**Lapell, I’ll tell you where Tertullus is coming from with that generalization in his statement about Paul in Court. Exactly 14 years before, Paul had come to Jerusalem to try to join the Sect of the Nazarenes and the Apostles would not accept him, not only for his history of persecution of the Nazarenes, but also because they were certain that Paul was either lying or crazy with his tale that he had met Jesus on the Road to Damascus.
It happens that among the Nazarenes there was an old friend of Paul’s, called Barnabas, who would put in a word for Paul to be accepted at least on a trial basis. Probably, Barnabas would watch him. Paul! Who could watch Paul? Paul had waited too long for that chance to preach his gospel in Jerusalem. The man went berserk spreading everwhere the news that Jesus was the Messiah, son of God, and that he had resurrected. Within 15 days only, he had caused such a havoc among the local Jews that they were after him to kill him. At this juncture, and in consideration to Barnabas, James and the Elders got him down to Caesarea and from there, they sent him back to Tarsus where he belonged.
Therefore, being reminded of that strategical salvation of Paul by the Nazarenes, Tertullus did not bother to verify the facts and considered Paul a ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarenes. Because of that incident, the credibility of the Nazarenes was considerably hurt among mainstream Judaism. That’s the reason why Paul was forever banned from Israel and could never build a church in Israel soil, thanks especially to the Pharisees, whom Paul fed his grudge against till the end of his life in Rome.
So, what Tertullus said in Court about Paul was irrelevant for lack of appropriate information. **