Acts 24:1-21 - Paul Before Felix At Caesarea Maritima

¹ Five days later the head priest, Ananias, came down [to Caesarea] with certain [Jewish] elders and an attorney [named] Tertullus, who brought their case against Paul before the governor. ² When Paul was called [to appear before the court] Tertullus began the prosecution by saying, "Your Excellency Felix: Since through you we are able to enjoy peace [in this province] and under your jurisdiction the problems in our society are being [properly] dealt with, ³ we welcome all such efforts in each district with full gratitude. ⁴ But, not wanting to prolong matters for you, I urge you to give consideration to this brief account [of the problem we face]. ⁵ We have found this man [i.e., Paul] to be extremely bothersome, and an instigator of strife among the Jews throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. ⁶ We arrested him, for he attempted to desecrate [even] the Temple {{Some ancient manuscripts add verse ⁷ and we would have judged him according to our law but commander Lysias came and forcibly took him out of our hands}} ⁸ [and] you will be able to determine the nature of our accusations against him by questioning him yourself." ⁹ Then the Jews also joined in [making] the charge, and confirmed all the facts that were being presented.

¹⁰ And when the governor had motioned for him to speak, Paul answered [the charges, by saying], "I know [Your Excellency] that you have administered justice for this nation for many years, so I am glad to make my defense [before you]. ¹¹ [I know] you can verify that it has not been over twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² [While there] I was not observed arguing with anyone or trying to stir up a crowd [to riot] in the Temple or in the synagogues or [anywhere else] in the city. ¹³ Neither can anyone prove to you the charges they are now bringing against me. ¹⁴ But, I declare to you, I am serving the God of our forefathers according to the 'Way,' called [by my detractors] a sect, and I believe everything that is in harmony with the law of Moses and what is written in [the writings of] the prophets. ¹⁵ I have a hope in God that there will be a resurrection both for those who have done right and those who have done wrong, just as the Jews themselves also expect. ¹⁶ So, for this reason I make every effort to have a clear conscience before God and men at all times. ¹⁷ "Now after several years I came [to Jerusalem] to bring relief for the poor people of my nation and to present my offerings. ¹⁸ While doing this, they [i.e., the Jews] found out that I had undergone the rites of purification in the Temple. There was no crowd and no commotion. But certain Jews from [the province of] Asia ¹⁹ should have been here before you, [Your Excellency] to make their accusations, if they [really] had a valid charge against me. ²⁰ Or let these men themselves [i.e., members of the Sanhedrin] testify what they found wrong with me when I stood before their Council [meeting]. ²¹ However, this one point, which I made when I stood among them [could have been objectionable]: I shouted, 'The reason I am being charged before you today is [my preaching of] the resurrection of the dead.' "