Paulus
Paul Before Governor Felix
The high priest Ananias and the lawyer Tertullus accuse Paul of rebellion and attempting to desecrate the temple. Paul defends himself before Governor Felix and confesses his faith in the Way and the resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. Felix postpones the case but later summons Paul together with his wife Drusilla to hear about faith in Christ Jesus. He hopes for a bribe and keeps Paul imprisoned for two more years until Porcius Festus takes over.
Apostelgeschichte 24,1-27
1Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they laid their case against Paul before the governor.
Μετὰ δὲ πέντε ἡμέρας κατέβη ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς Ἁνανίας μετὰ ⸂πρεσβυτέρων τινῶν⸃ καὶ ῥήτορος Τερτύλλου τινός, οἵτινες ἐνεφάνισαν τῷ ἡγεμόνι κατὰ τοῦ Παύλου.
2When Paul had been called in, Tertullus began his accusation: "Most excellent Felix, through you we enjoy great peace, and by your foresight reforms have been brought about for this nation.
κληθέντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἤρξατο κατηγορεῖν ὁ Τέρτυλλος λέγων· Πολλῆς εἰρήνης τυγχάνοντες διὰ σοῦ καὶ ⸀διορθωμάτων γινομένων τῷ ἔθνει τούτῳ διὰ τῆς σῆς προνοίας
3In every way and everywhere we acknowledge this with all gratitude.
πάντῃ τε καὶ πανταχοῦ ἀποδεχόμεθα, κράτιστε Φῆλιξ, μετὰ πάσης εὐχαριστίας.
4But so as not to detain you any longer, I beg you to give us a brief hearing in your kindness.
ἵνα δὲ μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖόν σε ἐγκόπτω, παρακαλῶ ἀκοῦσαί σε ἡμῶν συντόμως τῇ σῇ ἐπιεικείᾳ.
5We have found this man to be a plague, stirring up riots among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
εὑρόντες γὰρ τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον λοιμὸν καὶ κινοῦντα ⸀στάσεις πᾶσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τοῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην πρωτοστάτην τε τῆς τῶν Ναζωραίων αἱρέσεως,
6He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we seized him.
ὃς καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐπείρασεν βεβηλῶσαι, ὃν καὶ ⸀ἐκρατήσαμεν,
7But Lysias the commander came along and took him out of our hands with great force, ordering his accusers to come before you.[^1]
[^1]: Some early manuscripts do not contain the words from "so we seized him" through "to come before you."
παρελθὼν δὲ Λυσίας ὁ χιλίαρχος μετὰ πολλῆς βίας ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν ἀπήγαγε, 8 κελεύσας τοὺς κατηγόρους αὐτοῦ ἔρχεσθαι ἐπὶ σέ·
8By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about everything of which we accuse him."
παρʼ οὗ δυνήσῃ αὐτὸς ἀνακρίνας περὶ πάντων τούτων ἐπιγνῶναι ὧν ἡμεῖς κατηγοροῦμεν αὐτοῦ.
9The Jews joined in the attack, insisting that this was so.
συνεπέθεντο δὲ καὶ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι φάσκοντες ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχειν.
10When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "Knowing that you have been judge over this nation for many years, I make my defense cheerfully.
Ἀπεκρίθη ⸀τε ὁ Παῦλος νεύσαντος αὐτῷ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος λέγειν· Ἐκ πολλῶν ἐτῶν ὄντα σε κριτὴν τῷ ἔθνει τούτῳ ἐπιστάμενος ⸀εὐθύμως τὰ περὶ ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπολογοῦμαι,
11You can verify that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.
δυναμένου σου ⸀ἐπιγνῶναι, ὅτι οὐ πλείους εἰσίν μοι ἡμέραι ⸀δώδεκα ἀφʼ ἧς ἀνέβην προσκυνήσων ⸀εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ,
12They did not find me arguing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd—not in the synagogues, not anywhere in the city.
καὶ οὔτε ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ εὗρόν με πρός τινα διαλεγόμενον ἢ ⸀ἐπίστασιν ποιοῦντα ὄχλου οὔτε ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς οὔτε κατὰ τὴν πόλιν,
13Nor can they prove to you the charges they are now bringing against me.
⸀οὐδὲ ⸀παραστῆσαι δύνανταί ⸀σοι περὶ ὧν ⸀νυνὶ κατηγοροῦσίν μου.
