ACTS 24:11

Thoughts on Acts 24:11

Paul tells Felix, “Since you can take note of the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship” (Acts 24:11 NASB). Or as the KJV says: “Because thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.” Both give the impression that it was 12 days from his arrival in Jerusalem to his giving his defense before Felix. The question is how we understand the 12 days?  It is also evident that more than 12 days had passed:[1]

Act 21:17	Paul arrives in Jerusalem	Day 1
Acts 21:18	Visit with James	Day 2
Acts 21:26	Begins the days of purification	Day 3
Acts 21:27	Seven days later, in the Temple for offering and day of his arrest	Day 9
Acts 22:30	Before the Sanhedrin	Day 10
Acts  23:12	Plot against Paul	Day 11
Acts 23:32	Arrives in Caesarea	Day 12
Acts 24:1	5 days later before Felix	Day 17

It is clear that the 12 days does not refer to the time in total from the first day in Jerusalem until the day he appears before Felix. That is self-evident from the overall context and the time indicators. The context clearly shows the counting of time started on his first day in Jerusalem. It also shows that there are more than 12 days from his arrival in Jerusalem to his defense before Felix. It is not possible to condense the time element to 12 days if it includes the 5 day wait to go before Felix. The twelve days refers to Paul’s time in Jerusalem from the time that he arrived to the time he went to Caesarea.[2] This may be indicated by a more literal translation of the verse: “You being able to know that there are to me not more than twelve days, from which I went up worshiping in Jerusalem” (Author’s translation). To translate the text “from which” as “ago” as in some modern translations is misleading. Also the older translating of the Greek word ou as “yet but” is not correct and misleading as well. The Greek word means no, and expresses a full and direct negation, thus “not more than.”  What Paul is saying is that he spent no more than 12 days in the city for the purpose to worship. 

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[1]  Witherington, ACTS, 710. Schnabel, ECNT: ACTS, 957.

[2]  F.F. Bruce, NICNT: ACTS, 443.