‘Saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for sentence against him. To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before the accused has the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defence concerning the matter laid against him.”
The facts were these. He had found this prisoner whom Felix had left in chains, but who was a Roman citizen. This had to mean that he had done something wrong. And when he had gone to Jerusalem this had been confirmed by the fact that the Jewish leaders had laid a complaint about this prisoner and had asked that he be condemned, and presumably executed. They had asked ‘for sentence against him' on capital charges (violating the Temple and disloyalty to Caesar).
He had not, however, been prepared to submit on their word alone and had pointed out that Roman judges did not condemn men without evidence, and without giving the person a fair say. Every man had a right to face his accusers and establish his own defence. All this was altogether admirable.