But certain Jews of Asia, who ought to be present before thee and to accuse, if they had anything against me:
ους δει επι σου παρειναι και κατηγορειν ει τι εχοιεν προς με
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Then he points to their identity, and, disregarding it, says: these were certain Asian Jews, who ought to have appeared before you and accused me, if they had anything against me. He rightly appeals to the accusers from Asia, saying, “These were certain Asian Jews, who ought to have appeared before you and accused me, if they had anything against me.” He was so confident of his innocence of the charges brought against him that he himself summons the accusers.
The defensive speech of the Apostle Paul had a stronger effect on the procurator. Felix dismissed the accusers, promising to reconsider the case when the tribune 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 restrain him, and not to forbid any of his own people to serve him or come to him (vv. 10-23).
Before this he had not been in Jerusalem for five years. When he returned with alms for the poor of his people and with offerings for the temple, the Jews found him in the temple, where he was peacefully purifying himself according to the law. He was innocent of the riot that followed. It had been stirred up by certain Asian Jews, who ought to have been present as witnesses. Their absence proved the weakness of the accusation against him.
“And they found me in the temple and seized me.” It was not those who now accuse me, saying, “we took him” (v. 6), but certain Asian Jews. They ought to be accusing me here, if they truly have anything with which to accuse me. Yet they are not here. That is, they dare not appear, because their accusations against me are empty, unsubstantiated, and founded on nothing (Acts 21:28-29).
The apostle’s reference to his performance of the rite of purification also indicates that he is not a destroyer of the traditions of the fathers, but a fulfiller of them.
The Asian Jews were witnesses of this, the fiercest enemies of Paul. Yet even they could not deny what they had seen him doing in the temple.
Thus the demand that they be present at the trial is just. This is all the more so because they were the very ones who first began the disturbance against Paul.
As though defending this demand of Paul, Saint John Chrysostom says: “The defense is especially strong in this, that he does not flee from his accusers, but is ready to answer all.
They found me purified in the temple. How then did he defile it? It was impossible for one and the same man to purify himself and pray, and at the same time to come and defile the church.
Paul was so confident of his purity from the accusations brought against him that he himself summons the accusers. He does not reject the accusers, not only the Asian ones, but also those of Jerusalem.
He summons these also, adding, ‘Let these very men say.’”
“He cannot be answerable for the tumult that was then produced. Certain Asian Jews began it. They should have been brought before the court. Their absence here serves as proof of the worthlessness of the accusations brought against him.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 18 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS