God’s Hand on the Gospel’s Journey

Transcript

GR1633
3-11-12
God’s Hand on the Gospel Journey
Acts 24:1-27
Gil Rugh

We are in the book of Acts together, Acts chapter 24. We have been talking about the providence of God which is God’s working in the world through secondary causes using a variety of things to accomplish His purposes. Sometimes He intervenes directly with miracles. We have seen Him speak to Paul directly in a vision. We have seen in the book of Acts, angelic deliverance out of prison like Peter and so on. But most often, and we experience it all the time, God is working through what we call providence, in a providential way.

Sometimes we don’t talk enough about that and we fail to appreciate how completely God is in control. I like to read the Puritans from time to time sometime when I just want a break from everything I go off and read some of their stuff. John Flavel was a Puritan who lived in the 1600’s, the Puritans times.

Years ago when we were traveling to the East Coast we used to stop in Lancashire, Pennsylvania. They have a large antique market there and there was a book seller I would stop and see and he would sometimes saves books for me that I might like. One time I picked up the complete works of John Flavel, the Puritan in an edition printed in the late 1700’s and I have enjoyed that.

There is a little book done by the Puritan, John Flavel in 1677 and it is entitled The Mystery of Providence and it is what we would call the preference addressed to the reader, to the ingenuous readers and that is the readers of intelligence and discernment. Reader – There are two ways whereby the blessed God condescends to manifest Himself to men, His Word and His works. Of the written Word we must say no words like these were ever written since the beginning of time which can, as one speaks, take life and root in the soul. Yea doth it really as the seed doth in the ground and are fitted to the engrafted and naturalization there so as no coalition in nature can be more real than this. James 1:21. This is the most transcendent and glorious medium of manifestation. However, the manifestations of God by His Works, whether of creation or providence have their value and glory. But the prime glory and excellence of His providential works consist in this, that they are the very fulfillings and real accomplishments of His written Word. By a wise and heedful attendance hereunto to the works of providence we might learn the excellent art of clearing the mysterious occurrences of providence. And later he goes on, How great a pleasure is it to discern how the most wise God is providentially stirring all to the port of His own praise and His people’s happiness whilst the whole world is visibly employed in managing the sails and tugging at the oars with quite an opposite design and purpose. This is a picture of the boat going into port. The world is trying to stir it one way but God is sovereignly even using their work according to His own design and purpose. To see how they promote His design by opposing it and fulfill His will be resisting it. In large, His church by scattering it and make their rest come the more sweet to their souls by making their condition so restless in the world. Even the opposition of believers serves a good purpose because it makes us more anxious, what? To be removed and caught up into the presence of our God. This is pleasant to observe in general but to record and note its particular designs upon ourselves with what profound wisdom, infinite tenderness and incessant vigilance it hath managed all that concerns us from first to last is ravishing and transporting.

The Puritans can be wordy but they are fun to read, read with discernment. They are not dispensational. Many of them are not pre-millennial but I enjoy them, none the less.

Alright, Acts chapter 24 we see the providence of God at work. Paul came to Jerusalem with a passion to bring an offering he collected from Gentile churches that he had been a part of, that he had established and this offering was to bring help and support to the impoverished Jewish believers in the church at Jerusalem. Opposition and persecution had taken its toll there so this was a way for the Gentiles to express their love and gratitude to the Jews for the salvation that has been brought to them. It didn’t turn out the way that Paul anticipated although he knew there would be trouble. He brings the offering. He meets with the leaders of the church at Jerusalem but he is shortly arrested and that begins an imprisonment that will drag out through the rest of the book of Acts for a period of about five years. Let me say, I want you to be clear when I have talked about the imprisonment of Paul will go through the rest of the book of Acts I do believe he is released after what is recorded in Acts. He will have an ongoing ministry and then be rearrested and subsequently executed. So, don’t get confused when I talk about there will be no more freedom for him in the book of Acts. The book of Acts does not record the rest of Paul’s ministry. We will end the book of Acts with him in prison. But I think the evidence of the rest of Scripture he is released from that imprisonment and will carry on a ministry of perhaps another five years before he is rearrested and subsequently executed.

