I have behaved: Or “I have lived my life.” The form of the Greek verb po·li·teuʹo·mai used here could be rendered “to behave as a citizen.” (Kingdom Interlinear) Paul indicates that he has behaved in a proper way as a good citizen who followed the laws of his country. Roman citizens generally took an active part in the affairs of the State because Roman citizenship was highly prized and it carried with it responsibilities and privileges. (Ac 22:25-30) When Paul on this occasion described how he had “behaved” before God, it may have carried the implication that he was primarily a citizen of God’s Kingdom.​—Php 3:20; compare the use of the same verb form at Php 1:27; ftn.

those of the sect of the Pharisees: Apparently, these Christians were still identified in some sense with their Pharisaic background.​—Compare study note on Ac 23:6.

I am a Pharisee: Some of those in the audience knew Paul. (Ac 22:5) They would have understood that by calling himself a son of Pharisees, he was acknowledging his common heritage with them. They understood that Paul was not misrepresenting himself, since the Pharisees of the Sanhedrin knew that he had become a zealous Christian. But in this context, Paul’s statement about being a Pharisee could be understood in a relative sense; Paul was identifying himself with the Pharisees rather than the Sadducees because he shared the Pharisees’ belief in the resurrection. In so doing, he established a common ground with the Pharisees who were present. He apparently hoped that raising this controversial issue would cause some members of the Sanhedrin to sympathize with his argument, and the strategy worked. (Ac 23:7-9) Paul’s statement here at Ac 23:6 also harmonizes with how he described himself when he later defended himself before King Agrippa. (Ac 26:5) And when writing from Rome to fellow Christians in Philippi, Paul again made reference to his heritage as a Pharisee. (Php 3:5) It is also worth noting how other Christians who were former Pharisees are described at Ac 15:5.​—See study note on Ac 15:5.

bound themselves with a curse: Or “bound themselves with an oath.” The Greek word a·na·the·ma·tiʹzo is apparently used to refer to the declaring of an oath that if not carried out or if proved false would result in a curse against the one who took the oath.

bound themselves with a curse: Or “bound themselves with an oath.” The Greek word a·na·the·ma·tiʹzo is apparently used to refer to the declaring of an oath that if not carried out or if proved false would result in a curse against the one who took the oath.

elders: Lit., “older men.” In the Bible, the Greek term pre·sbyʹte·ros refers primarily to those who hold a position of authority and responsibility in a community or a nation. Although the term sometimes refers to physical age (as at Lu 15:25; Ac 2:17), it is not limited to those who are elderly. Here it refers to the leaders of the Jewish nation who are often mentioned together with chief priests and scribes. The Sanhedrin was made up of men from these three groups.​—Mt 21:23; 26:3, 47, 57; 27:1, 41; 28:12; see Glossary, “Elder; Older man.”

the elders: Here referring to the leaders of the Jewish nation who are often mentioned together with chief priests and scribes.​—See study note on Mt 16:21.

bound ourselves with a curse: Or “bound ourselves with an oath.”​—See study note on Ac 23:12.

bound themselves with a curse: Or “bound themselves with an oath.” The Greek word a·na·the·ma·tiʹzo is apparently used to refer to the declaring of an oath that if not carried out or if proved false would result in a curse against the one who took the oath.

bound themselves with a curse: Or “bound themselves with an oath.”​—See study note on Ac 23:12.

late in the day: In this verse, reference is made to the four watches of the night of about three hours each, running from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., according to the Greek and Roman division of the night. (See also following study notes on this verse.) The Hebrews formerly divided the night into three watches of about four hours each (Ex 14:24; Jg 7:19), but by Jesus’ day, they had adopted the Roman system. The expression “late in the day” in this verse refers to the first night watch, that is, from sunset to about 9:00 p.m.​—See study note on Mt 14:25.

the third hour of the night: That is, about 9:00 p.m., counting from sunset. The Christian Greek Scriptures usually refer to “watch” periods when counting time, following the Greek and Roman custom. (Mt 14:25; Mr 6:48; Lu 12:38) This is the only mention of a specific “hour” of the 12 hours that make up the nighttime.​—Compare Ac 16:25, 33; see study note on Mr 13:35.

Greetings!: The Greek word khaiʹro, which literally means “to rejoice,” is here used as a salutation and conveys the thought “may things be well with you.” The introduction to this letter concerning circumcision, which was sent to the congregations, follows the common ancient form of letter writing. First the writer was mentioned, then a person was addressed, and third the common greeting was given. (See study note on Ac 23:26.) Of all the letters included in the Christian Greek Scriptures, only the letter of James uses the Greek term khaiʹro as a salutation in the same way as this letter from the first-century governing body. (Jas 1:1) The disciple James was involved in formulating this letter, which supports the conclusion that the James who wrote the letter bearing his name is the same as the one who had a prominent part in the meeting recounted in Acts chapter 15.

Claudius Lysias to His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings!: This was a common introduction used in ancient letters. First the writer was mentioned, then the person was addressed, and third the common greeting was given using the Greek word khaiʹro, which literally means “to rejoice.” It expressed the thought: “May things be well with you.” It commonly appears in non-Biblical papyrus letters. In this context, the Greek word can appropriately be rendered “Greetings!” A similar introduction to a letter can be found at Ac 15:23 and Jas 1:1.​—See study note on Ac 15:23.

a Roman: That is, a Roman citizen.​—See study notes on Ac 16:37; 22:25.

a Roman: That is, a Roman citizen. This is the second of three recorded instances in which Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen. Roman authorities usually interfered little in Jewish affairs. However, the Romans got involved in Paul’s case not only because a riot erupted when he visited the temple but also because he was a Roman citizen. Citizenship afforded a person certain privileges that were recognized and honored throughout the empire. It was illegal, for example, to bind or beat an uncondemned Roman, since such treatment was considered fit for slaves only.​—For the other two occasions, see study notes on Ac 16:37; 25:11.

we are Romans: That is, Roman citizens. Paul and apparently also Silas were Roman citizens. Roman law stated that a citizen was always entitled to a proper trial and was never to be punished in public uncondemned. Roman citizenship entitled a person to certain rights and privileges wherever he went in the empire. A Roman citizen was subject to Roman law, not to the laws of provincial cities. When accused, he could agree to be tried according to local law; yet, he still retained the right to be heard by a Roman tribunal. In the case of a capital offense, he had the right to appeal to the emperor. The apostle Paul preached extensively throughout the Roman Empire. He made use of his rights as a Roman citizen on three recorded occasions. The first is here in Philippi when he informed the Philippian magistrates that they had infringed on his rights by beating him.​—For the other two occasions, see study notes on Ac 22:25; 25:11.

governor’s residence: The Greek term prai·toʹri·on (derived from the Latin praetorium) designates the official residence of the Roman governors. In Jerusalem, the residence was probably the palace built by Herod the Great, situated in the NW corner of the upper city, that is, of the southern part of Jerusalem. (See App. B12 for the location.) Pilate stayed in Jerusalem only on certain occasions, such as festivals, since there was a potential for unrest. His usual residence was in Caesarea.

palace: Or “praetorium.” In the Gospels and Acts, the Greek word prai·toʹri·on (from Latin) is used with regard to a palace or a residence. The tent of an army commander had been known as the praetorium, so in time the term was applied to the residence of a provincial governor. Here the term refers to a palace located in Caesarea and built by Herod the Great. At this time, about 56 C.E., it served as the residence of the Roman governor.​—See study note on Mt 27:27.