Acts 24 (Click scripture reference for audio access)
"Paul And Felix" • 1.22.12 •
Sunday Morning Service, Calvary Christian Fellowship
Intro.
- The Apostle
Paul began a journey to Jerusalem and landed in Caesarea before the local Roman
government having been rescued from the plotting of 40 would be Jewish
assassins.
- God's
providential hand had brought Paul safely to Caesarea so that His heart of love
could be shared with the Roman governor Felix. Like many in the Bible, Felix
has a storied background.
- Felix means "Happy."
If anyone ever should have been happy, it was Felix. He had been a slave, who
rose to power by his connected brother, "impressing" those around him
with his cruelty.
˚ "indulging in every kind of barbarity and
lust, exercised the power of a king in the spirit of a slave." Tacitus[i]
- Felix was
known for the assassination of the High Priest Jonathan and the quelling of a
riot that he started. Most of the time, the Jews lost more people to his order
than their riots!
- A person like
this may seem a lost cause to you and I, but they are just the type of men that
the Lord is after, to show His grace toward! He put Paul in position to do just
that.
Text
• Acts
24:1 : "Now after five days Ananias the high priest
came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave
evidence to the governor against Paul."
: Five days have passed since Paul's rescue from the Jewish assassins. Perhaps
the Jews would just give up and leave well enough alone. Not at all!
- Historians
tell us that Ananias was about 80 years old at this time. His hatred of
Christianity made the journey a must for he and the council that he led.
- Additionally,
Ananias and the council decided to bring in an "orator," or a
spokeman, the word indicative of a person trained in legal language.
- Tertullus framed
the case that the council would give against Paul, though he had very little to
work with.
• Acts
24:2-9 : "And when he was called upon, Tertullus began
his accusation, saying: 'Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace, and
prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight, we accept it
always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Nevertheless,
not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a
few words from us. 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." :
Tertullus' opening statement is very flowery and is an insult to everyone's
intelligence.
- The supposed "great
peace and prosperity" that Tertullus spoke came about as a result of the
cruel violence that Felix revelled in and the Jews hated.
- The Sanhedrin
only hoped that his violent ways would extend toward Paul!
- Tertullus
deemed Paul a public nuisance, a pest, who was a mover of the status quo.
- His charge is
that Paul is a leader, literally, the one out in front of the group of
Nazarenes, who threatened sedition. That might be what the world thought and in
a way, it's very true.
- A believer does
not accept the status quo in any person's life, but seeks to fight against it
through prayerful evangelistic intervention.
- Paul did not
accept the way things were in people's lives, knowing that if left to
themselves, that those left in that condition would be left eternally lost!
- Are you
comfortable with the status quo in people's lives? Live and let live is fine on
the earth, but what happens when they die? Paul would not have it and neither
should we.
- Paul was
believed to be a leader of sedition as well as sacrilige. He attempted to
profane the temple, a charge they knew to be untrue, but that the Jews agreed
to lie about before Felix.
• Acts
24:10-13 : "Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to
him to speak, answered: 'Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a
judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, because you
may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem
to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor
inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. Nor can they prove
the things of which they now accuse me." : Paul tells Felix, something akin to
this: "Felix, you've been around long enough. Even you will be smart
enough to see that this is ridiculous!"
- Paul had only
been in town for a few days when he came to Jerusalem. He came there, not to
lead a riot, but to worship. And he went there without any crowds!
- This
establishes both the lack of time to organize a rebellion and reminds the court
that witnesses could easily be gathered up.
• Acts
24:14-16 : "But this I confess to you, that according to
the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing
all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. I have hope in
God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of
the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always
strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men." :
The part that Paul was willing to concede was his faithfulness to the Way. He
was a Christian and he was guilty of that!
- This reminds
me of the plot of the politicians against Daniel, who said, "We shall not find any charge against this
Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God." (Dan.
6:5) The same was true with Paul and he boldly proclaims that that is the
case!
- He was ready
to state before all men that Christ was His Lord, even to the death. What are
you ready to confess before men? Do they know what you believe or who you
believe in?
- Paul was a
man who was very clear on this point and often opened his mouth to confirm his
actions! We would do well to follow that example.
- Paul's words
are clever here. They call Christianity a sect, literally a heresy, but all the
Way did was worship the God of the Jews and believe the Bible! Ouch!
- In other
words, the Pharisees should have been no different from Christianity, but they
did not believe the Bible, specifically that which spoke about Jesus their
Messiah!
