June 12, 2022
Acts 24:1-27
“Paulitics”
Service Overview: This is the first of a trio of encounters Paul has with Roman politicians, each of which reject Christ for various reasons. But in this case, while the approach Paul’s accusers take is one of flattery, Paul’s approach is the bare truth of the matter. Paul trusted God enough to be confident in presenting the simple facts of his case without playing politics in the process.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 (NIV)
Background Information:
- Antonius Felix was born a slave and freed by Antonia, the mother of the emperor Claudius. He was a brother of Pallas, who was also a freedman of Antonia and became a good friend of the young prince Claudius in the imperial household. Through the influence of Pallas, in A.D. 48 Felix was appointed to a subordinate government post in Samaria under the provincial governor Ventidius Cumanus. In A.D. 52 Claudius appointed him governor of Judea when Cumanus was deposed – an office usually reserved for freemen of the Roman equestrian order but which he obtained through intrigue and the support of the governor of Syria, Quadratus. During his governorship, insurrections and anarchy increased throughout Palestine. Try as he would to put down the uprisings and regain control, his brutal methods only alienated the Jewish population more and led to further disturbances. Tacitus described him as “a master of cruelty and lust who exercised the powers of a king with the spirit of a slave”. (Longenecker, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 539)
- Felix was ruthless in putting down Jewish disputes. Later, after the death of Claudius, Felix was recalled to Rome when a new emperor came to the throne. The new emperor was concerned that Felix was too brutal. The extent of Felix’s brutality can be measured by the fact that this new emperor was none other than Nero, the cruelest ruler of the time. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 347)
- (v.5) The Greek word translated “sect” is haireseos—literally, a “faction” or “party,” from which comes the English word “heresy.” Tertullus was attempting to distance Christianity from Judaism, since the latter religion was allowed by Rome. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 398)
- The flattery with which Tertullus began was customary in the circumstances. It was true that Felix had suppressed certain outlaws and terrorists in Judea, but any good he had done was greatly overbalanced by his cruel and mercenary regime. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 267)
- There were few things the Romans hated more than civil disorder. They had a far-flung empire to administer, and they handled political troublemakers with an iron fist. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 298)
The question to answer…
Why is it the Jews and their lawyer fabricated their case against Paul before Felix?
Answer…
Because they had no case. But their hatred was so deep, they would say anything if it meant getting Paul out of their way.
What should stand out to us in this case (and why does it matter)?
- The perversion of reality.
(vv. 2-3, 10 | Job 38:36; Prov. 12:22; 1 Cor. 2:14; 6:9-11; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Timothy 1:10)
His description of Felix was obviously fawning flattery, for Felix was known for his violent use of repressive force and corrupt self-aggrandizement. Felix had been a slave, won his freedom, and curried favor with the imperial court. Tacitus, a Roman historian, bitingly summed up Felix’s character with the terse comment, “He exercised royal power with the mind of a slave.” (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 421)
- The perversion of truth.
(vv. 5-9, 11-13 | Pro. 12:22; John 8:31-32, 44; 17:17; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 4:15; 2 Tim. 2:15)
Paul’s defense is that of a man whose conscience is clear— it is simply to state the facts. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, 170)
(vv. 6–9). There is a shift here in the accusation. When Paul was brought before Claudius Lysias in Jerusalem, the charge was that he did defile the temple, that he had taken a Gentile into the inner chamber. That was not true. Since nobody could back up the charge, Tertullus said that Paul had “tried” to defile the temple but had been stopped. Tertullus said nothing about the mob that had tried to kill Paul. Tertullus claimed that Claudius Lysias had grabbed Paul away from them, which is the exact opposite of what had happened. Tertullus did not know how to tell the truth, even part of the truth, so he said everything but the truth and bore false witness against the Apostle Paul. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 348)
- The perversion of justice.
(vv. 19-21, 26 | Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 21:15; 24:24-25; 28:5; Is. 1:17; 61:8; Zech. 7:9)
If the Asian Jews who instigated the riot had any serious charge against him, they should have been present to accuse him before the governor. Roman law imposed heavy penalties upon accusers who abandoned their charges (destitutio), and the disappearance of accusers often meant the withdrawal of a charge. Their absence, therefore, suggested that they had nothing against him that would stand up in a Roman court of law. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 541)
- The suppression of conviction.
(vv. 24-26 | Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8; John 16:8; Acts 2:37; Romans 2:4, 15; 2 Cor. 7:9-10)
Paul not only presented the facts and the theology, but as he did in all his epistles, he went on to discuss practical matters of “righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come.” At this, Felix became terrified and told Paul to go for now. (He was not ready to leave his dissolute life.) At a convenient time he would call him again. He was using procrastination to excuse his unwillingness to repent. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Location 8600)
Conclusion…What needs to be understood in light of this?
