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| 1 After and five days went down the high-priest Ananias with the elders and an orator Tertullus certain, who appeared before the governor against the Paul. |
Tertullus – A Roman lawyer; by his skill they hoped to prove that Paul was a dangerous character--a sort of anarchist. R4499:2, 3194:3
Governor – Felix; of not too savory a reputation, he was the judge--there were no jurors. R4499:1,3, 2
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| 2 Having been called and of him, began to accuse the Tertullus, saying: |
By thee we enjoy – Flattery of this kind, undeserved praise, is extremely reprehensible; totally contrary to the principles which govern the Lord's followers. It is dishonesty, hypocrisy. R3194:2
Great quietness – Shrewdly the Roman attorney complimented the governor along the lines of his efficiency in preserving the peace and putting down every form of insurrection. R4499:2
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| 3 Great peace enjoying through thee, and worthy deed being done to the nation this through of the of thy foresight, in every thing and everywhere we accept, O most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. |
Most noble Felix – Felix, one of the most corrupt and oppressive rulers ever sent by the Romans into Judea. R3194:2, 1564:5
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| 4 That and not to longer thee I may detain, I beseech to hear thee of us briefly in the thy elemency. |
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| 5 We have found for the man this a pestilence, and exciting a sedition in all the Jews those in the habitable, a leader and of the of the Nazarene sect, |
This man – The lawyer requested that the governor should continue his praiseworthy course and rid the land of an obnoxious trouble-maker, the Apostle. R4499:2
A pestilent fellow – All who endeavor to withstand error in its popular forms must expect to bear the same reproach. R577:5
Mover of sedition – Raiser of tumults. R3194:3
Disloyalty to the Roman government. R1564:2
The valiant for the truth have always been considered enemies by the nominal mass. R577:5
Throughout the world – It was claimed that the Apostle made trouble the whole world over amongst both Jews and Greeks. R4499:2, 3194:3
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| 6 who also the temple attempted to profane; whom also we apprehended, and according to the our law we wished to judge. |
Profane the temple – He charged that the prisoner was guilty of sacrilege--that he had defiled the Temple, and the inference was deducible that he had caused rioting within the holy sanctuary. R4499:2
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| 7 Having come but Lysias the commander, with a great force out of the hands of us led away, |
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| 8 having commanded the accusers of him to come to thee. from whom thou wilt be able thyself, having examined closely, concerning all of these things to have knowledge, of which we accuse him. |
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| 9 United in impeaching and also the Jews, asserting these things thus to be. |
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| 10 Answered and the Paul, nodding to him the governor to speak: From many years being thee a judge to the nation this knowing, more cheerfully the things concerning myself I defend; |
To speak – The Apostle neither upbraided nor reproved him; nor did he utter any words of flattery. R3194:2
It is no more obligatory for the Lord's people to denounce every wrongdoer they meet than to tell all homely persons of their lack of beauty. R3194:2
Many years a judge – Paul opened his defense by remarking that he was gratified that his judge was well acquainted with Jewish customs. R4499:2
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| 11 being able of thee to know, that not more are to me days twelve, from which I went up to worship in Jerusalem. |
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| 12 And neither in the temple they found me with any one disputing, or a tumult making of a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city; |
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| 13 nor to prove are they able, concerning which now they accuse me. |
Neither can they prove – Paul challenged his accusers to produce proofs of their charges--denying their ability to prove them. R3194:5
No witness had testified, nor was it true, that he was found in the Temple even disputing or gathering a crowd. R4499:3
They now accuse me – His answer was logical and complete. R4499:3
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| 14 I confess but this to thee, that according to the way, which they called a sect, so I serve the patriarchal God, believing all things those according to the law and those in the prophets having been written: |
I – Paul. F665
Thee – Felix. F655
They – Many. R1570:6
Heresy – It was necessary for the Apostle to explain that the Jews had an antipathy against him, because of his different belief and not because of any wrong doing. R4499:3
He denied that it was heresy against the Jewish religion, and a sect or split-off party. R3194:5
Truth is generally classed as heresy, yet all that is termed heresy is not truth. R1564:2, 3792:4
Those who deny the Bible's testimony are recognized as orthodox, while those who teach and expound the Bible faithfully are recognized as heretics. R3792:3
Paul's kind of heresy is the kind all the saints should have. R1564:2
