⁸ Paul said in his defense, “I have in no way committed an offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against the emperor.”^(A)

Paul and Jewish Leaders in Rome

¹⁷ Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers,^[a] though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.^(A)

¹² They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city.^(A)

The Postponement of Paul’s Visit

¹² Indeed, this is our boast, the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world with holiness^[a] and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God—and all the more toward you.^(A)

²¹ They replied, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you.^(A)

¹³ They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law,^{(A) 14} for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth^[a] will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.”^(B)

¹⁸ Jeremiah also said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or this people, that you have put me in prison?^(A)

¹⁰ Paul said, “I am standing before the emperor’s tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.

¹⁷ Now after some years I came to bring alms to my people and to offer sacrifices.^{(A) 18} While I was doing this, they found me in the temple completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance.^{(B) 19} But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they have anything against me.^{(C) 20} Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the council, ²¹ unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’ ”^(D)

⁶ He even tried to profane the temple, so we seized him.^[a](A)