10 And Paul answered—the governor having beckoned to him to speak—'Knowing 'that' for many years thou hast been a judge to this nation, the more cheerfully the things concerning myself I do answer; 11 thou being able to know that it is not more than twelve days to me since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and neither in the temple did they find me reasoning with any one, or making a dissension of the multitude, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city; 13 nor are they able to prove against me the things concerning which they now accuse me. 14 'And I confess this to thee, that, according to the way that they call a sect, so serve I the God of the fathers, believing all things that in the law and the prophets have been written, 15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, 'that' there is about to be a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous; 16 and in this I do exercise myself, to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always. 17 'And after many years I came, about to do kind acts to my nation, and offerings, 18 in which certain Jews from Asia did find me purified in the temple, not with multitude, nor with tumult, 19 whom it behoveth to be present before thee, and to accuse, if they had anything against me, 20 or let these same say if they found any unrighteousness in me in my standing before the sanhedrim, 21 except concerning this one voice, in which I cried, standing among them—Concerning a rising again of the dead I am judged to-day by you.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 24:10-21
Commentary on Acts 24:10-21
(Read Acts 24:10-21)
Paul gives a just account of himself, which clears him from crime, and likewise shows the true reason of the violence against him. Let us never be driven from any good way by its having an ill name. It is very comfortable, in worshipping God, to look to him as the God of our fathers, and to set up no other rule of faith or practice but the Scriptures. This shows there will be a resurrection to a final judgment. Prophets and their doctrines were to be tried by their fruits. Paul's aim was to have a conscience void of offence. His care and endeavour was to abstain from many things, and to abound in the exercises of religion at all times; both towards God. and towards man. If blamed for being more earnest in the things of God than our neighbours, what is our reply? Do we shrink from the accusation? How many in the world would rather be accused of any weakness, nay, even of wickedness, than of an earnest, fervent feeling of love to the Lord Jesus Christ, and of devotedness to his service! Can such think that He will confess them when he comes in his glory, and before the angels of God? If there is any sight pleasing to the God of our salvation, and a sight at which the angels rejoice, it is, to behold a devoted follower of the Lord, here upon earth, acknowledging that he is guilty, if it be a crime, of loving the Lord who died for him, with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. And that he will not in silence see God's word despised, or hear his name profaned; he will rather risk the ridicule and the hatred of the world, than one frown from that gracious Being whose love is better than life.