Acts,
Chapter 24, Verse 2-3
2 When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Since
we have attained much peace through
you, and reforms have been accomplished in this nation through your provident
care, 3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most
excellent Felix, with all gratitude.
The scene in this verse is set with Paul being on trial for sedition with
the Roman governor of Palestine Felix. The peace that Tertullus alludes to is
worldly peace which is not Christ’s peace; it is the peace that is giving to an
enslaved people to be happy with the scraps given them for their meager
existence. They have their lives if they follow the rules but little liberty or
power to pursue their personal dreams.
Paul on
Trial[1]
A. The Accusers
(vv. 1-4)
1. Their identification (v. 1)"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."
a) Ananias--Ananias was a corrupt high priest. He saw Paul
as a threat, so he wanted to get rid of him. That's why he was part of the
entourage that went to accuse Paul.
b) The elders--They were key leaders out of the Sanhedrin,
the supreme court of Israel.
c) Tertullus--Ananias and the elders didn't want to accuse
Paul themselves, so they hired a professional case reader by the name of
Tertullus. He was probably well versed in the legal procedure of Rome and spoke
eloquent Latin. Verse 1 says that he "informed the governor." The
high priest and the elders stood silently while Tertullus did the talking.
2. Their flattery (vv. 2-4) It was very common for orators
in those days to do what Tertullus did. In verses 2-4 he laid the flattery on
thick. The Latin description of what he did is Captatio Benevolentiae. That
could freely be translated as a "soft-soap job." Tertullus buttered
up Felix with flattery. There wasn't much good that could be said about Felix,
so Tertullus spoke in generalities. But that was a common approach to obtain a
favorable hearing. Felix knew what Tertullus said wasn't true, but he liked to
hear it anyway. That was true of Herod in Acts 12:21-22. As he sat
on his throne and gave a speech, the people said that he wasn't a man, but a
god. Herod loved receiving such praise even though he had to know it wasn't
true. So Tertullus flattered Felix, even though the governor was intelligent
enough to know that the Jewish people hated him.
a) The hearing begins (v. 2a) "And when he was called
forth, Tertullus began to accuse him [Paul]" We can't be sure if the
hearing was formal or informal, but there is a clue it was informal because
Felix decided to defer the case to a later date according to verse 22. So Felix
calls Tertullus, who begins his accusation.
b) The flattery begins (vv. 2b-4)
(1) Great peace (v. 2b) "Seeing
that by thee we enjoy great quietness" Tertullus begins by telling Felix
that he had brought peace. Yet Felix had made no contribution to Roman peace at
all. The only occasion when Felix brought any peace was when he stopped a riot
that shouldn't have started in the first place. He did such a bad job of it
that he alienated everyone. He hadn't done anything that contributed to peace;
Tertullus was just flattering him. Many of the Jewish people didn't see the Pax
Romanus as peace at all. Calgacus, a chieftain who fought the Romans, said that
where the Romans "make a desolation, they call it `peace'" (Tacitus, Life
of Agricola, 29-30). It may have been peace for Rome, but it was oppression for
everyone else.
(2) Great deeds (v. 2c) "And that very worthy deeds are
done unto this nation by thy provision." I got out twelve different books
to try to find one good thing Felix did, and I couldn't find one. Whatever good
Tertullus said he did history didn't record. Notice that Tertullus offered no
specifics, only generalities. Felix had driven off an Egyptian impostor, which
ignited a revolution. He did quell a few riots. But he certainly passed no
reforms of any consequence. He did many bad things. He assassinated Jonathan,
the high priest, because he didn't like him (Josephus, Antiquities, 20.8.5).
That is not the way to become popular with the Jews. The historian Tacitus says
that he "believed himself free to commit any crime" (Annals 12:53).
In other words, he thought he could do any evil and get away with it. (Hmm sounds like some of our modern Politicians’)
Tacitus also said that he indulged in every kind of barbarity and lust (Histories
5:9). I don't believe Felix had done very worthy deeds.
(3) Great thankfulness (v. 3) "We accept it always, and
in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness." Tertullus
emphasized his statement with "always" and "all." I can
imagine the Jewish leaders staring in disbelief. I know why they hired a
lawyer; they could never have said what Tertullus did with a straight face. I
know Felix didn't believe it. I think he enjoyed listening to the flattery
because he knew the Jewish leaders had to stand there and endure what Tertullus
said about him. There was certainly nothing noble about Felix at all.
(4) Great brevity (v. 4) "Notwithstanding, that I be
not further tedious unto thee, I beseech thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy
clemency [yieldedness--a willingness to give place to another] a few
words." Tertullus claimed that he didn't want to continue to recite all
the things he had been saying so as not to be tedious to Felix. The real truth
was he didn't have anything more to say. The idea of not being tedious was very
common. There is historical evidence that orators often began their speech by
saying that it would be brief. They said that so they could elicit the
concentration of the hearer at the beginning. Their speeches didn't always turn
out to be brief, but it was a good way to win immediate attention. Felix
enjoyed the flattery of Tertullus because the Jewish leaders had to listen to
all his flattery. But that was Tertullus's job, and he did it well.
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