1. The Assembly of the Court (verse 1)
2. The Prosecution (verses 2-9)
3. The Defense (verses 10-21)
4. The Verdict (verses 22-23)

I invite you to open in your Bibles to Acts, chapter 24. This morning, we will be looking at the first 23 verses of this chapter. We are going to see Paul falsely accused. We are going to see him give his defense. The title of my message this morning is, “False Accusations.”

If you have lived for any length of time, you know what false accusations are. When people hear something about you, which isn’t true. Then, these accusations arise and come against you based upon what others believe that you did, which isn’t even true. Or you did something, and you are misunderstood, and so, someone festers ill feelings toward you, for something that’s not even true. That’s a false accusation. And it hurts. It hurts deeply. The more public and prominent you try to live, the more will come the criticisms. The more misunderstandings there will be. The more false accusations there will be.

This is the reality of the Christian life. We will be misunderstood, especially by the world, who thinks that we are foolish for believing in Christ. Our comfort is this, that Jesus faced false accusations. He knows the feelings. He knows the trials that come with it. He knows the injustice of it all. In fact, he knows it better than anybody, because he faced the most injustice of anyone who ever has walked the planet. We all have sinned. To some extent, we deserve to die for our sins. But Jesus didn’t sin. Of anyone who has ever lived, he is the only one who never deserved to die. Yet, he was put before a kangaroo court, with trumped up charges and false accusations, and he died as a result.

A group of us gather every Sunday morning at 9am in the basement for prayer. It’s not an exclusive group. You all are invited (and encouraged) to come. Each Sunday morning, we often begin with about 5 minutes of reading a portion of Scripture and thinking about it. That the beginning of our praying time might be centered around a portion of Scripture. Usually, these verses come from the Fighter Verses, that we would encourage you all to memorize. Anyway, the verses that we looked at and prayed over, come from Philippians, chapter 3. Where Paul is setting forth his religious credentials and saying that they are like rubbish to him, like the stink of the outhouse. Then, he writes of how he longs to know God. He says, "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).

Well, today, we are going to see Paul experience the same sort of sufferings that Christ experienced. That is, being falsely accused. An appropriate application for all of us comes if and when we are falsely accused, or misunderstood, or maligned for doing what it right. So, let’s read our text:

Acts 24:1-6
And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.

At this point, I want to make a brief observation about the verse numbers. If you have an ESV, you see that the verse numbers jump from 6 to 8, skipping verse 7. It’s because there is a textual variation. Some texts include verse 7. Most of the earlier texts that we have don’t include the verse. That’s why the ESV has put the translation in the footnotes. This is one of those instances where those who are against Christianity will say, “Oh, but there are errors in the Bible.” Well, this is the sort of passage that they might refer to. But realize whether Luke (the author of Acts) actually wrote these words or not, makes no difference at all regarding the meaning of this text. So, I will read them for you now, so you hear them.

Acts 24:7-27
"By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”^[1]

The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

My first point this morning comes from verse 1.

1. The Assembly of the Court (verse 1)

That is, we see the judge, the prosecution and the defense, all together in one place. Felix is the judge. Tertullus is the prosecuting attorney. Paul is making his own defense. We see the court assembled in verse 1.

Acts 24:1
And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

The first phrase of verse 1 call us to some review. “After five days” means “Five days after the events of chapter 23.” Acts 23 tell the story of how Paul was transferred from a jail in Jerusalem, to a jail in Caesarea. And now, five days after his transfer, this trial is taking place. But that sort of begs the question: why was Paul in jail in the first place? You won’t understand this section of Scripture without understanding why Paul was in jail in Caesarea in the first place.

Since it was about two months ago before Thanksgiving that we were in the book of Acts, it would be helpful for us to review. So, let’s go back to Acts 21 and 22, which tell us about Paul coming to Jerusalem. He was coming with a boatload of cash, given by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to distribute to the Christians in Jerusalem, who were suffering.

When Paul first came to Jerusalem, he went to James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, to seek his counsel regarding the ethos of the city. James counseled him to purify himself and offer a vow in the temple, as there were some Christians who were hesitant about Paul’s teaching about Moses. It would be prudent of Paul if he would offer this vow in the temple. It would be helpful for his reception among the Christians. So, that’s what Paul did for his first week in Jerusalem. He purified himself, and offered up a vow with other Christians in the temple. But when he was in the temple purifying himself, some Jews saw him and began a riot! And they

Acts 21:28-30
stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.

It was only because of the watchful eye of the Roman guards that Paul was saved a painful death at the hand of the mob. Chapter 22 records how Paul tried to calm the crowds, by giving them his testimony. That only caused further riots (Acts 22:22). So, Paul was brought into the jail. It was only his Roman citizenship that saved him being tortured by the Romans (Acts 22:29).

So, the next day, the Romans arranged for the Jews to convene a counsel so that the Romans might know “the real reason why [Paul] was being accused by the Jews” (Acts 21:30). But that turned bad when Paul mentioned the resurrection. The Sadducees and Pharisees began to argue between themselves, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection and began to justify Paul. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection and began to argue with the Pharisees. The dissension became violent. And so, again, to rescue Paul, he was brought into custody again.

