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

¹ Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a prosecuting attorney, Tertullus, and through him they presented their case against Paul before the governor. ² When Paul was called, Tertullus opened the prosecution by saying: "Your Excellency, Felix, since we are enjoying perfect peace through you and since reforms for this nation are being brought about through your foresight, ³ we always and everywhere acknowledge it with profound gratitude. ⁴ But, not to detain you too long, I beg you in your kindness to give us a brief hearing. ⁵ For we have found this man a perfect pest and a distributor of the peace among the Jews throughout the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazarenes; ⁶ once he tried to desecrate the temple, but we arrested him, ⁷ Omitted Text. ⁸ and now, by examining him for yourself, you can find out exactly what charges we bring against him." ⁹ The Jews also joined in the charges and maintained that they were true.

¹⁰ At the governor's signal to Paul, he answered: "Since I know that you for many years have acted as judge for this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, ¹¹ for you can verify the fact that not more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship, ¹² and they have never found me debating with anybody in the temple nor making a disturbance in the synagogues or about the city, ¹³ and they cannot prove the charges they have just made against me. ¹⁴ But I certainly admit this as a fact that in accordance with The Way -- that they call heresy -- I continue to worship the God of my forefathers, and I still believe in everything taught in the law and written in the prophets, ¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God that they cherish for themselves, that there is to be a resurrection of the upright and the wicked. ¹⁶ So I am always striving to have a conscience that is clear before God and men. ¹⁷ After several years' absence I came to bring contributions of charity for my nation, and to offer sacrifices. ¹⁸ While I was performing these duties they found me just as I had completed the rites of my purification in the temple; however, there was no crowd with me and no disturbance at all. ¹⁹ But there were some Jews from Asia who ought to be here before you and to present their charges, if they have any, against me. ²⁰ Or let these men themselves tell what wrong they found in me when I appeared before the council -- ²¹ unless it is for one thing that I shouted out as I stood among them, 'It is for the resurrection of the dead that I am here on trial before you today.'"