Topical Encyclopedia
Tertullus is a figure mentioned in the New Testament, specifically in the Book of Acts. He is known for his role as a professional orator or lawyer who represented the Jewish authorities in their case against the Apostle Paul. His involvement is recorded in
Acts 24, where he appears before the Roman governor, Felix, to present accusations against Paul.
Biblical AccountIn
Acts 24:1-9, Tertullus is introduced as the spokesman for the high priest Ananias and the elders. The passage states: "Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor" (
Acts 24:1). Tertullus begins his address to Felix with flattery, acknowledging the peace and reforms brought about under Felix's governance. This approach was typical of Roman legal proceedings, where orators often began with praise to gain favor with the judge.
Tertullus accuses Paul of being "a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes" (
Acts 24:5). He further charges Paul with attempting to desecrate the temple, a serious accusation that could incite unrest among the Jewish population. Tertullus's rhetoric is designed to portray Paul as a threat to both Jewish religious order and Roman political stability.
Role and SignificanceTertullus's role as an orator highlights the legal and political complexities faced by early Christians. His employment by the Jewish authorities underscores their determination to use all available means, including Roman legal channels, to suppress the burgeoning Christian movement. Tertullus's arguments reflect the broader tensions between Jewish leaders and the followers of Jesus, who were seen as a disruptive sect.
The account of Tertullus also illustrates the challenges faced by Paul in his missionary journeys. Despite the eloquence and legal expertise of Tertullus, Paul is able to defend himself effectively, relying on his Roman citizenship and his knowledge of both Jewish law and Roman legal procedures. This encounter is a testament to the providence and protection that Paul experienced throughout his ministry.
Historical ContextTertullus's presence in the narrative provides insight into the judicial practices of the Roman Empire. Orators like Tertullus were often employed in legal cases to present arguments persuasively and to navigate the complexities of Roman law. His use of flattery and formal accusations is consistent with the rhetorical strategies of the time.
The involvement of a professional advocate also indicates the seriousness with which the Jewish authorities viewed the threat posed by Paul and the early Christian movement. By engaging Tertullus, they sought to leverage the Roman legal system to achieve their aims, reflecting the intersection of religious and political concerns in first-century Judea.
ConclusionWhile Tertullus's arguments ultimately do not succeed in securing a conviction against Paul, his role in the trial before Felix is a significant episode in the Acts of the Apostles. It highlights the opposition faced by early Christians and the ways in which God provided for their defense and continued mission.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Tertullusthird
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Tertullus(diminutive fromTertius), "a certain orator," (Acts 24:1) who was retained by the high priest and Sanhedrin to accuse the apostle Paul at Caesarea before the Roman procurator Antonius Felix. He evidently belonged to the class of professional orators. We may infer that Tertullus was of Roman, or at all events of Italian, origin. (A.D. 55.)
ATS Bible Dictionary
TertullusA Roman orator or advocate, whom the Jews employed to bring forward their accusation against Paul, before the Roman procurator at Caesarea, probably because they were themselves unacquainted with the modes of proceeding in the Roman courts,Acts 24:1-2.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
A modification of "Tertius;" a Roman advocate, whom the Jews employed to state their case against Paul in the presence of Felix (
Acts 24:1-9). The charges he adduced against the apostle were, "First, that he created disturbances among the Romans throughout the empire, an offence against the Roman government (crimen majestatis). Secondly, that he was a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes; disturbed the Jews in the exercise of their religion, guaranteed by the state; introduced new gods, a thing prohibited by the Romans. And thirdly, that he attempted to profane the temple, a crime which the Jews were permitted to punish."
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
TERTULLUSter-tul'-us, ter- (Tertullos, diminutive of Latin tertius, "third"):, An orator who descended with Ananias the high priest and elders from Jerusalem to Caesarea to accuse Paul before Felix the Roman governor (Acts 24:1). Tertullus was a hired pleader whose services were necessary that the case for the Jews might be stated in proper form. Although he bore a Roman name, he was not necessarily a Roman; Roman names were common both among Greeks and Jews, and most orators were at this time of eastern extraction. Nor is it definitely to be concluded from the manner of his speech (Acts 24:2-8) that he was a Jew; it has always been customary for lawyers to identify themselves in their pleading with their clients. His speech before Felix is marked by considerable ingenuity. It begins with an adulation of the governorship of Felix that was little in accord with history (see FELIX); and the subsequent argument is an example of how a strong case may apparently be made out by the skillful manipulation of half-truths. Thus the riot at Jerusalem was ascribed to the sedition-mongering of Paul, who thereby proved himself an enemy of Roman rule and Jewish religion, both of which Felix was pledged to uphold. Again, the arrest of Paul was not an act of mob violence, but was legally carried out by the high priests and elders in the interests of peace; and but for the unwarranted interference of Lysias (see LYSIAS), they would have dealt with the prisoner in their own courts and thus have avoided trespassing on the time of Felix. They were, however, perfectly willing to submit the whole case to his jurisdiction. It is interesting to compare this speech of Tertullus with the true account, as given inActs 21:27-35, and also with the letter of Lysias (Acts 23:26-30).
