For thou mayest understand that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to adore in Jerusalem:
δυναμενου σου γνωναι οτι ου πλειους εισιν μοι ημεραι δεκαδυο αφ ης ανεβην προσκυνησων εν ιερουσαλημ
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Since the accuser could not point to anything Paul had done in Jerusalem, see what he says: "among the Jews throughout the world." He adds lie to lie. Therefore Paul, in refutation of this, says, "I came to worship." He thereby defends himself as if saying: I am very far from causing a disturbance.
Paul says: I am so far from raising disturbances that I came to Jerusalem to worship. He dwells on this thought because it presented strong proof of his innocence.
The defensive speech of the Apostle Paul had a stronger effect on the procurator. Felix dismissed the accusers, promising them that he would review the case when the commander Lysias came. Until then, he granted the prisoner Paul even greater freedom than he had enjoyed before. He ordered the centurion assigned to him not to restrict him, and not to forbid any of his own people to serve him or come to him (vv. 10-23).
He could verify that only twelve days had passed since the feast of Pentecost, for which the Apostle had come with no seditious aims at all, but simply to pray in Jerusalem. During that time he had not conversed with anyone and had no occasion to gather crowds or cause a disturbance, whether in the temple, in the synagogue, or in any part of the city. Therefore he decisively refuted the first and third points of the accusation, and demanded that the Jews present witnesses to confirm them.
“You can ascertain,” and so forth. After this general introduction the apostle points to one circumstance that makes his defense easier. He had only recently arrived in Jerusalem, and his conduct there could be investigated exactly while the traces were still fresh.
Such an inquiry would prove the injustice of the accusations brought against him.
Paul indicates that he had arrived in Jerusalem no more than twelve days before. This is such a short time that one can investigate and learn exactly what he did there.
Moreover, Paul indicates that he came there as a pilgrim, to worship in the temple of the one true God. Therefore he did not come to mock lawful temple worship or to defile the holy place of worship.
On the contrary, he came for purposes of reverent devotion. However, he speaks about this point of accusation in greater detail below, verses 17-21.
Here he only adds an observation against the accusation that he is a stirrer of sedition among the Jews.
As for stirring up sedition among the Jews living throughout the Roman state, the apostle does not even consider it his duty to defend himself against this. First, it is a baseless accusation that the accusers will not prove, verse 13.
Second, it does not fall under the jurisdiction of either the Sanhedrin or the Jewish procurator. Their jurisdiction includes only crimes committed in their own country.
What was done in other provinces falls under the jurisdiction of the judicial institutions of those provinces.
The defensive speech of the holy Apostle Paul before Felix began at Felix’s indication, and therefore it was unprepared and natural. Paul considered it necessary to speak about Felix, specifically about his judicial experience.
The word “justly” is not found in the Greek text, though it was known even to Saint John Chrysostom. He says, “He does not add ‘justly’ without purpose, but so that the judge may look neither to the high priest, nor to the people, nor to the accuser.”
Paul could have heard this recently from those in the praetorium who were comforting him.
The apostle begins his defense by drawing attention to the time of his stay in Judea. It was so brief, twelve days, that he could not even have committed what they accuse him of doing.
For example, no popular disturbance can be caused so quickly by a man who has come from far away.
According to Saint John Chrysostom, the apostle draws great force of proof from the time: “For many years,” he says, “you have judged. By this he shows that the judge himself knows that he has done none of the things of which they accuse him.
If he had ever stirred up sedition, the judge would have known it, and it would not have escaped him.”
From the year 53 to the year 58, when Paul delivered this speech, five years of Felix’s procuratorship had passed. Since procurators were then frequently changed, Felix’s administration was comparatively long. Therefore the apostle could say, “many years.”
“So far am I,” says the apostle, “from raising sedition, that I came to Jerusalem to worship.” He dwells on this thought because it offered strong proof of his innocence.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 16 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS