Book of Common Prayer
Bring on the barristers
24 After five days, Ananias the high priest came down to Caesarea with some of the elders, and with a barrister named Tertullus. They told the governor what they had against Paul. 2 Paul was summoned, and Tertullus began his speech of accusation.
“Most excellent Felix! We are enjoying great peace because of you! Through your wise foresight and planning things have greatly improved for this people. 3 We welcome it in every way, in every place, and with every feeling of gratitude. 4 But, so as not to keep you waiting any longer, I beg you, of your forbearance, to listen to us briefly.
5 “We find this fellow to be a public nuisance. He stirs up civil strife among all the Jews, all over the world. He is a ringleader in the sect of the Nazoreans. 6 He even tried to defile the Temple! But we caught him. 8 If you examine him yourself you will be able to find out about all these things of which we’re accusing him.”
9 The Jews added their voices to this speech, agreeing that it was just as it had been said.
A defense of the Hope
10 The governor motioned to Paul to speak.
“I understand that you have been governor of this nation for several years,” he began, “and therefore I am all the more pleased to make my defense before you. 11 You will be able to discover that it is not more than twelve days since I came up to worship at Jerusalem. 12 They didn’t find me disputing with anybody in the Temple; nor was I stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues or elsewhere in the city. 13 They can provide no proof of any of the charges they are now bringing against me.
14 “But this much I will confess to you: it is true that I do worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way which they call a ‘sect.’ I believe everything which is written in the law and the prophets, 15 and I hold to the hope in God, for which they also long, that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. 16 For that reason I make it my settled aim always to have a clear conscience before God and all people.
17 “For several years I have been collecting alms and offerings to bring to my nation. 18 That was the business I was engaged in when they found me purified in the Temple, without any crowds and without any riot. 19 There were some Jews from Asia there; they are the ones who should appear before you and bring any accusations against me that they may have. 20 Or let these people themselves say what wrong they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin— 21 unless it is about this one thing, which I shouted out as I was standing among them: ‘It’s because of the resurrection of the dead that I am being judged before you today.’ ”
Felix calms (and slows) things down
22 Felix was quite well informed about the Way. He adjourned the hearing.
“When Lysias the tribune comes down,” he said, “then I will make my decision about your business.”
23 He told the centurion to keep Paul under guard, to allow him some freedom, and not to stop any of his companions from looking after him.
Jesus anointed by a sinful woman
36 A Pharisee asked Jesus to dine with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 A woman from the town, a known bad character, discovered that he was there at table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 Then she stood behind Jesus’ feet, crying, and began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw what was going on.
“If this fellow really was a prophet,” he said to himself, “he’d know what sort of a woman this is who is touching him! She’s a sinner!”
40 “Simon,” replied Jesus, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” he replied.
41 “Once upon a time there was a moneylender who had two debtors. The first owed him five hundred dinars, the second fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay him, and he let them both off. So which of them will love him more?”
43 “The one he let off the more, I suppose,” replied Simon.
“Quite right,” said Jesus.
44 Then, turning towards the woman, he said to Simon, “You see this woman? When I came into your house, you didn’t give me water to wash my feet—but she has washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t give me a kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet from the moment I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
47 “So the conclusion I draw is this: she must have been forgiven many sins! Her great love proves it! But if someone has been forgiven only a little, they will love only a little.”
48 Then he said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 “Who is this,” the other guests began to say among themselves, “who even forgives sins?”
50 “Your faith has saved you,” said Jesus to the woman. “Go in peace.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.