Acts 24 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

St. Paul before felix

1-27. St Paul and Felix.
1. Tertullus] in spite of his Roman name may have been a Greek or even a Jew (cp.'our Law,' AV Acts 24:6).

Great quietness] Felix really deserved some credit for his vigorous action against the brigands and zealots, when he first entered office, and for his suppression of the Egyptian false prophet. And would have judged.. his accusers to come unto thee] These words, though absent from many ancient authorities, seem from internal evidence to be genuine and authentic. They probably belong to the D text, but D is here deficient.

Favour] They desired from the judge partiality, not justice; and probably offered him money.

Able] rather, 'influential.'

More than, etc.] RV 'not more than eight or ten days.'

Of whom] i.e. of Paul, if the above words are omitted; but of Lysias, if they are retained.

Assented] RV 'joined in the charge.'

Provincial governors were generally anxious to be on good terms with their subjects, because, when their term of office was over, the provincials had the right to complain of them to the Emperor. Before me] The proposal was that Paul should be tried by the Sanhedrin, and that Festus should be present to see fair play.

10, 11. The appeal was forced upon him because, (1) trial by the Sanhedrin (even with Festus present as moderator) meant certain condemnation; and (2) there seemed no prospect of release without appeal. Festus was too just to pronounce his condemnation; but he was also too timid to incur the odium of pronouncing him innocent.

I stand] RV (correctly) 'I am (now) standing before Cæsar's judgmentseat' (i.e. thy judgment-seat, O Festus); 'where I ought to be judged' (and not before a Jewish court, like the Sanhedrin).

St Paul's Defence. St. Paul answered the charges as follows. (1) He had no seditious intentions, for he was found purified in the Temple 'neither with multitude, nor with tumult' (Acts 24:18). (2) The sect of the Nazarenes, to which he belonged, was a perfectly orthodox and lawful combination of Jewish believers, accepting 'all things which are written in the law and the prophets,' accepting also the orthodox doctrine of the resurrection and the judgment, which some of his accusers (being Sadducees) denied (Acts 24:14). (3) No evidence was produced of an intended pollution of the Temple (Acts 24:19).

The council] i.e. the governo's legal advisers.

King Agrippa and Bernice] Agrippa II (Marcus Julius Agrippa) was the son of Agrippa I and Cypros. See art. 'Dynasty of the Herods.' His sister Bernice, with whom at this time he was living on terms of criminal intimacy, was an attractive but dissolute woman. At thirteen she was married to her uncle, Herod, king of Chalcis, to whom she bore two sons. After his death she became wife of Polemo, king of Cilicia, and mistress of Vespasian and Titus. To salute] RV 'and saluted.' On the arrival of the Roman governor, the inferior rulers naturally made haste to show him respect.

Heresy] RV 'a sect.' Tertullus had applied the word to the Christians in a bad sense.

Allow] rather, 'look for.'

Herein] i.e. reiving on this hope. But others understand it to mean 'during this earthly life.' 1] RV 'I also,'i.e. 'las well as they.'

Many years] or, 'some years.'

Whereupon] RV 'Amidst which.'

Superstition] RV 'religion.'

Doubted] RV '(was) perplexed how to inquire concerning these things.'

Augustus] lit. 'the Augustus.' 'Augustus,' originally a family name, had now become an official title of the Emperor.

By you] RV 'before you.'

That (the) way] i.e. Christianity.

I will know the uttermost of] rather, 'I will determine.'

Chief captains] i.e. tribunes.

Liberty] rather, 'indulgence.'

Drusilla] The youngest of the three daughters of Agrippa I (the Herod of Acts 12:1). She deserted her husband, Azizus, king of Emesa, to marry Felix.

Felix trembled] Instead of simply stating what the Christian faith was, St. Paul, after the manner of the Baptist and the ancient prophets, boldly called his august hearers to repentance. He reasoned of righteousness (condemning Felix's receipt of bribes and evil government: cp. Acts 24:26); of temperance, or, rather,' continence' (with special reference to the adulterous union of Drusilla and Felix), and of the future judgment, which will be without respect of persons. The result was that Felix trembled, but delayed his repentance; and that Drusilla was made an irreconcilable enemy.

As Agrippa was expert in all matters of the Jewish law, Festus hoped that he would help him to compose a letter to the Emperor, which would make it clear what the charges against Paul really were.

Porcius Festus] succeeded Felix as procurator of Judasa about 58 a.d. He died after a short tenure of office, having governed, upon the whole, well. He is credited with having (for a time) suppressed the Sicarii or Assassins.

And Felix.. Paul bound] For these words the Bezan text substitutes, 'but Felix left Paul in prison for the sake of Drusilla' (a very probable statement).

Remark. St. Paul spent two whole years in prison at Cæsarea. How was the time occupied? Some critics suppose that he wrote the third group of his Epistles (Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon). Much can be said for this view. E.g. in Philippians 1:13 he says, 'my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the prætorium (or palace),' and we know from Acts 23:35 that he was confined in the prætorium (palace) of Herod. But upon the whole it seems more probable that all four were written at Rome (e.g. 'they of Cæsar's household,' Philippians 4:22, naturally, though not necessarily, suggests Rome). St. Luke was doubtless busy collecting materials for his Gospel and Acts, transcribing his own notes, etc. He probably obtained much information from Philip the Evangelist who resided at Cæsarea; from James the Lord's 'brother,' and from Mary the Virgin, or from some intimate female friend of hers.

St. Paul before Festus

1f. St. Paul and Festus.
2. The high priest] RV 'the chief priests.'