But when a plot was made against his life, Paul was transferred to Caesarea, away from the hostilities in Jerusalem. It was now “five days” after his transfer to Caesarea (verse 1), that the court assembled.

Acts 24:1
And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

So, before we listen to the case, we need to grasp who the main players are. Ananias was the high priest. He was the one ultimately responsible for the religious activities of the Jews. It makes sense that he would make the effort to travel to Caesarea to deal with this case, as the disturbance in the temple had been quite large. The elders that came were probably the elders of Jerusalem.

Tertullus it identified here as “a spokesman.” He was the star lawyer. The Perry Mason, the Johnnie Cochraine the Camille Vasquez of his day. Perhaps you have seen the billboards, advertising for all of the millions of dollars that a certain lawyer has won for his clients. Tertullus was the guy. “The governor” was a man named “Felix.” In A. D. 52, Claudius appointed him governor of Judea. One ancient historian, Tacitus, described Felix as “a master of cruelty and lust.” During his reign, there were many political uprisings, which he would often put down using brutal methods. Not particularly the best impartial judge to stand before. But here goes the trial.

Acts 24:2
And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

Here’s the prosecuting attorney, laying out his case. This is my second point.

2. The Prosecution (verses 2-9)

Tertullus begins by addressing the judge, Felix, the governor. In our day, the lawyers before the Supreme Court simply say, “May it please the court.” Tertullus, on the other hand, went with flattery.

Acts 24:2-3
“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude.

Now everything he says here was a lie. There wasn’t “much peace” during his days. There weren’t any good “reforms” that took place during his rule. And the Jews, who Tertullus represented, were not really so “grateful” for his reign. As one commentator said (Richard Longenecker), “Few would have joined in any expression of ‘profound gratitude’ for the governor’s frequent displays of ferocity, cruelty, and greed.” Yet, these lies played right into the vanity of Felix. He loved the praise of men. He loved it when others spoke well of him. The fact that Tertullus would use such flattery, only sheds light on the character of Tertullus.

As Proverbs 26:28 says, A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. The ruin here was directed at Paul. In verse 24, Tertullus gets on with his accusations:

Acts 24:4-67
But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.

[and we would have judged him according to our law. [But the chief captain Lysian came and with great violence took him out of our hands, [commanding his accusers to come before you]

Basically, Tertullus lays out three accusations against Paul:

1. Paul is a disturber of the peace.
2. Paul is a leader of a false religion.
3. Paul is a profaner of the temple.

Each of these accusations were patently false. Paul was not a disturber of the peace. Paul was not a leader of a false religion. Paul was not a profaner of the temple. Yet, this is the nature of false accusations. They are false! Now, with each of these accusations (as with most false accusations), sometimes there is some kernel of truth.

Regarding the first accusation, Paul’s ministry was indeed the catalyst of some public unrest. All you need to do is trace through the missionary journeys of Paul and you'll find great hostility against Paul. This hostility at times, manifested itself in riots like in Lystra (Acts 14:19), Philippi (Acts 16:20-22), Thessalonica (Acts 17:5), and Ephesus (Acts 19:20). But great public unrest was not always the norm. Sometimes, the hostility of the town was personally directed at Paul and his companions like in Psidian Antioch (Acts 13:50), and Corinth (Acts 18:6). Sometimes, like in Athens, he was simply mocked for his preaching the gospel. But Tertullus calls him, “a plague” (Acts 24:5) Some translations call him “a troublemaker” (NIV). Others translate this a “pest” (NASB 1995) or “a pestilent fellow” (KJV, ASV). Or even, “a public menace” (Amplified Bible).

But this is the reality of the gospel! Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household" (Matthew 10:34-36).

For sure, the gospel brings division and conflict. When some believe in Christ, and others don’t, there is a division between them. Sometimes to the separation of families. With Paul, bringing the gospel into towns and cities for the first time, often caused a division in the city. But Paul wasn’t the one stirring up the riots. He wasn’t the one calling people together to revolt. He wasn’t the one whipping the people into a frenzy. It was others who hated the message that he brought, who stirred up the crowds. So, there was a kernel of the truth in the fact that Paul was 1. a disturber of the peace. But it was really those who opposed him who disturbed the peace.

Regarding the second accusation, Paul was not 2. a leader of a false religion. In verse 5, Tertullus called him “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” This is a derogatory reference to Christianity. Jesus was from Nazareth, and Nazareth, for some reason, didn’t have a good reputation. Do you remember when Nathaniel was first called to come and see Jesus of Nazareth? He said, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth” (John 1:46). So, calling Paul “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” was a derogatory reference, calling him a leader of a religion that has no good in it at all. Also, by calling it a “sect,” Tertullus was placing Christianity outside of Judaism, and claimed it was false.

The third accusation was that Paul was 3. a profaner of the temple. This is flat out not true. Paul understood the sacredness of the temple to the Jews. and he would never profane the temple. and he never did. Such is the nature of some false accusations. They aren’t even close to the truth. Now, in verse 8, Tertullus closes his case.

