And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defence. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man. 17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’” (ESV)

As Paul began to make his reply there was no flattery. He showed respect, recognising Felix’s longstanding position, but there was no sickening sycophancy layered like butter upon his answer. His conscience was clear. He knew that he was innocent of all these charges brought against him, and that they could not legitimately prove any of them.

Some years ago, as I recall, John White wrote that Christian witness is fundamentally about honesty. Paul said, ”But this I confess to you…” When we ”confess” our sins, we admit what we know to be true of ourselves. It is similarly the case when we confess our faith. We are not hiding who we are and what we believe. We are bringing it out into the open, exposing it to the light of day. Paul saw the Jesus ”Way” as the flowering of everything that was there in bud in the Old Testament. He regarded himself as a true Jew, living in days of fulfilment, and he was happy to say so, whatever the cost.

Regarding verse 16, F.B. Meyer makes the point that Paul had said something similar in 23:1. Then he adds, ‘ Well would it be for us if only we would devote a few minutes at the close of each day to discover whether our conscience accused us of failure in heart, thought, or behavior. The Holy Spirit pleads in the court of conscience. We would be kept from many a fall, if we would be more careful to watch against the little rifts.’