In the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

, Tertullus (a modification of "Tertius") was an orator or lawyer who was employed by the Jewish leaders to state their case against the apostle

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

in the presence of Felix (Acts 24:1-9).Alexander, L., ''62. Acts'', in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001)
The Oxford Bible Commentary
p. 1057

New Testament account

Tertullus gives a formal rhetorical presentation on behalf of the Jewish leaders opposed to Paul's preaching. The charges he raised against Paul were that he created disturbances "among all the Jews throughout the world", an offence against the Roman government (''crimen majestatis''), secondly, that he was a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes; and thirdly, that he attempted to profane the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

, a crime which the Jews were permitted to punish. It is generally assumed that Tertullus was himself a

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

Jew, although he could have been a

Gentile ''Gentile'' () is a word that today usually means someone who is not Jewish. Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, have historically used the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is used as a synony ...

. It is not certain whether the trial would have taken place in Latin or Greek. Tertullus before

Antonius Felix Antonius Felix (possibly Tiberius Claudius Antonius Felix, in Greek: ὁ Φῆλιξ; born ) was the fourth Roman procurator of Judea Province in 52–60, in succession to Ventidius Cumanus. He appears in the New Testament in Acts 23 and 2 ...

makes the first recorded use of the plural "Nazarenes" (''Nazoraioi'', the plural form of Iesous ho ''Nazoraios'' "Jesus of Nazareth") to refer to

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, although the use of the term "Christians" at Antioch had already been noted in Acts, and it was used by

Herod Agrippa II Herod Agrippa II ( Roman name: Marcus Julius Agrippa, ; AD 27/28 – or 100), sometimes shortened to Agrippa II or Agrippa, was the last ruler from the Herodian dynasty, reigning over territories outside of Judea as a Roman client. Agrippa ...

in the next trial of Paul before

Porcius Festus Porcius Festus was the 5th procurator of Judea from about 59 to 62, succeeding Antonius Felix. Term in office The exact time of Festus in office is not known. The earliest proposed date for the start of his term is c. 55–56, while the latest is ...

. Tertullus' use of the Greek term ''Nazoraioi'' has continuity with the Hebrew term '' Notzrim'' found in later rabbinical literature. Tertullus presumably could not use the Antioch term ''Christianoi'' (Hebrew ''Meshiykhiyyim'' משיחיים) since ''Christianoi'' from Greek ''Christos'' (literally "Anointed One", "Messiah") might imply Tertullus' recognition of Jesus of Nazareth as a Davidic "Anointed One" or "Messiah".Arthur Powell Davies (1956), ''The meaning of the Dead Sea scrolls'': "The second mention of Christianoi in the New Testament is also in the book of Acts (xxvi, 28). King Herod Agrippa says to Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christianos." Agrippa probably meant it in derision. .. He was himself a king in Israel, an "Anointed One", and therefore quite literally a "Christos" of the existing order."

References

Attribution

* {{Acts of the Apostles People in Acts of the Apostles Ancient lawyers Paul the Apostle