This month's memory verse

Hebrews 10:24-25

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Listen to the Podcast

Want weekly retellings of our favorite Bible stories and conversation guides? Listen to the Join The Journey Jr. podcast with the whole family every Monday! 

Listen Now
Monday, Oct 19 Mon
Oct 19
Acts 24:1-9
 Tuesday, Oct 20 Tue
Oct 20
Acts 24:10-16
 Wednesday, Oct 21 Wed
Oct 21
Acts 24:10-21
 Thursday, Oct 22 Thu
Oct 22
Acts 24:22-27
 Friday, Oct 23 Fri
Oct 23

 

Paul put on Trial

Key Verse | Acts 24:1

And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul.

Acts 24:1-9

Acts of the Apostles 24

Paul Appears before Felix

1Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer* Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor. 2When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor:

“You have provided a long period of peace for us Jews and with foresight have enacted reforms for us. 3For all of this, Your Excellency, we are very grateful to you. 4But I don’t want to bore you, so please give me your attention for only a moment. 5We have found this man to be a troublemaker who is constantly stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the cult known as the Nazarenes. 6Furthermore, he was trying to desecrate the Temple when we arrested him.*8You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself.” 9Then the other Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true.

Footnotes

24:1 Greek some elders and an orator.
24:6 Some manuscripts add an expanded conclusion to verse 6, all of verse 7, and an additional phrase in verse 8: We would have judged him by our law, 7but Lysias, the commander of the garrison, came and violently took him away from us, 8commanding his accusers to come before you.

Trouble for Paul

Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and moved to Caesarea, where a Roman governor named Felix was in charge. Paul’s accusers traveled there to make their case against him. Today we get to watch a trial begin, and our job is to notice who speaks, what they say, and how they say it.

Look at the Text

  1. Who came to Caesarea? Find every person or group named in verse 1. Who was the one speaking? 
  2. How did Tertullus begin his speech to Felix? (vv. 2-4) Is he saying nice things or hard things?
  3. What strong word did Tertullus use to describe Paul? (v. 5) What else did he say about Paul in that verse?
  4. What did Tertullus say Paul tried to do at the temple? (v. 6)
  5. What did Tertullus ask Felix to do, and how did the other Jews respond? (vv. 8-9) Did he give any proof first?

Dig Deeper

  • Compare verses 2-4 with verses 5-6. How does Tertullus’s tone change?
  • Everything in this passage is something they said about Paul. Is Paul speaking yet? What do you notice about that?

Respond

Talk together: Tertullus said a lot of things about Paul. What is one thing you noticed about how he spoke that surprised you?

Prayer

  • Thank God that he knows the whole story, even when people say untrue things.
  • Ask God to help you use your words to tell the truth.
  • Ask God to help you speak kindly and honestly, not just say nice things to get what you want.
LAST WEEK
NEXT WEEK