C. M. Kerr
Greek
5061. Tertullos --Tertullus, probably a Roman...Tertullus, probably a Roman. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Tertullos
Phonetic Spelling: (ter'-tool-los) Short Definition:
Tertullus Definition
...Library
The Trial at Caesarea
... Five days after Paul's arrival at Caesarea his accusers came from Jerusalem,
accompanied byTertullus, an orator whom they had engaged as their counsel....
Acts XXIV
... (1) "Now, after five days, Ananias the high priest, with the elders and a certain
orator namedTertullus, came down, and informed the governor against Paul...
Paul Before Felix.
... Let us attend, in the first place, to the speech ofTertullus, an orator, whom Ananias
and the elders had chosen, on account of his eloquence and address, to...
Paul Before Felix
... At any rate he had gained experience which might help him in picking his way through
Tertullus's rhetoric....Tertullus and company had only hearsay....
Acts xxiii. 31, 32, 33
... to shame here also. "And with an orator, oneTertullus." [1108] And what
need was there of "an orator? Which (persons) also informed...
Epistle Liii. To Cornelius, Concerning Granting Peace to the...
... C??cilius, Junius, Marrutius, Felix, Successus, Faustinus, Fortunatus, Victor,
Saturninus, another Saturninus, Rogatianus,Tertullus, Lucianus, Eutyches, Amplus...
Acts XXV
... against C??sar have I at all offended." The specifications embraced in this defense
are the same as in the defense against the speech ofTertullus before Felix...
Epistle v. To the Presbyters and Deacons.
... other advantages connected with the peace and safety of us all:"which advantages
an account will be given you by our beloved brotherTertullus, who, besides...
Epistle Lxix. To Januarius and Other Numidian Bishops, on...
... Pomponius, Demetrius, Quintus, Saturninus, Januarius, Marcus, another Saturninus,
another Donatus, Rogatianus, Sedatus,Tertullus, Hortensianus, still another...
Epistle Lxi. To Pomponius, Concerning Some virgins.
... 1. Cyprian, C??cilius, Victor, Sedatus,Tertullus, with the presbyters who were
present with them, to Pomponius their brother, greeting....
Thesaurus
Tertullus (2 Occurrences)... punish.". Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
TERTULLUS. ter-tul
... 30). CM Kerr.
Multi-Version Concordance
Tertullus (2 Occurrences). Acts 24
...Felix (11 Occurrences)
... The trial was begun, but after hearing the evidence ofTertullus (seeTERTULLUS)
and the speech of Paul in his own defense, Felix deferred judgment (Acts 24:1...
Tertul'lus (2 Occurrences)
Tertul'lus.Tertullus, Tertul'lus. Test . Multi-Version Concordance
Tertul'lus (2 Occurrences)....Tertullus, Tertul'lus. Test . Reference Bible.
Orator (3 Occurrences)
... (2) As the rendering of rhetor, the title applied toTertullus, who appeared as
the advocate of the Jewish accusers of Paul before Felix (Acts 24:1). The...
Lysias (3 Occurrences)
... 22). For the reference to him in the speech ofTertullus (see Acts 24:7 the
Revised Version, margin), seeTERTULLUS. CM Kerr. LYSIAS....
Antonius
... The trial was begun, but after hearing the evidence ofTertullus (seeTERTULLUS)
and the speech of Paul in his own defense, Felix deferred judgment (Acts 24:1...
Case (138 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:1 Five days after this, Ananias the High Priest came down to Caesarea
with a number of Elders and a pleader calledTertullus....
Claudius (3 Occurrences)
... For the reference to him in the speech ofTertullus (see Acts 24:7 the Revised Version,
margin), seeTERTULLUS. CM Kerr. Multi-Version Concordance...
Statement (88 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:1 And after five days, the high priest, Ananias, came with certain of the
rulers, and an expert talker, oneTertullus; and they made a statement to...
Tertius (1 Occurrence)
Resources
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