14But this I confess to you: I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing everything written in the Law and the Prophets,
ὁμολογῶ δὲ τοῦτό σοι ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν λέγουσιν αἵρεσιν οὕτως λατρεύω τῷ πατρῴῳ θεῷ, πιστεύων πᾶσι τοῖς κατὰ τὸν νόμον καὶ ⸂τοῖς ἐν⸃ τοῖς προφήταις γεγραμμένοις,
15and I have the same hope in God that they themselves accept—that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
ἐλπίδα ἔχων εἰς τὸν θεόν, ἣν καὶ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι προσδέχονται, ἀνάστασιν μέλλειν ⸀ἔσεσθαι δικαίων τε καὶ ἀδίκων·
16So I too always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and before all people.
ἐν τούτῳ ⸀καὶ αὐτὸς ἀσκῶ ἀπρόσκοπον συνείδησιν ⸀ἔχειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους διὰ παντός.
17After several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.
διʼ ἐτῶν δὲ πλειόνων ⸂ἐλεημοσύνας ποιήσων εἰς τὸ ἔθνος μου παρεγενόμην⸃ καὶ προσφοράς,
18While I was doing this they found me in the temple, ceremonially purified, with no crowd and no disturbance.
ἐν ⸀αἷς εὗρόν με ἡγνισμένον ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, οὐ μετὰ ὄχλου οὐδὲ μετὰ θορύβου,
19It was certain Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to bring their charges, if they have anything against me.
τινὲς δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἀσίας Ἰουδαῖοι, οὓς ⸀ἔδει ἐπὶ σοῦ παρεῖναι καὶ κατηγορεῖν εἴ τι ἔχοιεν πρὸς ⸀ἐμέ,
20Or let these men here say what crime they found in me when I stood before the council,
ἢ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι εἰπάτωσαν τί ⸀εὗρον ἀδίκημα στάντος μου ἐπὶ τοῦ συνεδρίου
21unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood among them: 'It is because of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'"
ἢ περὶ μιᾶς ταύτης φωνῆς ἧς ἐκέκραξα ⸂ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑστὼς⸃ ὅτι Περὶ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν ἐγὼ κρίνομαι σήμερον ⸀ἐφʼ ὑμῶν.
22Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing, saying, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case."
⸂Ἀνεβάλετο δὲ αὐτοὺς ὁ Φῆλιξ⸃, ἀκριβέστερον εἰδὼς τὰ περὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ⸀εἴπας· Ὅταν Λυσίας ὁ χιλίαρχος καταβῇ διαγνώσομαι τὰ καθʼ ὑμᾶς·
23He gave orders to the centurion that Paul be kept in custody but given some freedom, and that his friends not be prevented from caring for his needs.
⸀διαταξάμενος τῷ ἑκατοντάρχῃ τηρεῖσθαι ⸀αὐτὸν ἔχειν τε ἄνεσιν καὶ μηδένα κωλύειν τῶν ἰδίων αὐτοῦ ⸀ὑπηρετεῖν αὐτῷ.
24Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.
Μετὰ δὲ ἡμέρας τινὰς παραγενόμενος ὁ Φῆλιξ σὺν Δρουσίλλῃ τῇ ⸀ἰδίᾳ γυναικὶ οὔσῃ Ἰουδαίᾳ μετεπέμψατο τὸν Παῦλον καὶ ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ⸀Ἰησοῦν πίστεως.
25But as Paul spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix grew afraid and said, "That is enough for now. You may go. When I find it convenient, I will send for you again."
διαλεγομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἐγκρατείας καὶ τοῦ κρίματος τοῦ ⸀μέλλοντος ἔμφοβος γενόμενος ὁ Φῆλιξ ἀπεκρίθη· Τὸ νῦν ἔχον πορεύου, καιρὸν δὲ μεταλαβὼν μετακαλέσομαί σε·
26At the same time he was hoping that Paul would give him money, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
ἅμα καὶ ἐλπίζων ὅτι χρήματα δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ ⸀Παύλου· διὸ καὶ πυκνότερον αὐτὸν μεταπεμπόμενος ὡμίλει αὐτῷ.
27When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and because he wanted to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.
Διετίας δὲ πληρωθείσης ἔλαβεν διάδοχον ὁ Φῆλιξ Πόρκιον Φῆστον· θέλων τε ⸀χάριτα καταθέσθαι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὁ Φῆλιξ κατέλιπε τὸν Παῦλον δεδεμένον.