…the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus.
Acts 24: 1-21
After Paul was held five days by Felix, Ananias, the high priest, came to Felix with some Jewish elders and a spokesman named Tertullus. Tertullus spoke on behalf of the Jewish leaders, first speaking kind words to curry Felix’s favor and, then, charging Paul with being “a plague” upon the empire, causing riots among the people wherever he goes and being a ringleader of a sect of the Nazarenes who tried to profane the temple in Jerusalem until the religious leaders tried to capture him until the Roman soldiers took Paul into custody. Felix, then nodded to Paul indicating that he could now speak. Now, Felix was no kind ruler of the Judean territory. Felix was once a slave who had “earned” or somehow been awarded freedom from his slavery for Felix is described by historians as a freedman, a title given to slaves who had become free of their slavery. History shows Felix to be quite cruel as a leader and he held his positions of power by his “friendships” with Romans who knew him to be particularly cruel. Paul begins his defense with kind words toward Felix, just as the Jews had done. Paul stated that he had only been in Jerusalem a few days; that he was not a trouble maker; that he worshipped the God of the Jews; and, that he was bringing to the Jews in Jerusalem a love offering collect throughout the empire where he had established churches of worship to their God. Then, Paul accused “some Jews from Asia” were the culprits starting the rioting and, Paul admitted only to stirring up the religious leaders, who had come to oppose Paul in front of the Roman tribune, by talking of the resurrection of the dead. We will leave the scene at this point as Felix dismisses the people who spoke before him and he now takes some time to consider what has been testified. That will be looked at in our next devotion. Source: S C Ball August 9, 2023
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