Acts 24:5 Meaning and Explanation
“For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Tertullus levels the charges: Paul is a public menace who stirs unrest among Jews everywhere and leads the sect of the Nazarenes.
What Does Acts 24:5 Mean?
The accusation proper begins, stacked three high: Paul is a 'pestilent fellow' — literally a plague — a fomenter of sedition among Jews 'throughout the world,' and a ringleader of 'the sect of the Nazarenes,' the only place Scripture calls the church by that name. Sedition was the word calculated to alarm a Roman governor, for Rome crushed disturbers of its peace without mercy.
Notice the method: name-calling in place of evidence, and a political frame wrapped around a matter of faith — the same maneuver used against Jesus before Pilate (Luke 23:2). Christ's servants should not be surprised to be called troublers of the world; Elijah was (1 Kings 18:17), and the apostles were said to have 'turned the world upside down' (Acts 17:6). The gospel does unsettle — not as a plague, but as a cure.
Acts 24:5 in the Original Language
loimos (λοιμός), 'pestilent fellow' -- literally a plague or pestilence; the prosecution brands Paul a walking epidemic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 24:5
What does Acts 24:5 mean?
Tertullus levels the charges: Paul is a public menace who stirs unrest among Jews everywhere and leads the sect of the Nazarenes.