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

¹ Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and an attorney named Tertullus, and they presented their case against Paul before the governor. ² When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began the prosecution. "Your Excellency Felix," he said, "since through your efforts we enjoy perfect peace, and through your foresight this nation is securing needed reforms, ³ we always and everywhere acknowledge this with profound gratitude. ⁴ But??ot to detain you too long?? beg you to be kind enough to give us a brief hearing. ⁵ For we have found this man a pest and a disturber of the peace among Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect, ⁶ and actually tried to desecrate the Temple, but we caught him. ⁷ OMITTED TEXT ⁸ If you will examine him yourself you will be able to find out from him all about the things we charge him with." ⁹ The Jews also joined in these charges, and said that the statement was true.

¹⁰ The governor made a sign to Paul to speak, and he answered, "As I know that for many years you have acted as judge for this nation, I cheerfully undertake my defense, ¹¹ for it is not more than twelve days ago, as you can easily satisfy yourself, that I went up to worship at Jerusalem, ¹² and they have never found me debating with anyone in the Temple, or creating a disturbance among the people in the synagogues or about the city, ¹³ and they cannot sustain the charges they have just made against me. ¹⁴ I admit that in worshiping the God of my forefathers I follow the way of life that they call a sect, but I believe everything that is taught in the Law or written in the prophets, ¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God that they themselves hold, that there is to be a resurrection of the upright and the wicked. ¹⁶ Therefore I strive always to have a clear conscience before God and men. ¹⁷ After an absence of several years, I had come to bring charitable donations for my nation, and to offer sacrifice. ¹⁸ I had undergone the rites of purification and was occupied with these matters when they found me in the Temple, with no crowd or disturbance at all. But there were some Jews from Asia ¹⁹ who ought to be here before you and to present their charges if they have any to make against me. ²⁰ Or let these men themselves tell what they found wrong in me when I appeared before the council??21 unless it was the one thing I shouted out as I stood among them??It is on the question of the resurrection of the dead that I am here on trial before you today!' "