- Incidently,
this is yet another proof of the sufficiency of scripture. Paul believed all
things which were written in the law and prophets!
- Because Paul
believed the word of God, he had hope in God and lived always to have a
conscience without offense toward God and men.
- Paul said
that he strives to have a conscience without offense toward God and man. The
word "strives" comes from the word that points to vigorous excercise.
- He worked out
His salvation, living His life with an eye toward what he knew that the
scripture communicated. Are you as diligent?
- What you
believe about the Bible will play out in your actions!
- The Bible
talks about a resurrection that will include the just and the unjust.
- You and I
have one audience in terms of ultimate authority. We live before God to please
Him, but pleasing Him requires us to love men! If you stood before Him today,
how would you stand?
• Acts
24:17-21 : "Now after many years I came to bring alms and
offerings to my nation, in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me
purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult. They ought to have
been here before you to object if they had anything against me. Or else let
those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me
while I stood before the council, unless it is for this one statement which I
cried out, standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am
being judged by you this day.’" :
The charges against Paul were unjust. For example, where are the ones
who accused him? Where were the Asian Jews who had begun the riot in the first
place?
- Their absence
further reflects Paul's innocence. To bring a false charge against a Roman in a
Roman court would have been a dangerous thing.
- Paul says,
"Let's get to what this is really about: The Resurrection!" Paul was
on trial, not because of a civic matter, but because of a theological matter!
- He was there because
He believed in a resurrected Jesus, the Messiah of the Jews, whose command had
caused Paul to live the way that he had.
• Acts
24:22,23 : "But when Felix heard these things, having
more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, 'When
Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.' So he
commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him
not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him." :
Felix was well aware of this group. These terms may reflect a knowledge of
their belief, and their differences with the Sanhedrin.
- As to their
beliefs, Phillip the Evangelist lived in Caesarea, witnessing loudly enough.
Felix also married into a family with unique knowledge of the people of the
Way, which we'll detail.
- Felix had a
good picture and idea of what the Way represented. Court was adjourned until
such time as Lysias could come and add his testimony.
- This was
about the only thing that Felix could do. There were no charges, no witnesses,
no evidence, but he could not offend the Jews, so he simply sought the longest
delay.
- Until then,
Paul was kept in Caesarea, but given a long leash. It seems that Felix allowed
Paul the dignity of what we might look at as a "house arrest."
- He could move
around town and his companions and friends could come to bring things that he
needed, a courtesy that we'll see was disingenuous and self-serving.
• Acts
24:24 : "And after some days, when Felix came with his
wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the
faith in Christ." : "After some days" could
mean months, maybe even a year.
- Paul has been
a guest of the state and Felix came with his wife seeking to hear more from
Paul, in a personal meet and greet.
- He was not
interested in justice as it pertained to Paul's situation. They came to hear
about the faith in Christ, something that Drusilla had a special interest in.
- Drusilla was
Felix' third wife. According to
Suetonius, his first wife had been the grand daughter of Antony and Cleopatra.
Here, he is married to the youngest daughter Herod Agrippa I.
- Talk about
marrying up! Felix had been a slave and here he marries three princesses!
- Agrippa was
not Jewish, but he married a Jewish woman, therefore, Drusilla was considered
Jewish. Being a "Herod" was like being a Kennedy, but with a unique
set of ties to Christianity.
- Her Great
Grandfather Herod the Great, had tried to kill Jesus by killing all the babies
in Bethlehem. Her Uncle, Herod Antipas, had killed the Messiah's forerunner,
John the Baptist.
- Her Father,
Agrippa had killed James back in Acts 12.
There is no doubt that she had been one of her husband's primary sources of
information regarding the Way.
- As much as
she may have been fascinated by Christianity, she lived her life in a typical
worldly, celebrity, tabloid fashion. Politically, she was a Kennedy. Socially,
a Kardashian!
˚ "Drusilla was no example of moral virtue either: during her first
marriage she engaged the assistance of a magician in pursuing an illicit affair
with Felix, and then left her husband to form with Felix a perversely
well-matched pair." [ii]
- Now, because
of God's love for Felix and Drusilla, Paul is invited to freely share with them
both there in Caesarea.
• Acts
24:25 : "Now as he reasoned about righteousness,
self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 'Go away
for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.'" :
Paul reasoned or dialogued with them, matching them thought for thought. This
was a give and take scenario, but Paul kept it essential.
- Paul circled
around righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. He began by
explaining righteousness..
- Paul
explained what it meant for a person to enter into the righteousness of Christ.
