Bibelkommentare

And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

With a certain orator — One of those sordida poscinummia (as Plautus phraseth it), those leguleiorum faeces decem drachmariae, as another styleth these mercenary orators, qui linguas habent venales. It is reported of Nevessan (a better lawyer than an honest man) that he should say, he that will not venture his body shall never be valiant: he that will not venture his soul, never rich.

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And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him , saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

Tertullus began to accuse him — Prosperior Afro Oratori eloquentia quam morum fama, saith Tacitus. (Tacit. Annal.) Ciceronis linguam omnes fere mirantur, pectus non ita, Almost all marvelled at the tongue of Cicero, but not so his heart, saith Augustine (Confess. iv. 3). The Duke of Buckingham, speaking to the Londoners for Richard III, gained the commendation, that no man could deliver so much bad matter in so good words and quaint phrases. Such another was Tertullus, wittily wicked, et malo publico facundus, eloquent for mischief to other men. There is a story of a poor man who complained to his king that a man (naming a lawyer) had taken away his cow from him. I will hear, said the king, what he will say to the matter. Nay, saith the poor man, if you hear him speak, then have I surely lost my cow indeed.

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We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

We accept it always — So they say, the sooner to ingratiate; when in truth they worthily hated Felix for his oppression and cruelty. Nota hypocrisin cum assentatione, saith Beza. "In his estate shall stand up a vile person," Daniel 11:21 , that is, Antiochus Epiphanes. And yet Josephus reports that the Samaritans writing to him, because he tormented the Jews, to excuse themselves that they were no Jews, styled him, by flattery, Antiochus the mighty God. Romani, propter omnia quae a Nerone fiebant etiam scelera, quasi gratias agentes, sacra faciebant: such was their baseness, and such were these Jews.

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Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

That I be not further tedious unto thee — Gr. ινα μη επι πλειον σε εγκοπτω , that I hinder thee not in thine haste to other businesses; that I put not a stop to thy praise worthy proceedings, by a troublesome prolixity, … Thus he cunningly insinuateth into the judge’s affections; which is one of the rhetorical precepts: and another is (Tertullus likely had learned it out of Cicero), Non ad veritatem solum, sed etiam ad opinionem eorum qui audiunt, accommodanda est oratio. An orator may make a little bold with the truth to give his hearers content. Socrates in his apology, "My lords" (said he to his judges), "I know not how you have been affected with mine accusers’ eloquence while you heard them speak; for my own part, I assure you that I, whom it toucheth most, was almost drawn to believe that all they said, though against myself, was true: when they scarcely uttered one word of truth."

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For we have found this man a pestilent fellow , and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

A pestilent fellow — Gr. λοιμον , a botch, sicut Scelus pro scelerato: Tubulus quidam, paulo supra Ciceronem, Praetor fuit, homo tam Proiecte improbus, ut eius nomen non hominis sed vitii esse videretur. (Lips., Antiq. Lect.) Now if so precious a man as Paul (than whom, saith Chrysostom, the earth never bare a better since it bore Christ) were counted and called a pest, let not us think much to be so esteemed.

And a mover of sedition — So Elias was held, and called the "troubler of Israel," Luther Tuba rebelllonis, the trumpet of turmoil. So it was said to one Singleton, sometime chaplain to the Lady Ann Boleyn, that he was the murderer of Packington, and afterwards that he was a stirrer up of sedition and commotion, who also suffered as a traitor for the same; where in very deed the true cause was nothing else but for preaching the gospel, saith Master Fox. And he might as safely say as Mr Latimer did in his third sermon before King Edward VI, "As for sedition, for aught that I know, methinks I should not need Christ, if I might so say." (Acts and Mon.)

Of the sect of the Nazarenes — Who stirred up the people to stand up for their liberty against the Romans, saith an interpreter.

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Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

To profane the temple — A loud lie: but innocence is no target against calumny.

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But the chief captain Lysias came upon us , and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

Took him out of our hands — Wherein he did well, though he hear ill; as public persons must look to do.

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Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

By examining of whom — By this outfacing boldness, and these specious pretences, they hoped to have swayed the governor to deliver up the prisoner to their pleasure without any more ado, and to have condemned him unheard. But God had otherwise ordered it.

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