Acts 24:8
By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

To this, we see the affirmation of the Jews who had come with Tertullus.

Acts 24:9
The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

In verse 10, we see the trial continuing on.

Acts 24:10
And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

This leads me to my third point.

3. The Defense (verses 10-21)

Paul begins, like Tertullus, except, he doesn’t flatter Felix, the judge. He simply says:

Acts 24:10
Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.

That’s simply an acknowledgement of the position of Felix as judge of the nation for many year. It’s an acknowledgement that he has experience, and should be competent to discern the truth. Paul continues on to address the three accusations against him. First of all, that he was A disturber of the peace? Paul says:

Acts 24:11-13
You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me.

In other words, “I’m being accused of inciting a riot in Jerusalem. But I haven’t had any time to stir up such a crowd. I went to worship in Jerusalem, but spent a week purifying myself with a vow. And five days ago was brought here! Felix, you can see for yourself, that I wasn’t gathering up a crowd, that I wasn’t trying to rebel against the Jewish authorities. This wasn’t even possible with the little time that I was in Jerusalem. I am not a disturber of the peace.”

Then, with respect to being A leader of a false religion? Paul admits that he is a follower of Jesus. But in doing so, Paul carefully points out that this “sect,” isn’t out of the mainstream. It’s not a new religion. Rather, it’s the fulfillment of everything that the Jews had been hoping for.

Acts 24:14-16
But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

Paul’s hope is our hope. We believe in the Jewish Scriptures. We believe in everything that Moses wrote. We believe in everything that is written in the prophets. We believe that Jesus raised from the dead, and when he returns, he will judge the living and the dead. That’s why it’s important for Paul to maintain “a clear conscience toward both God and man” (verse 16).

Is this your hope this morning? Do you believe in the Jewish Scriptures? Do you believe in everything that Moses wrote? Do you believe in everything that is written in the prophets? Do you believe in everything that was written about Jesus? That he lived a perfect life? That he was falsely accused by the religious leaders and put to death on the cross for our sins? That he was buried? That he rose from the dead? That he is coming again to judge the living and the dead? Do you believe (as the New City Catechism says) that your only hope in life and death is that you are not your own, but belong, body and soul, both in life and death to God and to our Savior, Jesus Christ? Can you say this with a clean conscience before God? That your only hope is Jesus, who lived the perfect life for you, and died for your sins? That you will stand before God, not because of the works that you have done in righteousness, not because of the righteousness that comes from the law. but because of the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus?

Listen to Paul:

Philippians 3:7-11
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

This is the hope of the gospel! This is our hope as a church! Is this your faith? It was Paul’s faith. He was a leader in proclaiming this faith. But it isn’t a false religion.

Now, regarding the third accusation, A disturber of the peace? A leader of a false religion? A profaner of the temple? Paul explains how he wasn’t profaning the temple. His time in the temple was one of purification.

Acts 24:17-19
Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me.

Paul’s heart was for the Jewish people. He came to Jerusalem with money, to give to Jewish Christians who were suffering in their poverty. He wasn’t arousing any crowd or drawing attention to himself. He was purified and in the temple. Then, he says (in verse 19), that those who began the riot know full well what happened. and that they should be called to witness to the truth of what Paul was saying. But, Paul doesn’t yet close his case. adding the only thing that he could ever be accused of any wrongdoing.

Acts 24:20-21
Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

Again, this is making the gospel clear. It’s about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In his defense, Paul is seeking to make this the issue. He is standing on trial before Felix for the same thing: the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Paul is masterful in his defense: Denying all of the false accusations with fact. But putting forth the gospel: the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. May we learn from this, whenever we are falsely accused or misunderstood, let us keep the gospel in the forefront of our defense. That means that we can confess our sin, because it’s forgiven by faith in Christ. That means that we can press the gospel upon those who don’t believe, that they might come to know Jesus as well.

OK, finally, we come to my final point.

4. The Verdict (verses 22-23)

Listen to what the judge decides:

Acts 24:22-23
But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

In other words, no decision. Let’s adjourn, until Lysias, the tribune comes. Lysias, if you remember, was the Roman soldier in charge of overseeing the temple grounds. He was right in the thick of everything that happened in the temple when the riot began. (This is what Paul was talking about in verses 19-20 “Let those who actually witnessed the event be here to charge me.”) And so, Felix said, “OK. We will wait until they come. But until then, you will still be kept in prison.” But Lysias never came. It was two years that Paul was in prison (verse 27) and when Felix left office, he kept Paul in prison.

The title of my message this morning is “False Accusations.” In my experience in life, this is often how it ends. Someone comes to you with a misunderstanding of something that you have done and you explain yourself. You think that your time with them has been clear, as you have put forth the truth, and it’s not resolved. People aren’t convinced People don’t believe you.

I have had many instances of talking with people, trying to explain myself, only to let it linger. To never be resolved. Such was the case with Paul. Such may be the case with us. Yet, we can be assured that the Lord sustained him in prison. "The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial" (Psalm 37:32-33). The Lord will sustain us as well, if we but put our refuge in him!

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on January 22, 2023 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.