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| 15 A hope having in the God, which even they themselves are looking for, a resurrection about to be of dead ones, of just ones and also unjust ones. |
They themselves – The Pharisees. R2611:3
There shall be – The Word of the Lord standeth sure. SM53:1
This hope was made meaningless when the idea prevailed that the Church was to gain her reward at death. HG267:6
A resurrection – Greek, anastasis; means a full, complete raising up out of death conditions into perfection of life conditions. R3195:1, 1512:4, 413:3, 384:5; HG228:6
The Apostle was declaring not only his faith that Christ Jesus was not dead, but also his faith that God would in due time grant the world a resurrection. R3195:1
This is the age of generation, and the one to follow is the age of re-generation. (Matt. 19:28) R351:1
A gradual resurrection which will require the entire thousand years. R4989:5; Q818:4
That will be the time for the precious merit of Jesus' sacrifice to bring its blessed results of restitution to whosoever will receive the same. NS804:2
In all the Apostle's preaching he laid special stress upon this doctrine. R4499:5
Of the dead – Dead souls, beings. R1510:3
It is not the resurrection of the body that the Bible teaches, but a resurrection of the soul, and that "God will give it a body," (1 Cor. 15:38) at the time of awakening. R4499:6, 5017:5
A resurrection of the dead implies that they are dead. SM101:T; R5017:4, 4521:3, 3854:5, 2611:3
The error of supposing men are alive when they are dead lies close to the foundation of every theological error. R5131:3, 4521:3
Not believing in anybody's being dead it would be impossible for them to believe in the resurrection of the dead. R3194:6
The basis of this hope is Jesus only, who is "The resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) R822:6*
"If there is no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." (1 Cor. 15:13, 18) A60; C117; E345
God intends that those in the tomb shall have an awakening. R5108:3; F664
The moment of their awakening will be their next moment of consciousness following their decease. NS519:1
God's Word stands pledged for a future life for humanity. HG646:2
The entire human race. R1213:5*, 1043:5
All men will eventually be raised from the first death to the second life. R1436:6*
St. Paul held to the fundamental Jewish doctrine of a resurrection of the dead, whereby God's blessing will ultimately come to Israel, and through Israel to all the families of the earth. R4499:3
The awakening time will be the morning, as the present is the night-time of sin and darkness. OV139:3
The Scriptures never suggested the absurdity of the resurrection of the living. R3854:5
A dead man is dead, and knows nothing; his only hope is in the divine arrangement through Christ, by a resurrection of the dead. R5131:6
The theory of the everlasting torment of the wicked, based upon the theory that the human soul cannot die, is contrary to both the Old and the New Testament. R2611:4
Both – The Apostle refers both to the Church and the world. NS837:6
The resurrection is in this text divided into two parts. Similarly the prophet Daniel, speaking of the matter, divides it into two parts. (Dan. 12:2) HG228:4
"All that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of judgment." (John 5:27-29) R1618:2, 1374:1, 1359:2, 1248:2, 1213:5*, 1018:1*; HG685:5; 228:5; NS556:5; SM35:2
Of the just – Souls, beings. R1510:3
Those in a justified condition. R5608:5, 4989:1, 3195:2, 1508:5; NS316:4
The elect few of the Jewish age, and the elect few of this age. OV146:4; R4989:1
Those who will have part in the first resurrection; they shall come forth to life-resurrection. R4989:3, 1512:1; SM30:1, 35:1; NS556:5
The first resurrection is at the second coming of Christ, and only the saints of the Gospel age share in it. R4118:6
The Church class will come forth to glory, honor, and immortality. R5446:1, 5017:5, 4534:1, 4527:5
First for the Church, and subsequently for the world. R4527:5, 4534:1
And unjust – Souls, beings. R1510:3
The souls of both good and bad slept. R5611:5
Those not yet justified. R5608:5, 3915:2, 1508:5
The Apostle's faith in a resurrection is not only for those now justified, but includes a hope of perfecting many now ignorant, sinful, unjustified. R1512:1; NS283:2
The sacrifice of Christ secures for all mankind, however vile, an awakening from death. R2612:4
Including the Sodomites. R1618:2
To judgments, disciplines, rewards and punishments. R5446:1, 5017:6, 1512:1; SM30:1, 35:1
The world of mankind will come forth from the tomb imperfect, as they went into it and will have a test to prove whether they are worthy of eternal life. SM40:1; R5446:1, 4989:5
The object of their awakening being to give them a favorable opportunity to secure everlasting life. R2596:2, 4500:1, 1359:2, 721:6
This signifies an opportunity of rising up out of sin and death conditions to human perfection. HG720:5
An everlasting continuance of life may be had only upon the condition of full obedience to the divine requirements. R1642:5, 2612:4, 1043:5*
The entire human race will be given a full knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4), and full ability to live R1213:5*
Vast multitudes of them will be saved. R4118:6
The hope for the world does not lie in any "ray of divinity" inherent in man. R822:6*
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| 16 In this and myself I exercise, a clear conscience to have towards the God and the men always. |
Void of offence – A conscience that is clear. R2671:2
