8 While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all.
And it happened after three days that Paul called together those who were the leading Jews, and when they assembled he said to them, “Brothers, although I had done nothing against the [Jewish] people or the customs of our forefathers, yet I was made a prisoner at Jerusalem, being placed in the custody of the Romans [while there].
[While there] I was not observed arguing with anyone or trying to stir up a crowd [to riot] in the Temple or in the synagogues or [anywhere else] in the city.
For this is what we boast of: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in holiness and godly sincerity, not with human wisdom, but with the favor of God.
Paul replied, “I am [already] standing before a court of Caesar's authority, where I deserve to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.
Paul [then] looked intently at the Council [i.e., the Jewish Supreme Court called the “Sanhedrin”] and spoke [in his defense]: “Brothers, I have lived before God with a good conscience all my life.”
But, I declare to you, I am serving the God of our forefathers according to the ‘Way,’ called [by my detractors] a sect, and I believe everything that is in harmony with the Law of Moses and what is written in [the writings of] the prophets.