He has been removed from Jerusalem to Caesarea because of the hostility of the Jews, unbelieving Jews toward Paul and his ministry. The Roman commander in Jerusalem believes it is necessary to be removed from that environment where over 40 Jewish men have bound themselves in a vow to murder Paul. So he has transported Paul some 60 miles from Jerusalem to where the center of Roman rule for this region is. The Roman governor has his headquarters there. So in effect, this Roman commander in Jerusalem passes Paul on to a higher authority in the Roman command since Paul is a Roman citizen and has Roman rights.

In chapter 23, verse 29 in the letter that the Roman commander sends to the governor in Caesarea he does say: “I found him to be accused over questions about the Law but under no accusation deserving death or imprisonment.” That will be the pattern that we are going to see. Even though Paul will not be released it is a consistent testimony of the Roman authorities that the man’s innocent. Again, we see the providence of God. God does not use that to have Paul released.

I want to set the stage a little bit with Roman emperors because it helps us appreciate the situation here with the Roman governor. In Acts chapter 24, verse 1 we are told: “After five days the High Priest Ananias came down with some elders, with a certain attorney named Tertullus; and they brought charges to the governor against Paul.” And the governor’s name is Felix, verse 3. But I want to go to the Caesars of the time so if we have that list of the Roman Caesars of New Testament times I stop at 68 A.D. Obviously, we go on to about 95 A. D. when the Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation but I am just concerned for what is going on in Acts; a little back of background. So these are the Roman Caesars that have ruled the Roman Empire when we come into New Testament times starting with Augustus; so from 31 B. C. to 14 A. D. Now don’t get confused. Herod was king in Judea but that is just his realm which is just a little portion of the Roman Empire and he holds that position because the Romans have given it to him but the ruler of the world at this time is Augustus Caesar. He came to the throne in 31 B. C. and ruled until 14 A. D. He is replaced by Tiberius Caesar so he ruled from 14 A. D. to 37 A. D. and then we have Gaius. We know him better as Caligula from 37 A. D. to 41 A. D. Then you have Claudius from 41 to 54 and this will impact where we are because Felix, the governor here, holds his position because it was given to him by Claudius and then Claudius will be replaced by the infamous Nero who ruled from 54 to 68 A. D. and he will be the one who will ultimately bring about Paul’s execution. We are after these events. We are in the reign on Nero here because in Acts 24 we are about 57 A. D. and you can see how Roman rulers have come and gone you wouldn’t know it reading the New Testament. People of the world think this is the most significant event. I mean these are the men ruling the known world. It’s the most powerful empire that had ever existed and the leaders of this come and go and it is even not acknowledged in the Scripture record as though this is something significant for believers or the church so Claudius, we mentioned the end he came to in 54, replaced by Nero and then Nero will have Paul executed before his death. So, we are about 57 A. D. in Acts 24 just to give you an idea of where we are. Paul is going to have about a five year imprisonment and this will carry him to 62, 63 A. D. there. Then he will be released, rearrested and executed.

Okay now, let me tell you a little bit about Felix since he is the governor here and I may read a little bit to you so you can appreciate the setting. Felix was born a slave. So Paul, the born, Roman citizen is going to appear before the Roman governor who started out as a slave, born a slave but he was freed by Antonia. Antonia was the mother of Claudius here so you get the connection back into the royal household. Felix had a brother whose name was Pallas and he also was a slave freed by Antonia. So the mother of Claudius, Roman Caesar, had given these two slaves their freedom. Pallas becomes actively involved in the family of Caesar, released from his imprisonment and his involvement in the household there brought him into close friendship with the young Claudius so when they were young, kids together, they played together, they develop a friendship together so obviously Claudius becomes the Caesar why this brother of Felix is a good friend. This is important because this brother of Felix has strong influence now in the household of Claudius, Caesar Claudius. Through the influence of his brother, Pallas, Felix in 48 A. D. was appointed to a post in Syria, not as governor but a subordinate government post under the present governor that was there overseeing the region of Syria and so on, a man named Cumanus. In 52 A. D. Claudius, who is Caesar, appointed him governor to replace Cumanus. So Felix’s ties go back into the household of Caesar. Cumanus was removed, the prior governor by Claudius and replaced with Felix because he had treated the Jews in an especially brutal way. There was a dispute between the Jews and Samaritans, imagine that and Cumanus had put it down by dealing extremely harshly with the Jews. So Ananias, the high priest, went to Rome and appealed to Claudius and Claudius had a wife. I don’t expect you to remember. We won’t be giving a test on this. Her name was Agrippina in case you are looking for a different name for one of your daughters, Agrippina, and Claudius with his wife Agrippina who has a strong influence on him, ends up siding with the Jews against the Samaritans. The result, you’ve got the Caesar on your side and you win. So he has a number of the Samaritans executed. He exiles the governor, Cumanus, and replaces him with Felix.