God in His wisdom, poured out the wrath that our sin deserved upon Christ.
- Jesus lived
in perfect righteousness before God and those that believe upon Him are treated
as though they lived His life. A believer is clothed with the righteousness of
Christ.
- Paul was able
to fully disclose this doctrine to them. He speaks next of self-control. This
refers to the suppression of sensual appetites.
- When a person
is in Christ, because he or she is guided and directed by righteousness, he or
she lives in a way that seems to the world to be the supression of appetites.
- It is not
that a person stops having desires. It's that they start desiring other Godly
things in their place their appetites. The desire for things of God changes
everything!
- A person
living apart from Christ lives only for the satisfaction of their own sensual
lusts, a particular point against Felix and Drusilla, who relationship began in
illicit immorality.
- Their lack of
self-control was a major issue in the discussion.
- Paul's final
topic was one that began to close the deal. For people like Felix and Drusilla,
living large in the world, having all they could imagine, death and judgment
was a far off reality.
- The judgment
seat of God is what every man and woman will face. You and I will stand before
God and give account for the lives that we lived.
- First and
foremost, men will give an account for what they did with Jesus Christ. Did
they believe in Him? Are their sins paid for or will they begin to pay now?
- People assume
incorrectly that whatever world they have built will be the only world that
will ever be. Paul is telling Felix and Drusilla that there is more to life
than what they see!
- Someday, they
will stand quite powerless and answer the query of a truly righteous judge!
There will be an end to their celebrity and their indulgence.
- Because they
heard the witness of a Christian, they could no longer plead ignorance!
- What was
Felix' response? Luke tells us that he was afraid. Other translations use the
word "terrified," "alarmed" or "frightened."
Paul's topics, fueled by the Holy Spirit, got through to Felix.
- He was moved
to great concern over his soul and he stood at the crossroad that many have
stood at. He knew that Paul spoke the truth about God and his situation.
- Felix at this
time, answered foolishly, telling him that he would call upon Paul at another
convenient season. Herein lies the problem: God's call on a person's life is
never convenient!
- It will never
be a convenient time to receive Christ. There will always be collateral damage!
- There will
never be a convenient time to forsake your pet sin. There will be painful
withdrawal. There will never be a convenient time to obey God, but if you hear
now, obey now!
- Settle it in
your heart. Make it the purpose of your day to heed His voice now! It's
interesting, but this is the last time that scripture records Felix' response.
- One very
important thing about God's call: The first time is always the loudest! Every
time after that, the ability to hear and obey diminishes!
- Waiting for
convenience is the avenue of the cowardly! In the end, Felix bowed to fear.
- He bowed to
the fear of men and their opinions of Christ. It's no doubt that Drusilla was a
mocker. Notice that Luke does not mention her having any kind of response.
- Felix bowed
to the fear of what he would undoubtedly lose in this life for the sake of
Christ.
• Acts
24:26 : "Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be
given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more
often and conversed with him."
: Sadly, Felix continued to
entertain the conversation for the reason of receiving a bribe. Somewhere down
the line, he figured that Paul, like most men, would bribe him.
- He kept
bringing Paul along, allowing him to share, but hoping that he would receive
something of monetary value. He had the impression that Paul would paint his
palm!
- In the end,
the word of God was squelched by the love of money!
˚ "With us the most reverend majesty is that of Riches: even
though, Foul Lucre! thou dwellest in no temple, and we have not reared altars
to Coin, as we have for the worship of Peace and Faith, Victory, Virtue and
Concord.'"
Juvenal
- Paul was a
prisoner of Christ, but was free. Felix was a prisoner of possessions and was
bound by it, so much so, as to miss the opportunity to be freed by Christ.
- It's sad that
this is often the case with men. Mixed motives present themselves often.
- Some love to
hear of Christ because they get some intellectual stimulation from it. Some
love to entertain conversations because they love to argue.
- For all the
knowledge that Felix would have, sadly it seems that it did not lead him to
life.
• Acts
24:27 : "But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded
Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound."
: Two years went by and
Felix was reassigned. He withstood against God's leading. He won but he lost!
- Felix in the
end, chose to keep Paul imprisoned out of a favor to the Jews, a coward all the
way to the end.
Conclusion
- Paul's
circumstance led him to a place of witness before Felix. Perhaps you are
"stuck" where you are and have wondered at the purpose. Look around.
There may be a Felix!
- Maybe you are
the Felix and God is speaking to you through a Paul. Don't be a fool. If you
hear now, obey now and be right now!
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