Acts 24:14
in Acts 24I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;
KJV
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
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This verse in Acts 24
Commentary
10 notes on this verse"I truly serve the God of my fathers, believing." When, after being called to be Christ's apostle, Paul says that he serves the God of his fathers, he shows by this that the God of the Old and New Testaments is One and the Same.
This site's exposition
the way which they call heresy
Paul accepts the label his accusers meant as an insult, after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, and turns it into a claim of continuity rather than novelty, the same thread that names the faith the Way at 9:2, 19:9, and 22:4. Believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets is Paul's own defense against the charge, a word that in Greek simply meant a sect or faction before it gained its later theological weight. He presents Christianity not as a rival to the God of his fathers but as its fulfillment, the same claim he will develop at length before Agrippa in chapter 26.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect." After calling him to be an apostle of Christ, saying that he served the Lord, the ancestral God, he shows there is one God of both the Old and …
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets: and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. The accusers were separating him as an alien, but he identifies himself with the Law, as one of themselves. Believing, he says, that there will be a resurrection: now a man who believed a resurrection, would never have done such things - which resurrection they themselves also allow. He does not say it of them, that they believe all things written in the Prophets: it was he that believed them all, not they: but how all, it would require a long discourse to show. And he nowhere makes mention of Christ. Here by saying, Believing, he does virtually introduce what relates to Christ; for the present he dwells on the subject of the resurrection, which doctrine was common to them also, and removed the suspicion of any sedition.
The Medieval Church1 voice
But I confess this to you, that according to the sect which they call a heresy, so I serve my Father God. It is better read in Greek: That according to the way which they call a heresy, so I serve the Father God. For …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
After the way which they call heresy - This appellation St. Paul corrects. Not that it was then an odious word; but it was not honourable enough. A party or sect (so that word signifies) is formed by men.
If so, they might justly call his way heresy, a drawing of them aside into a by-path, and a dangerous one; but he worships the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not only the God whom they worshipped, but the God who took them into covenant with himself, and was and would be called their God. Paul adheres to that covenant, and sets up no other in opposition to it.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But this I confess unto thee,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
That after the way which they call heresy - See the explanation of this word in the note on Act 5:17 (note), and see before, Act 24:5 (note), where what is here translated heresy, is there rendered sect. At this time the word had no bad acceptation, in reference to religious opinions. The Pharisees themselves, the most respectable body among the Jews, are called a sect; for Paul, defending himself before Agrippa, says that he lived a Pharisee according to the strictest αἱρεσιν, sect, or heresy of their religion.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But this I confess ... - The next specification in the charge of Tertullus was Act 24:5 that he was “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” To this, Paul replies in this and the two following verses. Of this reply we may observe: (1) That he does not stoop to notice the contempt implied in the use of the word “Nazarenes.” He was engaged in a more important business than to contend about the name which they chose to give to Christians. (2) He admits that he belonged to that sect or class of people. That he was a Christian he neither denied, nor was disposed to deny. (3) He maintains that in this way he was still worshipping the God of his fathers. Of this, the fact that he was engaged in worship in the temple was sufficient proof. (4) He shows them that he believed only what was written in the Law and the prophets; that this involved the main doctrine of their religion the hope of the resurrection of the dead, Act 24:15; and that it was his constant and earnest desire to keep a pure conscience in all things, Act 24:16. These are the points of his defense to the second charge, and we shall see that they fully meet and dispose of the accusation. After the way - After the manner or mode of worship. Which they call heresy - This translation does not express to us the force of the original. We have attached to the word “heresy” an idea which is not conveyed by the Greek word, since we now commonly understand by it error of doctrine. In Paul’s answer here, there is an explicit reference to their charge which does not appear in our version. The charge of Tertullus was, that he was the ringleader of the sect (τἦς αἱρέσεως tēs haireseōs) of the Nazarenes, Act 24:5. […]
The words behind it
28 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁμολογῶ | homologo | I confess | G3670 → | 26 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| τοῦτό | touto | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| σοι | soi | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὁδὸν | hodon | Way | G3598 → | 101 times |
| ἣν | hen | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| λέγουσιν | legousin | they name | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| αἵρεσιν | airesin | a sect | G139 → | 9 times |
| οὕτως | houtos | so | G3779 → | 208 times |
| λατρεύω | latreuo | I serve | G3000 → | 21 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πατρῴῳ | patroo | ancestral | G3971 → | 3 times |
| θεῷ | theo | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| πιστεύων | pisteuon | believing | G4100 → | 237 times |
| πᾶσιν | pasin | in all [things] | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| τοῖς | tois | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κατὰ | kata | throughout | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νόμον | nomon | law | G3551 → | 192 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τοῖς | tois | that | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τοῖς | tois | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφήταις | prophetais | Prophets | G4396 → | 144 times |
| γεγραμμένοις, | gegrammenois | written, | G1125 → | 189 times |
ὁμολογῶI confess
homologoG3670 →26 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
τοῦτόthis
toutoG3778 →1381 times
σοιto you
soiG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ὁδὸνWay
hodonG3598 →101 times
ἣνwhich
henG3739 →1405 times
λέγουσινthey name
legousinG3004 →1325 times
αἵρεσινa sect
airesinG139 →9 times
οὕτωςso
houtosG3779 →208 times
λατρεύωI serve
latreuoG3000 →21 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πατρῴῳancestral
patrooG3971 →3 times
θεῷGod
theoG2316 →1312 times
πιστεύωνbelieving
pisteuonG4100 →237 times
πᾶσινin all [things]
pasinG3956 →1235 times
τοῖς<the>
toisG3588 →19766 times
κατὰthroughout
kataG2596 →468 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
νόμονlaw
nomonG3551 →192 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τοῖςthat
toisG3588 →19766 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τοῖςthe
toisG3588 →19766 times
προφήταιςProphets
prophetaisG4396 →144 times
γεγραμμένοις,written,
gegrammenoisG1125 →189 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:21But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.
it leads to
- Acts 10:43
All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
- Jeremiah 33:16
In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely, and this is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
- Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
- Jeremiah 23:5–6
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Isaiah 51:8
For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”
- Acts 10:43
Through
Acts 9:2and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
it leads to
- Acts 19:9
But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- Acts 19:23
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
- Acts 19:9
Through
Acts 24:5We have found this man to be a pestilence, stirring up dissension among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
it leads to
- Acts 28:22
But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”
- Acts 28:22
About Acts
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 50; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.