Again, you see the providence of God at work. I mean, everybody thinks that boy what’s happening here, wow. But, who is determining what happens here, these conflicts. Now Agrippina is the wife of Claudius. How did she become the wife of Claudius? Well, we haven’t forgotten about Felix’s brother, Pallas and it was through his influence that he convinced his good friend, Claudius, that Agrippina would make the best choice for a wife. Now Claudius had already had a wife but she had been executed for being unfaithful so he persuaded Claudius to marry Agrippina. She is a widow who has a son and can you guess what the son’s name is? It is on the list, just after Claudius, Nero and you know how Nero got to the throne. Mommy was married to Claudius but couldn’t wait for Claudius to move on so she poisoned him so now you have Nero, so, interesting the sovereignty of God in putting men up, putting them down. Why would Nero? Remember Daniel, God rules in the realm of mankind and appoints over it the basest of men. This would be one of those men, not that Claudius is any shining example of virtue but Nero became so repulsive to his own people he is driven to commit suicide so he can avoid them getting ahold of him and suffering a worse fate.

So all of this down to Nero being now on the throne, is obviously history because Nero came to the throne in 54 with the death of Claudius at the hands of wife Agrippina and we are in 57 so Nero has been on the throne for three years but Felix, because there has been some connections here that are helpful because it was Felix’s brother who got Claudius to marry Agrippina who is the mother of Nero so naturally you have these connections that are positive. There are just interesting facts of history but not important enough to be mentioned in the Scripture themselves. This information comes from secular sources, Josephus, Tasitus, Slutonias, the Roman writers but it does help us appreciate the kind of setting. Now here, Paul is going to appear before Felix who is a man who is directly connected to the household of Caesar and a man of influence.

Alright, the chapter begins that it is after five days after Paul arrived in Caesarea that the High Priest, Ananias came down with some of the other rulers, members of the Sanhedrin, called elders here and then an attorney who is really the orator who is going to present the case against Paul. We are not told anything about Tertullus other than you know, it is translated attorney in our Bibles in the margin you have literally, orator but he is the one who will be able to make the compelling case against Paul. Interesting they bring this kind of man. “They brought charges to the governor against Paul. After Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying to the governor.” So now they have their appearance before the governor. You have charges that are going to be brought. “Since we have through you [first you’ve got to flatter the governor to let him know how wonderful he is and] attained much peace, and since by your providence reforms are being carried out for this nation, we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.” What he says is not true. He says, “Since we have through you attained much peace.” There was less peace during Felix’s governorship than there had been in any prior time and it’s only going to deteriorate until we come to the final outbreak of war with Rome in the last 60 culminating in 70 A. D. Felix was very harsh on the Jews and he was not liked by the Jews but a little bit of flattery here.

Verse 4: “But, that I may not weary you any further.” He is going to bring the charges and there are three charges basically against Paul: a charge of treason, a charge of heresy and a charge of sacrilege. Basic charge is going to come down to treason activities because it has to be beyond what you know, just an inner Jewish conflict although it does become significant because the Jews were given the right by the Romans to carry out capital punishment for certain offenses committed against the Jews like sacrilege against the temple would be capital punishment even carried out by the Jews. “But, that I may not weary you any further, I beg you to grant us, by your kindness, a brief hearing. For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” So he stirs up dissension. He is a trouble maker, a pest not just in Jerusalem but among all the Jews throughout the world. He is a subversive. He is undermining the peace that Rome desires to have by going throughout the Roman world trying to stir the Jews up. So it becomes a charge of treason because what the Romans are concerned about is not about the Jews religion. They are concerned about anybody who causes trouble for Rome. So here you have Paul brought before a Roman governor. What better thing to say is, “He is unsettling the peace that Rome has brought to us by causing trouble among the Jews wherever he goes.” So he isn’t just a problem in Jerusalem I mean this is a problem for the Romans wherever Paul will go. He makes trouble among the Jews and unsettles them and stirs them up. “He is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. The Nazarenes – identifying them as a particular group, a sect with their own agenda, their own doctrines and of course the Nazarenes. Does anything good come out of Nazareth? So he is a Jew but he is identified with this trouble making group, the sect of the Nazarenes.

