What does Acts 24:13 mean?

Governor Felix is presiding over a trial, where members of Jewish leadership are accusing Paul. The high priest and some of the elders of the Sanhedrin have presented their case against him (Acts 24:1). They say Paul is "a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him" (Acts 24:5–6). They then, quite boldly, told Felix that he would see the truth if he questioned Paul (Acts 24:8).

Paul is more than happy to give his side of the story. His ministry has been a part of two riots, both of which were initiated by Gentiles whose demonic businesses were endangered by Paul's interference (Acts 16:16–23; 19:23–41). The only events even approaching the category of "riot" in Felix's jurisdiction were when Jews attacked Paul because they wrongly thought he had brought a Gentile into the temple and when the Sanhedrin members fought amongst themselves when Paul brought up the resurrection of the dead (Acts 21:27–30; 23:1–10). The Sanhedrin wasn't present for the first event—and the witnesses are not there (Acts 24:18–20)—and in the second, they were the rioters.

The reason the Sanhedrin disapproves of Paul, he says, is because he believes in the resurrection of the dead—which the Pharisees, minority members of the Sanhedrin, also did(Acts 24:21). It's not clear why Paul says his statement of this belief is the reason he is on trial. Paul did travel to foreign synagogues and tell the Jews and devout Gentiles about the resurrection Jesus offers, but it was typically the jealousy of the synagogue leaders that led to issues, not the message (Acts 13:45; 17:5). His belief and statement were the catalyst in the fight in the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:6–10) and the event works in Paul's favor; as he presents his case in front of Felix and, later, Festus and Agrippa II (Acts 26:6–8), they can see, like proconsul Gallio, this is "a matter of questions about words and names and [the Jews'] own law," not sedition against the Roman Empire (Acts 18:15).

Two years after this trial, when Caesar calls Felix to Rome to account for his cruelty, members of the Sanhedrin will return to Caesarea to again accuse Paul. They won't be able to make their case then, either (Acts 25:7).