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. He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law. But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him." And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.
Acts 24:5-9

The libelous attacks against Paul as a person aside, what about the actual charges? From the biased perspective of the Jewish religious leaders, they were as true as true could be. Though Paul was not out to create “dissension among the Jews throughout the world,” it is true that the gospel does divide. It divides those who believe from those who do not believe. And we shouldn’t be surprised about that. But that is never our aim when proclaiming Christ and the gospel.

As for “profaning the temple,” that accusation was not factual and was therefore simply not true! But understand that when people are exercised about what is dear to them, an absence of facts is small matter in their eyes.

Do not miss (v.9) “the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so.” If there is anything more insidious than false accusations, it is the reality that the crowd is often easily aroused to join in. It reminds me of the sober and weighty warning in God’s Law, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice” (Exodus 23:2).

Let us be careful not to flatter people to win their approval, attack a person when the charges are untrue, and be on guard never to “follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”

AND, let us praise God that our perfectly just God will have the final word on all cases of injustice!