“He even tried to desecrate the temple.” This would bring it to a charge that he is subversive among the peace that the Romans would desires to have throughout their empire; he belongs to a sect he’s not really identified with mainstream Judaism. He belongs to this sect that has its own beliefs, its own doctrines and in promoting them unsettles Judaism throughout the Roman Empire and then he tried to desecrate the temple. This is where the Romans had given the right to the Jews for capital punishment for anyone who would commit that kind of offense in violating the temple. Really it’s a claim that the Jews ought to have been able to handle this and if it wasn’t for the improper intervention of the Roman commander in Judaism we would have handled it as you Romans want us to handle it, meting out capital punishment against someone who does desecrate the temple and the Romans did this not because they particularly care about Jewish religion but because they realize this will inflame the Jews much as we see goes on now with the Muslims. You don’t want to say anything or do anything that would cause unrest among the Muslims because that unsettles the world. That is his argument here regarding the Jews. The Romans ruled the world and you don’t want trouble. We don’t want trouble. If he hadn’t done these kinds of things and committed sacrilege against the temple so really the final appeal is he ought to be turned over to the Jews and let them mete out the punishment he deserves. So the charges are brought.

You have some additional information here at the end of verse 6 and verse 7 and the beginning of verse 8 that is not in some of the older manuscripts and the better manuscripts as we might call them. There is debate over that but that doesn’t change anything.

“We wanted to judge him according to our own law but Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, ordering his accusers to come before you.” If that would be a true part of the text it doesn’t change anything they are just giving it their slant. Then they tell him, “By examining him yourself concerning all these matters, you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him. And the Jews also joined in the attack.” Those Jews that he had come with, Tertullus and Ananias, they agree, “Yes, this is all true, this is exactly what has happened. He is a trouble maker. He’s unsettling the peace that Rome has brought and he committed sacrilege against the temple.” Felix has heard it so he turns and just nods to Paul and indicates it is now Paul’s chance to present his case. One thing about being in a Roman court and a Roman citizen there is an order established here and the Jews recognize it. What Felix says will be law. If they continue to fight it there will be conflict. They might think they can go and appeal to Rome again but even the Jews have to realize everybody has to be sensitive here. The Jews don’t want to be running to Rome all the time because the Roman Caesar may get tired of it and turn against them but by the same token Felix recognizes he holds his position because the prior government was removed because Caesar sided with the Romans so you have the kind of situation here of keeping things in balance. So, it is Paul’s time to speak and his defense is presented beginning in verse 10 and it will go on down through verse 21.

“When the governor had noddle for him to speak, Paul responded: ‘Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.’” And now he is on since you can find out the facts. It was only 12 days ago I arrived in Jerusalem. He is not flattering Felix because Felix does have a knowledge of things here. He has been in this region since 48 A. D. He didn’t become governor until 52 but he has served in a governmental role since 48 so he has been here almost 10 years and involved in all of the activities of this region and had responsibility of one kind or another even before he became governor. As governor since 52 he has been five to six years ruling the area. So what Paul says here is not flattery like Tertullus had carried out about he brought peace and everything. Paul says, “I am happy to present my case to you since for many years you have been a judge to this nation.” And he has because final Roman authority has been delegated to the governor of the region. He is well aware of the situation.