A. Justice is a big deal to God.
(Psalm 33:5; 82:3; 106:3; Prov. 21:3; Isaiah 1:17; 30:18; Jer. 22:3; Amos 5:24; Micah 6:8)
When God’s justice confronts an unprotected sinner that justice sentences him to die. And all of God concurs in the sentence! But when Christ, who is God, went onto the tree and died there in infinite agony, in a plethora of suffering, this great God suffered more than they suffer in hell. He suffered all that they could suffer in hell. He suffered with the agony of God, for everything that God does, He does with all that He is. When God suffered for you, my friend, God suffered to change your moral situation. (A. W. Tozer, The Radical Cross, 8)
B. Facts in themselves are powerless to save.
(Gen. 15:6; Mat. 7:21-23; Rom. 1:17; 3:28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; James 2:19; 1 John 5:1)
Governor Felix was “quite familiar” with Christianity—its history and teachings. Knowing about something, however, is not the same as embracing it. It is possible to know what the Bible teaches and yet never do what it commands. It is possible to know about Christ without ever committing oneself to him. How sad to be so close to the truth yet never let it transform your heart and life. Be careful about complacency and laziness in your spiritual journey. You are responsible for every bit of revelation God gives. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 405)
C. Indecision is in fact a decision when it comes to the gospel.
(Matthew 5:37; 12:30; John 3:36; 5:24; 14:6; 20:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 6:23; Rev. 20:10)
Felix avoided making a decision about Christ with the age-old excuse, “It’s not convenient.” Literally, the Greek says, “when I find the time.” Almost two thousand years later, people are still sidestepping the gospel, using the same line. “I’m too busy. I’m too involved in other things right now. Later on, when I find the time, I will think about these spiritual matters. I just can’t right now.” The truth is that knowing Christ and walking with him are the most important, most necessary issues in life. You will always be busy. There will never be a time when it is convenient. Those who are too busy to think about eternity now will have all of eternity to ponder their foolish indecision. (Osborne, Acts, 407)
Gospel Application…
Jesus died so we might put off our old selves in pursuit of a new self, defined by him.
(Psalm 5:12; Ezekiel 18:5-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; Phil. 2:12-18; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 John 2:6)
One day We all will stand before that great judge too. We will have to give an accounting for what we have done and for what our lives have been. How will you stand in that day? Make sure that you are not like Felix. Come to Jesus while there is still time, and help others to do the same. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts,393)
A holy God demands righteousness; that’s the bad news. Yet the good news is that this same holy God provides His own righteousness to those who trust Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21–26). We can never be saved by our own righteousness of good works. We can be saved only through Christ’s righteousness made available by His finished work of salvation on the cross. (Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 400)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- What are some ways in which you have witnessed justice being perverted? Or, what might be a contemporary example of perverted justice you’ve seen in the news? How should Christians respond to perverted justice?
- What are some ways in which our culture perverts truth? What should our response be as followers of Jesus? How can we speak the truth in love?
- What are some ways in which reality is being challenged and/or distorted by people today? How can followers of Jesus live in such a way so as to demonstrate that reality exists?
- How does conviction play a role in the journey of one’s faith? What’s it like being under conviction? What’s the difference between conviction and condemnation, and why might the distinction matter?
Quotes to note…
We live in an era in which anybody can voice an opinion in the public square except for an evangelical Christian. If we are faithful to Christ in the public square, we will be regarded as the plague. We have enjoyed a tremendous measure of freedom and protection in this country for centuries, but the day is coming when those protections will go away. We need to be ready for it, because whenever people are faithful to the gospel, the world sees them first as pests and then as a plague, which was the charge brought against Paul. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 347)
Felix clung to his life and ended up with nothing (see Matthew 16:25). Paul had given up what he could not keep to gain what he could not lose. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Location 4652)
Paul had never disturbed the peace—though his enemies had, everywhere he went. And Paul had never even spoken ill of the temple, much less attempted to desecrate it! These false charges remind us not to believe everything we hear. People (even apparently believable and reputable people) often misrepresent facts and distort truth. Hear both sides of a story before you present your opinion. (Grant R. Osborne, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 400)
It is not enough for a person to know the facts about Christ, or to have an emotional response to a message. He or she must willingly repent of sin and trust the Savior. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 400)
The irony was that two years later Felix was deposed and transferred. He left Caesarea devoid of political power, and, because he rejected Christ, devoid of any meaning or hope in his life. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 327)
There is a time ahead of us when we shall each be evaluated, without exception. All the hidden secrets of the heart will be on display before God. How would you feel if you knew that all your thoughts for the past hour had been recorded and were about to be played back? Would you be proud of those thoughts—or ashamed? You may think, “I’m glad such a thing could never happen.” But such a thing will happen. We will be held accountable for our actions, our words, and our thoughts. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 301)
As Paul talked to the governor and his wife about his own faith in Christ, he also pointed out that the gospel had ethical and moral implications (v. 25). This began to come much closer to home than the couple wished and threatened to touch their own lives with Paul’s stress on “righteousness and self-control and future judgment” (v. 25). (Donald Grey Barnhouse, Acts, 210)
We live in a culture that says it doesn’t matter what you believe so long as you are sincere, but the Devil is sincere. He sincerely hates Christ and everything Christ stands for. You cannot embrace Christ and at the same time embrace every pretender to the kingdom of God. At some point, you have got to be a pest to the world. At some point, you must take a stand. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 350)