When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. – Acts 24:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 15, 2024):  Acts 24

His name was the Antonius Felix. He was the Roman Procurator of the province of Judea from 52 - 60 C.E. The Roman Procurator had control of the finances of an area. However, for some minor provinces, which would seem to include Judea, the procurator had the power of the governor. Felix made the most of his power. Felix was a cruel man, and he encouraged those who found themselves in trouble to give him bribes. As a direct result of this effort, crime in Judea increased during his time in control of the Roman province. As long as the criminal activity was profitable, those who violated the law knew they could buy themselves out of trouble. Near the end of his time as Procurator, Felix also hired a hit team to take out Jonathan, the High Priest, shortly after Jonathan took office. Jonathan was stabbed by this sanctioned team and died in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Felix was finally removed from his position and taken back to Rome, charged with using a dispute between the Jews and the Syrians of Caesarea as a pretext to murder and an effort to steal the valuables of the inhabitants of the city. However, Felix's brother, Marcus Antonius Pallas, held some power in Rome and was able to allow Felix to escape unharmed.

Tertullus was a lawyer hired by the Jews to prosecute Paul's case in front of Felix. It is thought that Tertullus was a Hellenistic or secular Jew. Hellenistic Jews attempted to combine elements of Jewish religious tradition with elements of Greek culture. As with any prosecutor, he was looking for a guilty verdict against Paul, which would please his employers, so he employed whatever elements he thought would get him where he needed to go. And one of the rules of any courtroom is that you don't want the judge to be against you from the beginning. So, he begins presenting his case in front of Felix, saying, "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation." The words were intended to stroke Felix's ego, but they were untrue. The Jews, as was true with most of their governors, couldn't wait to see Felix leave the province. But at this moment, they wanted something from him, which they would get through bribes or flattering language. They knew Felix didn't care about the truth; he only wanted what would advance his position and fortune.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 25