Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
For we have found (eurontev gar). Second aorist active participle of euriskw, but without a principal verb in the sentence. Probably we have here only a "summary of the charges against Paul" (Page).
A pestilent fellow (loimon). An old word for pest, plague, pestilence, Paul the pest. In N.T. only here and Luke 21:11 (loimoi kai limoi, pestilences and famines) which see. Latin pestis. Think of the greatest preacher of the ages being branded a pest by a contemporary hired lawyer.
A mover of insurrections (kinounta staseiv). This was an offence against Roman law if it could be proven. "Plotted against at Damascus, plotted against at Jerusalem, expelled from Pisidian Antioch, stoned at Lystra, scourged and imprisoned at Philippi, accused of treason at Thessalonica, haled before the proconsul at Corinth, cause of a serious riot at Ephesus, and now finally of a riot at Jerusalem" (Furneaux). Specious proof could have been produced, but was not. Tertullus went on to other charges with which a Roman court had no concern (instance Gallio in Corinth).
Throughout the world (kata thn oikoumenhn). The Roman inhabited earth (ghn) as in Acts 17:6.
A ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes (prwtostathn thv twn Nazwraiwn airesewv). Prwtostathv is an old word in common use from prwtov and isthmi, a front-rank man, a chief, a champion. Here only in the N.T. This charge is certainly true. About "sect" (airesiv) see on Acts 5:17. Nazwraioi here only in the plural in the N.T., elsewhere of Jesus (Matthew 2:23; Matthew 26:71; Luke 18:37; John 18:5, John 18:7; John 19:19; Acts 2:22; Acts 3:6; Acts 4:10; Acts 6:14; Acts 22:8; Acts 26:9). The disciple is not above his Master. There was a sneer in the term as applied to Jesus and here to his followers.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 24:5:
Acts 5:17
Acts 21:30
Acts 22:8
Acts 25:7
1 Peter 4:16
2 Peter 2:1
Revelation 11:13
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