Speaking of the "Jews from Asia" (verse 18), Paul objects that they "ought to have

been here before thee". The Apostle was certainly within his rights in demanding the

presence of witnesses.

It becomes clear as the account proceeds that Felix is convinced of Paul's innocence,

and the case therefore breaks down. The differences that existed between Paul and his

Jewish accusers were of no importance in the eyes of the Roman law, as the doctrine of

the Nazarenes had not yet been proscribed as a religio illicita. Felix had a "more

accurate knowledge of that way" (Acts 24: 22) than either the Jews or Tertullus had

supposed, and the trial is postponed on the ground that Lysias, a most important witness,

was not present.

Felix's wife at this time was a Jewess, Drusilla, and it is possible also that he may

have known Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort. All this, no doubt, helped to

mitigate the severity of the Apostle's remand.

Felix would have laid himself open to severe punishment if he had taken a bribe--the

lex Julia de repetundis (B.C.59) forbade any magistrate to receive money or articles of

value, the penalty being deportation or exile--but these penalties were often evaded, and

we read the Felix kept Paul bound for two years, hoping that "money should have been

given him". At the end of this period Felix is replaced by Porcius Festus, and, "willing to

show the Jews a pleasure", he leaves Paul still a prisoner.

Here for the moment we must stop. The concluding part of the trial we shall hope to

deal with in our next article.

The two years during which Paul had remained in bonds at Cæsarea did not see any

abatement in the Jews' feelings of hatred towards him. Upon the arrival of Festus, the

new governor, the Jews, knowing that a new governor was likely to do things that would

put him in the good graces of the people, informed him that Paul was till unpunished, and

suggested that he should be sent to Jerusalem--"laying wait in the way to kill him"

(Acts xxv.3). Festus, however, apparently saw through their scheme and said:

The High Priest had asked as a "favour" the handing over of Paul to the Jews. The

governor answered that they would get Roman justice instead, and so Paul's life was