Acts 24:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See how he inclines the judge to punish Paul, as though it were necessary to restrain the corrupter of the whole world. He speaks as though they were deliberating over a great matter. "A mover of sedition," he says, "among the Jews throughout the world." They accuse him as a plague and a common enemy of the people, and as a leader of the Nazarene heresy. The name Nazarene was considered reproachful. Therefore they added this too, setting it down as a reproach against him, because Nazareth was an insignificant city.

To belong to the number of the Nazarenes was considered shameful. Therefore Tertullus also disparaged Paul on this point, because Nazareth was an insignificant city. He calls the Nazarenes heretics, as though such a sect also existed among the Jews. But Tertullus was a Greek, and for this reason he acted as orator or accuser against Paul.

They knew that He was conceived in the womb at Nazareth and brought up in Joseph’s house. Therefore in the Gospel He is called Jesus the Nazarene, as the apostles also say: “Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by signs and wonders” (Acts 2:22), and so forth.

They also applied this name to themselves and began to be called Nazarenes, not Nazirite, which translated means sanctified.

For in the Old Testament this was reckoned as a dignity for the firstborn and for those dedicated to God. Among them was Samson, and others after him, and many before him.

John the Baptist was also one of those dedicated to God. He drank neither wine nor strong drink. For such men even the very manner of life was appointed, corresponding to their dignity.

The accusation brought here by the Sanhedrin against Paul consisted solely of what could have significance in the eyes of the Roman government regarding the Jews. They accused Paul of everywhere violating the rights granted to the Jews for peaceful use within the empire. They said that he was causing disturbances and divisions among them, and that recently he had dared to profane the temple. They complained against the tribune, saying that he had hindered the Jews from judging Paul according to the rights granted to them.

After five days Paul's accusers appeared in Caesarea: the high priest Ananias with the elders. They had armed themselves with an advocate, the orator Tertullus, who delivered the accusation against Paul before the procurator (vv. 1-9). Yet the eloquence of this speaker did not achieve its purpose.

The rhetor expresses the general accusation against Paul by calling him a plague of society. This vividly indicates that they, the members of the Sanhedrin whose case the rhetor is now conducting, found him to be such after a supposed inquiry and investigation.

The word plague is used here to designate a man who brings every kind of spiritual infection into society, and who preaches and acts destructively toward society.

After this general accusation come the particular points of accusation. Paul is accused first of stirring up sedition among the Jews living in the Roman state.

This accusation is plainly political in character. The Jews also made a similar accusation against the Lord Jesus Christ Himself before Pilate (see Lk 23:2; Lk 2:5 and note; cf. Acts 17:6).

The orator’s accusation against the Apostle Paul centers on calling him a plague of society and an instigator of sedition throughout the whole world.

All these are high-sounding phrases. Even Felix, most inventive in evil, could find nothing real in them in the sense of what is called the substance of a crime.

This was especially so because Felix could not feel any calling to pacify the world, and still less to heal imaginary plagues of society, since in reality he himself was such a plague.

The accusation of defiling the temple was more definite. Yet this could move Felix even less as Roman procurator.