Acts 24:20 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

“Or else let these men themselves declare what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, ‘Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.' ”

And if these men had found any wrongdoing in him when he stood before the Sanhedrin, let them now declare what it was. Indeed the only matter that had really been discussed in the council about which they could accuse him as being in the wrong was the question of the resurrection. For he himself had stated before the council, ‘Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.' This was the only ‘wrongdoing' of which he could be accused. So all their accusations were generalisations and falsehoods.

Some consider that Paul is here admitting that he should not have made that statement which had put the council in an uproar. But it is equally likely that he is simply saying sarcastically that this was the only thing that they could accuse him of, something which was, of course, not criminal at all, and of course was true.

Acts 24:20

20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,