Striving to do that which would be pleasing to the Lord, in full harmony with our covenant of sacrifice. R5425:2, 2671:2
"Having our heart sprinkled from a conscience of evil." (Heb. 10:22) R2671:3
And toward men – Justly have the approval of righteous men. R5425:2
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| 17 In the course of years and many I came alms bringing to the nation of me, and offerings. |
Alms to my nation – The offerings of Gentiles. R4499:5
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| 18 In which they found me having been purified in the temple, not with a crowd, nor with a tumult. Some and from the Asia Jews, |
Purified in the temple – According to the Jewish ceremonial, which symbolized full consecration to God. R1564:5
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| 19 who ought before thee to be present, and to accuse if anything they may have against me. |
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| 20 Or these themselves let them say, what they found in me crime, having stood of me before the sanhedrim; |
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| 21 or concerning one this voice, which cried out standing among them: That concerning a resurrection of dead ones I am judged to-day by you. |
The resurrection – One of the most important doctrines of the New Testament. R1508:6
Judgment-resurrection, a perfecting obtainable only through judgments, discipline, etc. R1512:1; SM30:1
The only adequate rallying cry for the Church of the living God. R1436:6*
Called in question – The primary question was whether or not Jesus had risen from the dead. NS282:6
"When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked." ( Acts 17:32) HG347:4
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| 22 Put off but them the Felix, more accurately knowing the things concerning the way, saying: When Lysias the commander may come down, I will inquire into the things about you. |
Felix – The Roman Governor. R932:1, 1564:5
Lysias – Who made the arrest. R4500:1
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| 23 Having given orders and to the centurion to keep him, to have and liberty, and no one to forbid of the own friends of him to assist, for to come to him. |
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| 24 After and days some having come the Felix with Drusilia the wife, being a Jewess, he sent for the Paul, and heard him concerning the into Anointed faith. |
His wife Drusilla – Who was really the wife of King Azizus. R3195:4
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| 25 Discoursing and of him concerning justice and self-control and of the judgment that being about to come, terrified being the Felix answered: The present being go thou; a season and having found I will call thee. |
He reasoned – Felix was not a Christian, so Paul did not speak of the Christian's higher hopes and privileges. R932:1, 653:4
He took what truth Felix already admitted and showed the reasonable deductions. R932:4
Of righteousness – The righteousness of the Law, the inability of the fallen man to keep its requirements except in and through Christ, and thus the necessity of accepting Christ. R3195:3
Temperance – Self-government in view of the judgment to come. R722:1
Self-restraint and opposition to natural tendencies. R3195:3
The wisest course for any man to pursue. R932:4
Judgment to come – Or trial, for the world of mankind--the Millennial day. R4500:1
The obedient shall be blessed, uplifted, raised up to perfection; the willfully disobedient shall be destroyed in the second death. R4500:1
In which righteousness shall surely triumph. R2099:5*
In which all deflections from righteousness will be rewarded with stripes proportionate to knowledge. R3195:3
A coming time when "the holy Spirit will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment." (John 16:8) A309
Eternal destinies are not fixed, as a result of the present life. R4500:1
There was no attempt on this or any other occasion to scare the unbeliever with threats of eternal torment. R932:2, 4500:4
The deeds of the present life will have much to do with the future. R4500:1, 722:1
There is another order of judgment going on now in which the rulership of this world is being judged, and is about to be cast out. R527:1*
Felix trembled – He was conscience stricken. R4500:4
Realizing that according to the standards presented he would have many stripes to bear in the future. R3195:4, 4500:4, 1564:5, 756:3*
A convenient season – A time when sin will make no objection to being ousted. R3195:3
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| 26 At the same time also hoping, that money will be given to him by the Paul, so that he might loose him; therefore and oftener him sending for talked with him. |
He hoped also – As a result of Paul's statement in his defense, that he had come to Jerusalem with alms for the Jewish people. (vs. 17) R3195:3
Felix considered that in Paul he had a good opportunity for receiving a bribe for the performance of justice. R3195:3
Money – To sell his talents for money. R4499:4
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| 27 Two years but being ended received a successor the Felix Porcius Festus; wishing and favors to lay in store for himself with the Jews the Felix, left the Paul having been bond. |
Two years – Paul remained a prisoner two years, comfortably provided for, preparing for the further services of his important life, and writing several epistles. R4500:4,3
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