Sect of the Nazarenes

Why "the sect of the Nazarenes'?

Acts 24:5-13 Sect of the Nazarenes

Acts 24:14-21 Sect

ACTS 24:5 5 “For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Why does Tertullus call Paul a ringleader of "the sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:5)?
Because Jesus grew up in Nazareth (see Jesus of Nazareth), the Jews called Christians "the sect of the Nazarenes" in derogation.

ACTS 24:6 6 “He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law.

Did Paul try to "profane the temple" (Acts 24:6) of Jerusalem?
To the contrary, he spent almost seven days in it in ritual purification (see Paul's Nazarite vow).

Did the Jews want to "judge him according to [their] law" (Acts 24:6)?
"They were seeking to kill him" (Acts 21:31) contrary to their law.

ACTS 24:7-9 7 “But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him.” 9 And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.

Did the commander Lysius "with great violence" (Acts 24:7) take Paul out of their hands?
The Roman Commander Claudius Lysias took Paul from their great violence against him.

ACTS 24:10-13 10 Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: “Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, 11 because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.

What is missing from Paul's opening words?
The flattery. He simply acknowledges that Felix had "been for many years a judge of this nation" (Acts 24:10). Since Felix was at this time also married to Drusilla, one of Herod's daughters, he should have had at least some knowledge of Judaism and Christianity.

Had it really only been "no more than twelve days since [Paul] went up to Jerusalem" (Acts 24:11)?
Yes, and it was a period rather short to have organized and committed all that he was being accused of having committed, especially since three of those twelve days had been spent in Roman custody: "And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly (Day 1). On the following day (Day 2) Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present" (Acts 21:17-18), "Then Paul took the men, and the next day, having been purified with them, entered the temple ... Now when the seven days (Days 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him" (Acts 24:27). "The next day (Day 10), because he (commander Lysias) wanted to know for certain why he was accused by the Jews, he released him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them" (Acts 22:30). "But the following night (Day 11) the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome" (Acts 23:11). "And when it was day (Day 12), some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul" (Acts 23:12). Paul was escorted out of Jerusalem that night (see Claudius Lysias).