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

¹ And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders and with a certain orator, Tertullus, who made a statement to the governor against Paul. ² And being called, Tertullus began to accuse, saying, ³ Since we enjoy great quietness by you, and very worthy deeds are done to this nation due to your forethought, in everything and everywhere, most noble Felix, we accept with all thankfulness. ⁴ But that I not hinder you further, I beseech you to hear us briefly in your fairness. ⁵ For we have found this man pestilent, and moving rebellion among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶ who also attempted to profane the temple, whom we took and would have judged according to our Law. ⁷ But the chiliarch Lysias came with much force, taking him away out of our hands, ⁸ commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him, you yourself may know about all these things of which we accuse him. ⁹ And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

¹⁰ But the governor motioning to him to speak, Paul answered; Understanding you as being a judge of this nation many years, I cheerfully defend myself as to the things concerning myself. ¹¹ You can know that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, nor making a gathering of a crowd; not even in the synagogues, nor throughout the city. ¹³ Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. ¹⁴ But I confess this to you, that after the Way which they call heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets. ¹⁵ And I have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. ¹⁶ And in this I exercise myself, always to have a blameless conscience toward God and men. ¹⁷ And after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation. ¹⁸ Among which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with a crowd nor with tumult. ¹⁹ These ought to be present before you and to accuse me, if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or else let these themselves say if they have found anything unjust in me while I stood before the sanhedrin, ²¹ unless it may be for this one voice that I cried out standing among them, that concerning a resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you today.