THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - Chapter 24 - Verse 5

Verse 5. We have found this man a pestilent fellow. loimon. This word is commonly applied to a plague, or pestilence; and then to a man who corrupts the morals of others, or who is turbulent, and an exciter of sedition. Our translation somewhat weakens the force of the original expression. Tertullus did not say that he was a pestilent fellow, but that he was the very pestilence itself. In this he referred to their belief, that he had been the cause of extensive disturbances everywhere among the Jews.

And a mover of sedition. An exciter of tumult. This they pretended he did by preaching doctrines contrary to the laws and customs of Moses, and exciting the Jews to tumult and disorder.

Throughout the world. Throughout the Roman empire, and thus leading the Jews to violate the laws, and to produce tumults, riots, and disorder.

And a ringleader. prwtostathn. This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It is properly a military word, and denotes one who stands first in an army, a standard-bearer, a leader, or commander. The meaning is, that Paul had been so active, and so prominent in preaching the gospel, that he had been a leader, or the principal person, in extending the sect of the Nazarenes.

Of the sect. The original word here airesewv is the word from which we have derived the term heresy. It is, however, properly translated sect, or party, and should have been so translated in Ac 24:14. See Barnes "Ac 5:17".

Of the Nazarenes. This was the name usually given to Christians by way of contempt. They were so called because Jesus was of Nazareth.

{a} "fellow" Lu 23:2; Ac 6:13; 16:20; 17:6; 21:28; 1 Pe 2:18,19

{*} "sedition" "insurrection"