Chú giải Kinh Thánh

Ac 24:1-27.

PAUL, ACCUSED BY A PROFESSIONAL PLEADER BEFORE FELIX, MAKES HIS DEFENSE, AND IS REMANDED FOR A FURTHER HEARING. AT A PRIVATE INTERVIEW FELIX TREMBLES UNDER PAUL'S PREACHING, BUT KEEPS HIM PRISONER FOR TWO YEARS, WHEN HE WAS SUCCEEDED BY FESTUS.

1. after five days--or, on the fifth day from their departure from Jerusalem.

Ananias . . . with the elders--a deputation of the Sanhedrim.

a certain orator--one of those Roman advocates who trained themselves for the higher practice of the metropolis by practicing in the provinces, where the Latin language, employed in the courts, was but imperfectly understood and Roman forms were not familiar.

informed . . . against Paul--"laid information," that is, put in the charges.

2-4. Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, &c.--In this fulsome flattery there was a semblance of truth: nothing more. Felix acted with a degree of vigor and success in suppressing lawless violence [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 20.8.4; confirmed by TACITUS, Annals, 12.54].

by thy providence--a phrase applied to the administration of the emperors.

5-8. a pestilent fellow--a plague, or pest.

and a mover of sedition among all the Jews--by exciting disturbances among them.

throughout the world--(See on

Lu 2:1).

This was the first charge; and true only in the sense explained on

Ac 16:20.

a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes--the second charge; and true enough.

6. hath gone about--attempted.

to profane the temple--the third charge; and entirely false.

we . . . would have judged according to our law.

7. But . . . Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him out of our hands--a wilful falsehood and calumnious charge against a public officer. He had commanded the Sanhedrim to meet for no other purpose than to "judge him according to their law"; and only when, instead of doing so, they fell to disputing among themselves, and the prisoner was in danger of being "pulled in pieces of them"

(Ac 23:10)

--or as his own letter says "killed of them"

(Ac 23:27)

--did he rescue him, as was his duty, "by force" out of their hands.

8. Commanding his accusers to come unto thee--Here they insinuate that, instead of troubling Felix with the case, he ought to have left it to be dealt with by the Jewish tribunal; in which case his life would soon have been taken.

by examining whom--Lysias, as would seem

(Ac 24:22).

thyself mayest, &c.--referring all, as if with confidence, to Felix.

9. the Jews assented, &c.--See on

Ac 23:15.

10. thou hast been many years a judge to this nation--He had been in this province for six or seven years, and in Galilee for a longer period. Paul uses no flattery, but simply expresses his satisfaction at having to plead before one whose long official experience of Jewish matters would enable him the better to understand and appreciate what he had to say.