Verse 11: “Since you can take note of the fact I am glad to make my offense to you because you can find out the facts. “No more than 12 days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot.” What they have said is just not true. It was only 12 days ago I arrived in Jerusalem and I didn’t give any speeches till he was arrested and I didn’t cause any riots nor can they prove to you the charges of which they accuse me. I mean they have made a lot of statements but there is no foundation for the charges. You think I was in Jerusalem fomenting up rebellion, I didn’t get there until 12 days ago and I didn’t give any public speeches anywhere or do anything to promote a riot because it was only about half that time ago that I got arrested. I mean his time in Jerusalem was short because he has spent five days in Caesarea. He says, “It was only twelve days ago I arrived in Jerusalem.” I mean it’s not like the man has been there fomenting rebellion. He hasn’t even been there so the things they are charging me of are without foundation.

I love the way Paul, you know, Paul is not primarily concerned about himself here, not railing on injustices and he makes clear that the charges are not true, that Felix can examine those. Felix already knows it because the Roman governor in the letter he sent when he had Paul sent to Caesarea said, “I haven’t been able to find anything this man is guilty of. I can’t find any reason for him to be in prison.” Felix would have read the letter but Paul is not concerned about talking about injustice and how the Romans ought to be careful to administer justice fairly and all that. He is here to do what, to tell them the truth. “This I admit to you, that according to the way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers.” So I am not denying here. They accuse me of belonging to the sect of the Nazarenes according to the way which they call a sect. I do serve the God of our fathers. So there is no backing off with Paul on this, his identification with Christians, with those who belong to the Nazarene, to Christ. He is a follower of Christ. Now he says as a Jew it is according to this way, “I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and that is written in the prophets.”

That I am a Jewish troublemaker is not true. I am a true Jew living my life in accordance and consistently with what God had said to the Jews, what is written in the Jewish law and prophets. Paul was not opposed to the Jewish law. He was opposed to the misuse of the Jewish law by the Jews. So he is not anti-Mosaic law. He’s living consistently with the law and its intention. He told the Galatians that the law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ until Christ would come and I also live in accordance with the prophets. “I have a hope in God which these men cherish themselves.” I mean is that what the leaders of the Jews would claim, that their hope is in the God of Israel? “And a hope that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” So I believe in the resurrection of the dead. That is their hope. Now the Sadducees didn’t hold that hope. And this is where the dividing line came but the majority of the Jews did and the larger party in Judaism was the Pharisees even though the Sadducees held positions of power, a high priestly position and so on. So Paul is not out of mainstream Judaism he is saying here. So that they are saying that I am fomenting rebellion and trouble among the Jews is just not true. Paul says, “I am a faithful Jew. Now I serve God according to what they call a sect.” Bit what they are calling a sect is what is true to Judaism, true to the revelation that God gave in His law, the revelation that God gave in His prophets. I have a hope of the resurrection which Jews who believe the Word of God do.

You see what he is doing here. The Sadducees and the High Priest, Ananias, they are the ones out of the line of Judaism. Interestingly, this is the only time in Paul’s writings that he directly addresses the resurrection of the wicked. Now it is implied in his writing because he speaks of judgment that the wicked will endure and so on but it is the only place that he directly speaks of the resurrection not only of the righteous but of the wicked. Of course he speaks of the resurrection of the righteous in I Corinthians 15, that great resurrection chapter though he does not address the resurrection of the wicked. In I Thessalonians 4 he talks about the resurrection of the righteous but he doesn’t address the resurrection of the wicked but it is part of Jewish Scripture. Paul believed it and he did speak of the coming judgment of all in Romans chapter 2 which we have studied together that God would judge impartially all and bring judgment, a fair judgment.

Come back to Daniel, chapter 12. We have looked at this passage recently. The Old Testament Scriptures speak of the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the wicked so Paul just clarifies here when he talks about the resurrection of the dead. Remember before the Sanhedrin he had cried out, “I am on trial for the resurrection of the dead. He really makes clear, I believe in the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. In Daniel chapter 12, verse 2: “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake; these to everlasting life and the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.” So Paul believed in the Old Testament Scriptures, the resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.

In John’s Gospel, chapter 5 Paul would believe the teaching of Christ on this as well. Verses 28 and 29: “Jesus said, ‘do not marvel at this for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come forth; those who did good to a resurrection of life; those who committed evil to a resurrection of judgment.’”

