jewish leaders assumed. His postponement 'when Lysias the chief captain shall come down' was technically reasonable but practically a delay tactic. Felix's knowledge without commitment exemplifies those who understand gospel truth but refuse to act on it.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Having more perfect knowledge of that way . . .**—Better, *of the way.* (See Note on Acts 9:2.) The comparative implies a reference to an average standard. Felix was too well-informed to yield any answer to the declamatory statements of Tertullus. He saw that the prisoner was no common *Sicarius, *or leader of sedition. He knew something as to the life of the sect of Nazarenes. That knowled...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**8-10. next day we that were of Paul's company departed--**(The words "the were of Paul's company" are omitted in the best manuscripts. They were probably added as the connecting words at the head of some church lessons).
**and came to Cæsarea--**a run along the coast, southward, of some thirty miles.
**Philip the evangelist--**a term answering apparently very much to our missionary [Howson],...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance, forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in ...
Read full commentary →And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.
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KJV Study Commentary
Felix's order for Paul's custody with 'liberty' (Greek 'anesis,' relaxation) and access to friends shows favorable treatment beyond standard imprisonment. This relative freedom allowed Paul's friends to minister to him, demonstrating God's provision even in confinement. Felix's lenient approach suggests he recognized Paul's innocence but lacked courage to release him.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul.**—More accurately, *the centurion*—either the officer in whose custody he had been placed by Lysias, or the one who had the special charge of the prisoners waiting for trial. The favourable impression made on Felix is shown by the unusual leniency with which the prisoner was treated. The attribute of “clemency,” on which the orator had complimented...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-14. So shall the Jews bind the man that owneth this girdle, &c.--**For though the Romans did it, it was at the Jews' instigation (Ac 21:33; Ac 28:17). Such dramatic methods of announcing important future events would bring the old prophets to remembrance. (Compare Is 20:2, &c.; Jr 13:1, and Eze 5:1, &c.). This prediction and that at Tyre (Ac 21:4) were intended, not to prohibit hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance, forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in ...
Read full commentary →And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
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KJV Study Commentary
Felix's return with his Jewish wife Drusilla suggests she prompted his interest in Paul's message. 'The faith in Christ' indicates Paul's presentation focused on Jesus as Messiah and Lord. That Felix 'sent for Paul' repeatedly shows intellectual interest, but his eventual response reveals how curiosity without repentance falls short of salvation.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Felix came with his wife Drusilla.**—She was, as has been said (see Note on Acts 23:26), the daughter of the first Herod Agrippa and the sister of the second. In her name, the diminutive of Drusus, and borne also by a sister of Caligula’s, we trace the early connection of her father with that emperor. She was but six years of age at the time of her father’s death. She had been married at an...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-14. So shall the Jews bind the man that owneth this girdle, &c.--**For though the Romans did it, it was at the Jews' instigation (Ac 21:33; Ac 28:17). Such dramatic methods of announcing important future events would bring the old prophets to remembrance. (Compare Is 20:2, &c.; Jr 13:1, and Eze 5:1, &c.). This prediction and that at Tyre (Ac 21:4) were intended, not to prohibit hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance, forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in ...
Read full commentary →And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance , and judgment to come , Felix trembled , and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Paul's message emphasized 'righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come' - precisely the areas where Felix and Drusilla lived in flagrant violation. Felix's trembling shows conviction of sin, but his response - 'Go thy way for this time' - exemplifies fatal procrastination. The promise to call Paul 'when I have a convenient season' represents the devil's classic strategy: acknowledge truth but ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Righteousness, temperance, and judgment.**—The first word, like our English “justice,” includes in Greek ethics the duties which man owes *to* man. “Temperance” answers to a term with a somewhat wider sense than that which now attaches to the English word, and implies the state in which a man exercises control over all the passions that minister to sensuality, while he yet falls short of a ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-14. So shall the Jews bind the man that owneth this girdle, &c.--**For though the Romans did it, it was at the Jews' instigation (Ac 21:33; Ac 28:17). Such dramatic methods of announcing important future events would bring the old prophets to remembrance. (Compare Is 20:2, &c.; Jr 13:1, and Eze 5:1, &c.). This prediction and that at Tyre (Ac 21:4) were intended, not to prohibit hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance, forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in ...
Read full commentary →He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
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KJV Study Commentary
Felix's hope that 'money should have been given him of Paul' reveals corrupt motives behind his frequent conversations. What appeared as spiritual interest was actually attempted extortion, exploiting Paul's custody for financial gain. This demonstrates how religious curiosity without genuine faith can mask utterly self-interested motives.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul.**—The Greek gives “hoping also,” as continuing the previous verse, and so places the fact in more immediate connection with the procurator’s conduct. This greed of gain in the very act of administering justice was the root-evil of the weak and wicked character. He had caught at the word “alms” in Acts 24:17. St. Paul, then, was no...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**11-14. So shall the Jews bind the man that owneth this girdle, &c.--**For though the Romans did it, it was at the Jews' instigation (Ac 21:33; Ac 28:17). Such dramatic methods of announcing important future events would bring the old prophets to remembrance. (Compare Is 20:2, &c.; Jr 13:1, and Eze 5:1, &c.). This prediction and that at Tyre (Ac 21:4) were intended, not to prohibit hi...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance, forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in ...
Read full commentary →But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Felix's replacement by Porcius Festus after 'two years' ended Paul's Caesarean custody's first phase. Felix's final act - leaving Paul bound 'willing to shew the Jews a pleasure' - epitomized political expediency over justice. This injustice, though frustrating, served God's purpose by keeping Paul in Caesarea where he would appeal to Caesar, ultimately reaching Rome as prophesied.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **After two years Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room.**—The English states the same fact as the Greek, but inverts the order. Literally, *When a period of two years was accomplished, Felix received Porcius Festus as his successor.* We can, of course, only conjecture how these years were spent. Some writers who maintain the Pauline authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews have assigned it to...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**15-16. we took up our carriages--**"our baggage."
**and went up to Jerusalem--**for the fifth time after his conversion, thus concluding his third missionary tour, which proved his last, so far as recorded; for though he accomplished the fourth and last part of the missionary plan sketched out (Ac 19:21)--"After I have been at Jerusalem, I must also see Rome"--it was as "a prisoner of Jesus Ch...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-27**
The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance, forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in ...
Read full commentary →