Paul was a prisoner in Caesarea protected by the Romans from Jews in Jerusalem.  The Jews had plotted to kill Paul.  A Roman commander protected him by sending him under heavy guard to Caesarea at night.

Governor Felix read the report about Paul and waited for his accusers to come from Jerusalem.  Five days later, they arrived.  The high priest Ananias and some of the elders came.  The governor, the accusers and Paul were present. A Jewish attorney named Tertullus brought charges against Paul.  (Acts 24:1-2)

Being religious does not make anyone morally upright.  Integrity and moral uprightness is a choice people make, whether they are religious or not.

The Roman commander in Jerusalem and the governor in Caesarea were morally upright…and they may not have been religious.  The Jewish religious leaders and Tertullus the attorney were morally corrupt.

“Listen” to the attorney as he stated his case before the governor.
(NASB) Acts 24:2-9 “…‘Since we have through you attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation,
3 we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.
4 ‘But that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing.
5 ‘For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
6 ‘And he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. [We wanted to judge him according to our own Law.
7 ‘But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands,
8 ordering his accusers to come before you.]  By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.’
9 The Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.”

What do I learn from the accusatory finger-pointing Jewish leader’s attorney?  The motives and goals of the Jews were not honoring their God.  The religious Jews lied; they twisted the truth of the circumstances for their own ends.  Misrepresentation and unscrupulous motives revealed their moral corruption.

Being religious does not make anyone morally upright.

Jesus called the Jewish religious leaders “Hypocrites!” (Matthew 23:13-33)
Moral corruption is like a white washed tomb…it may look clean on the outside but inside it stinks – filled with deadness! (Matthew 23:27)

(NIV) Proverbs 19:28 “A corrupt witness mocks at justice, and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.”

How did Paul respond to such accusations?  Truth.  He stated truth.
Tomorrow we will look at what he said.