Come back to Acts 24. Paul says, “I believe in the resurrection. That is my hope as these men would believe.” Again, the Sadducees deny the resurrection but Paul is putting them in the box of being the minority group here, the sect if you will that have the beliefs and the doctrines that are not consistent with Judaism and the Old Testament Scripture.

Back in Acts 24, verse 16 he tells Felix: “In view of this, in the fact that I live, true, I follow what they call the Way or the sect of the Nazarene following Jesus of Nazareth but I do that consistently with the law of Moses and the writings of the prophets and consistent with that, I believe in the resurrection of the dead, both the righteous and the unrighteous and in view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience before God and before men.” “I make it a point to the best of my ability to live consistently with the beliefs that I do have as a Jew, believing the Old Testament Scriptures, believing in Jesus of Nazareth, the fulfillment of so much of the Old Testament Scripture. I maintain a good conscience.” It is interesting how many times that Paul claims this.

What we are to live with is a good conscience, a non-accusing conscience, living with a clear conscience that we are being obedient to the Word of God. This is to be true of a person who belongs to God. Whatever is not of faith is sin. I have to live my life consistently with what the Word of God teaches; my faith in the Word of God. That is just not something that I hold out here but don’t live with.

What Paul is accusing the Sadducees of, the High Priest here, they don’t live with a good conscience; they don’t live consistently with the Word of God. They don’t believe in the resurrection that the Old Testament Scriptures told them about like Daniel, chapter 12 so we are back to a foundational point here, the truth of God regarding resurrection and key in this is the resurrection of Christ. Putting that in a box, the real problem that you have with me following the Nazarene as one who has been resurrected is you don’t believe in the resurrection. Then you try to deny that which is the heart of the matter. Then he goes on. ‘Now after seven years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.” So here, why did I come to Jerusalem? I hadn’t been there and now after years I come back to Jerusalem I came to bring alms. What did he come to do? He brought, if you will, financial aid to needy Jews in the church there at Jerusalem. I am doing what a good Jew would do and when he is arrested in the temple what was he doing? He was joined with Jews who were fulfilling their vows and bringing their offering in completion of those vows and supporting them by bearing the financial cost of those offerings. So they are accusing me of being subversive to Judaism. I mean my whole purpose of being in Jerusalem and what was I doing when they arrested me? I was functioning consistently with what the Jews are to do. “In which they found me occupied in the temple having been purified.” So I followed Jewish regulations for purification before going into the temple. As a Jew who follows the regulations required and ceremonial purification he had a right to be in the temple without any crowd or uproar. There was nothing there. I didn’t have the crowds around me. I wasn’t teaching in the temple. I just came and brought the alms, the financial support for the offerings, joined with these Jews in their offering but “there were some Jews from Asia.” Now he gets to the point. The accusations come from those who aren’t here, troublemakers outside of Jerusalem, not me but Jews that don’t even belong in Jerusalem, they are visiting there and they are not even here to bring their accusation. Some Jews from Asia who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation if they have anything against me. Just a reminder, I am a Roman citizen standing before a Roman judge. My accuser should be here. I have men here accusing me but the men who brought the accusations, the Jews from Asia, are not here so we ought to be just dismissed or else let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the council.

So we have men here from the Sanhedrin, they don’t have the representative, the prime accusers, but let these men tell what I was found guilty of when I stood before the Sanhedrin other than this one statement when I shouted for the resurrection of the dead, I am on trial before you today. This is the basic issue. So you can see how he ties it back he said, “You know, I believe in the resurrection of the dead, the hope that we have even as the Jews do, the mainline Judaism, the Pharisees. Now I am back. The only trouble there was when I was before the Sanhedrin was when I said I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the Sanhedrin was divided.”

Felix knows enough about the Jews. He spent almost ten years in this area. He’s been the judge of the region for Jewish matters. He knows about the divisions among the Jews, the Sadducees against the Pharisees. He realizes the issue here of a division that exists in Judaism and the high priest that is here would be a Sadducee who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. I mean, he’s had to intervene in Jewish affairs and being a judge in some of these so Paul’s argument stands. This is the only crime that they accuse me of. So what is Felix going to do? “But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way put them off.” Isn’t that interesting here? You know, back in verse 14 Paul said, “This I admit to you that according to the Way which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers.”

