At the trial of Christ, Theophilus, brilliant young assessore raised in the Roman aristocracy, stands behind Pontius Pilate and whispers, Offer to release Barabbas. The strategy backfires, and Theophilus never forgets the sight of an innocent man unjustly suffering the worst of all possible deaths--Roman crucifixion.Three decades later, Theophilus has proven himself in the legal ranks of the Roman Empire. He has survived the insane rule of Caligula and has weathered the cruel tyrant's quest to control the woman he loves. He ...
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At the trial of Christ, Theophilus, brilliant young assessore raised in the Roman aristocracy, stands behind Pontius Pilate and whispers, Offer to release Barabbas. The strategy backfires, and Theophilus never forgets the sight of an innocent man unjustly suffering the worst of all possible deaths--Roman crucifixion.Three decades later, Theophilus has proven himself in the legal ranks of the Roman Empire. He has survived the insane rule of Caligula and has weathered the cruel tyrant's quest to control the woman he loves. He has endured the mindless violence of the gladiator games and the backstabbing intrigue of the treason trials.Now he must face another evil Caesar, defending the man Paul in Nero's deranged court. Can Theophilus mount a defense that will keep another innocent man from execution?The advocate's first trial altered the course of history. His last will change the fate of an empire.
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The advocate, Theophilis, was raised in the Roman aristocracy and trained in rhetoric and debate by the very finest. One of his first positions is advising Pontius Pilate, where he is part of one of the trials of Jesus Christ. He offers Pilate a word of advice, which backfires horribly when the innocent man is sent to a cruel death by crucifixion. This mistake haunts him. Thirty years later, having proved himself in his profession, he has the opportunity for redemption when he takes the case of Paul of Tarsus, defending him in front of the Emperor Nero. But Theophilus wonders if he can form a defense that will keep this innocent man from execution.
Randy Singer, who has written several legal thrillers, uses the theory that the books of Luke and Acts were written as legal briefs to defend Paul against Nero. These two books of the Bible are addressed to Theophilus, but very little is known about him. Singer develops a fictional Theophilus with dialogue directly from Holy Scripture and writing other speeches that are faithful to biblical people such as Paul. "The most important thing is not that the letter proclaims my innocence but that it proclaims the good news about the Messiah."
The book was compelling from the very first and held my rapt attention throughout. I could easily feel myself in Rome during that time and wished I could speak with Paul and the other early Christians myself.
