Tertullus Τέρτυλλος
Lawyer who accused Paul before Governor Felix
Biography
Tertullus is mentioned in Act.24.1-2 as a lawyer or orator hired by the Jewish high priest and elders to present their case against the Apostle Paul before the Roman governor Felix in Caesarea. Tertullus began his speech with flattery, praising Felix's reforms and administration. He then accused Paul of being a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews, and profaning the temple. Tertullus aimed to persuade Felix to condemn Paul, but Paul defended himself by denying the charges and asserting his innocence. The outcome of the trial is not directly stated, but Paul remained in custody for two years until Felix's successor Porcius Festus took office.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentActs 2 verses
- Acts 24:1
"After five days, the high priest, Ananias, came down with certain elders and an orator, one Tertullus. They informed the governor against Paul."
Study Acts → - Acts 24:2
"When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Seeing that by you we enjoy much peace, and that prosperity is coming to this nation by your foresight,"
Study Acts →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Τέρτυλλος | G5061 |
Tertullus
sisRef="Bible:Acts.24.1">Ac 24:1). Tertullus was a hired pleader whose services were necessary that the case for the Jews might be stated in proper form. Although he bore a Roman name, he was not necessarily a Roman; Roman names were common both among Greeks and Jews, and most orators were at this time of eastern extraction. Nor is it definitely to be concluded from the manner of his speech (Ac 24:2-8) that he was a Jew; it has always been customary for lawyers to identify themselves in their pleading with their clients. His speech before Felix is marked by considerable ingenuity. It begins with an adulation of the governorship of Felix that was little in accord with history (see FELIX); and the subsequent argument is an example of how a strong case may apparently be made out by the skillful manipulation of half-truths. Thus the riot at Jerusalem was ascribed to the sedition-mongering of Paul, who thereby proved himself an enemy of Roman rule and Jewish religion, both of which Felix was pledged to uphold. Again, the arrest of Paul was not an act of mob violence, but was legally carried out by the high priests and elders in the interests of peace; and but for the unwarranted interference of Lysias (see LYSIAS), they would have dealt with the prisoner in their own courts and thus have avoided trespassing on the time of Felix. They were, however, perfectly willing to submit the whole case to his jurisdiction. It is interesting to compare this speech of Tertullus with the true account, as given in Ac 21:27-35, and also with the letter of Lysias (Ac 23:26-30).
C. M. Kerr
tes'-ta-ment: The word diatheke, almost invariably rendered "covenant," was rendered in the King James Version "testament" in Heb 9:16,17, in t