Felix has some understanding about Christianity and knows something about those who are followers of Christ so he is sitting here hearing this. He knows more than he lets on. He understands the real issues here that the Jews are opposed to the Christians, Jews who become Christians, so he is not a man of just boy, I am a Roman; I don’t understand this. “Having a more excellent knowledge about the Way put them off saying, ‘when Lysias the commander comes down I will decide your case.’” He already knows what Lysias said. Lysias put it in writing. This is just stalling, just putting off. The letter of Lysias was recorded back in chapter 23, verse 25: “He wrote a letter having this form: Claudius Lysias, to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings…” and he tells what happened. He tells how it was that the Jews who were wanting to kill Paul but he couldn’t find anything that Paul was guilty of so it was not that Felix needs more information. He is just putting off making the decision. He has a position here that he can’t condemn Paul without substantial evidence as Paul is a Roman citizen but he doesn’t want to offend the Jews so he says, “Well, I have to get the information directly from the Roman commander who was involved there.” Sounds like he is a judge just wanting to be fair and get as much information as he can. He’s really a judge who doesn’t want to be fair and he is putting off. But God is sovereign in this.

So verse 23: “He gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and have freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him.” So he’s a prisoner of Rome but he’s being treated as an uncondemned man so he is being held but he’s not been found guilty of anything. So there is freedom there. Now he just can’t leave but his friends can come visit him, he would have that kind of freedom.

Now we look and read the rest. We are talking about the providence of God as we see Him working. When we read verse 24 we begin to think, ah ha, now I know what God was doing. “Someday later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.” So now it all comes together. God was working so that Paul could present the Gospel to Felix and his wife and they could get saved and what an impact but we read further that that is not going to happen. But it is an opportunity. Think of it here. The Roman governor in charge of this region down through Judea and up into Syria, a man who has connections back to the imperial household of Caesar now inviting Paul to present the Gospel in a private session to him and his wife.

Do you want to hear a little bit more history? We all like soap operas, do we? I hope not but you know what I mean. Felix, he had been married three times. His first wife was the daughter of Anthony and Cleopatra so he’s had some connections. Drusilla was his third wife and she was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa the first. Now we have already met Herod Agrippa the first in the book of Acts because in Acts chapter 12 Herod Agrippa the first had James, the apostle, executed. And then further into chapter 12 he died under the judgment of God because remember the people, when he gave a speech, declared it’s the voice of God, not a man and immediately he was eaten of worms and died. Well, that’s the Herod Agrippa who was the father of Drusilla. She is also the sister of Herod Agrippa the second. We will meet him with his wife, Bernice, in chapter 25 of Acts so you get the family connections here. Now, how did Felix get to be married to Drusilla? Well, Drusilla was married to another man who was a minor king in a region of Syria but Felix prevailed upon her to leave her husband and marry him. This is a quote from one of the writers, commentators: “Neither his birth as a slave, his Roman paganism nor her Jewish scruples deterred her from what she considered a higher station in life. The relationship between Felix and his young wife seem to have been based upon greed, lust and expectations of grandeur.” Josephus talks about her. She’s not even yet 20 years of age when she sits before Paul here to hear the Gospel with her husband Felix. Josephus said she was extremely beautiful and so you get the lust and the desire for position so she is willing to leave her husband who is just a minor ruler in a little portion of Syria because the Roman governor who’s in charge of the whole area wants her for his wife, his third wife. So here you have Paul and speaking to Felix, this powerful Roman official and his young beautiful wife and what does he speak to them about? Well, you’ve got to be sensitive you know. Maybe you talk about justice and social reform and treating the Jews better and being fair. What does he talk about, faith in Christ Jesus. It doesn’t matter where Paul is. It doesn’t matter the audience. The message is Christ Jesus. We preach Christ and Him crucified. When he went to Corinth, the Corinthians and the Greeks want wisdom; the Jews want signs, “We determine to nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” What is he telling Felix about? What an opportunity. Here Felix is with his third wife; Felix is her second husband, hearing the Gospel on a one on one discussion with the apostle Paul. What an opportunity. Paul’s message is powerful as he was discussing righteousness, self-control, the judgment to come. Felix became frightened and that word frightened is a strong word. It’s the word to have fear. We talk about phobias, fears. That is this Greek word. It has a preposition on the front that intensifies it. He was terrified. You see the conviction that the Spirit brings with the Word of God as Paul presents it. Paul is talking about righteousness. He is talking about faith in Christ, the need for righteousness, for self-control, judgment to come. Here’s a man whose life has been a life of lust sitting here with the wife that he lured away from her husband because she is young and beautiful and he wants her. Paul is talking to them about sin and judgment. Righteousness can be found in Christ. That is so overwhelmingly convicted but we don’t have what happened to Drusilla, the impact on her but Felix is terrified. He has to stop the discussion. Felix says, “Go away for the present. When I find time I will summon you.” He is not going to let Paul know he is terrified. Paul can see it. Paul knows. He probably related this to Luke so he could record it. And yet you find that he is consumed with his sin and his greed. At the time too, he was hoping for money. That money would be given to him by Paul. Paul has influence. He had brought money to Jerusalem to support the church there. “Therefore he used to send for him quite often and converse with him.” He got over this initial impact here hearing it from Paul, a dangerous thing. Now he has Paul come again and again and again and they talk about the Gospel. Two years this goes on and yet we have verse 27: “After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.”

Felix will be recalled by Nero and if his brother hadn’t intervened, Felix would have had a severe punishment at the hands of Nero and this came out because of the way he handled a conflict between Jews and Gentiles in Caesarea and Felix came in heavy handed with the troops and there was a lot of Jewish bloodshed and Nero, not a particular lover of the Jews but what you don’t like is trouble in the part of your empire and the way he handled it only fans the flames and so Felix was recalled to Rome and if his brother Pallus hadn’t been in a position of influence because remember, Agrippina , Nero’s mother, had come into her position because Felix’s brother had talked Claudius into marrying Agrippina so the influence of Pallus here spares Felix.

In all of this, we see the hand of God. It is not doing what we would have thought. Two years to present the Gospel repeatedly to Festus. When all was said and done he was more concerned about pleasing the Jews. What – trying to settle things down. Why would he want to please the Jews? Because he is being called to Rome because of the way he mistreated Jews so try to at least do something that will give him some favor. Has the Gospel made any impact? We don’t know what happened to Felix. He disappears from history following being recalled to Rome and the intervention of his brother. The secular historians have nothing more to say about him.

He had an opportunity for two years to hear the Gospel. You say, well that’s the way God was working. It was so that Felix would hear the Gospel but it wasn’t so that Paul would be delivered. As far as we know during these two years, there is no record of any conversions as a result of Paul’s ministry. We assume he ministered. He has freedom to have people come and visit him and we assume he would be sharing but it’s not like well you get the idea well Paul was placed here in the providence of God so that the Gospel could go out so many people would be saved. The gospel does go out. That is the plan of God but there is no record of anyone being saved.

We think, well Felix, what an opportunity if he would get saved and he has influence with his brother and his brother has influence in Nero’s family with Nero and his mother, if just we could change the events of the world. God doesn’t look for us to come up with plans for Him. That is not the way God is going to work. There is no indication that Paul is frustrated here because the next governor, you know what is going to happen? Paul is going to have discussions with him about the Gospel and then we are going to meet another Herod, Herod Agrippa the second and he is going to hear the Gospel. There is no record of anybody’s conversions.

We say, “Lord, why didn’t you send Paul where people would get saved?” We realize the hand of God is at work and everything is under control and we are reminded of that in our own lives. We present Christ wherever we are and we thank God for that opportunity whether it results in conversion or it doesn’t.

Let’s pray together. Thank you Lord, for Your work in the life of Paul. Lord, thank you for the history recorded here. A reminder that You were in control of all the events, the Caesars that ruled the known world, the governors that exercised judgment but You are sovereign, in charge working Your purposes even using rebellion, the opposition of sinful men, to accomplish Your purposes for Your servant Paul. Thank You for his faithfulness. Lord may we accept from Your hand whatever You have for us. May we be faithful in every circumstance and in every situation. May we represent Christ clearly and honorable to please You we pray in Christ’s name, Amen.