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 Acts 24:22 – 27: A more convenient time?

^“22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. ‘When Lysias the commander comes,’ he said, ‘I will decide your case.’ ²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.  ²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’ ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.  ²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favour to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.” NIV UK

In the church circles in which I grew up, we often sang a hymn which was creatively based on this story. It was called ‘Almost persuaded’, and in one of its verses it reflects on the inclination to put off becoming a Christian until a more ‘’convenient’’ time. Many have found that such a postponed day does not arrive. You keep on revising the date until you eventually run out of time. Do take note that this can happen. I think many people do intend to get right with God – one day.

It’s been pointed out that, like Herod with John the Baptist, Felix had a fearful fascination with Paul and his message. Tom Wright says he engaged Paul in a game of ‘cat and mouse’ – now I’d like to see you, now go away; now I’d like to see you, now go away – but in the end he discovered that he himself was the frightened mouse. It is not surprising that a message of ‘’righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come’’ would scare a man like him. It had to be a challenge to his lifestyle. He had a lot to be afraid of if he didn’t repent; and he was no doubt fearful of a life marked by self-control if he did. It might seriously cramp his style.

Although the Bible doesn’t give us the details, it was well known to people at the time that Felix had been involved in a major scandal. It was in all the papers. (Well, it would have been, if they’d had them!! It was a story to occupy gossip column inches). Felix had lusted after another man’s wife, and taken her. Her name was ‘’Drusilla.’’ It’s obvious, too, from this story, that he was on the take. I’m not surprised that he couldn’t sit comfortably under Paul’s preaching.

A preacher once said that some people are ‘radiators’ – they give out warmth to all within their reach; but others are ‘drains’ – they suck up as much as they possibly can. Tom Wright is clear in identifying Felix as a ‘drain’. On the face of it, he didn’t treat Paul too badly. Although he was kept in prison, his friends were allowed to take care of his needs. (There was no such thing as a prison catering department. Without visitors to look after you, you would starve). However, Felix cared much more about his own position than he did about the apostle. Most of all, he hoped Paul would slip him a bribe (and he must have found some subtle way to convey to the preacher that he could be released if the price was right). This didn’t happen, of course, and so Felix used Paul to try to keep the Jews happy. He didn’t care about justice. It was all about him. It’s a sad and sordid little scenario really.

‘Actually, Felix was the prisoner, and Paul was the prosecutor. Felix knew he was guilty; but instead of accepting Christ, he delayed. The convenient time to be saved is now (2 Cor.6:1-2; see also Isa.55:6-7).’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’,p.725.

Acts 24:10-23: Setting the record straight.

^“10 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: ‘I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defence. ¹¹ You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. ¹³ And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. ¹⁴ However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, ¹⁵ and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. ¹⁶ So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.  ¹⁷ ‘After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. ¹⁸ I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance. ¹⁹ But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin – ²¹ unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: “It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.”’ ²² Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. ‘When Lysias the commander comes,’ he said, ‘I will decide your case.’ ²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.”NIV UK

As we saw yesterday, the charges brought against Paul, via the lawyer Tertullus, were patently false. We feel, as we read, that we want to stand up in court and say, ‘This is not right.’ When Paul got the opportunity to speak for himself, he was quick to point out that the facts of his conduct were easily verifiable if people wanted to know. He always sought to live with a clear conscience. However, what he would admit to (and he would confess it whatever the cost) was that he was a follower of Jesus and a member of the church. He was a true Jew. He believed everything his Jewish opponents believed, with one key difference. He was convinced that Jesus of Nazareth, once crucified but now risen from the dead, was the Messiah, the fulfillment of all Jewish hopes.           Christianity began as a ‘’sect’’ within Judaism. That’s how it was seen. In the early part of ‘Acts’ we find the followers of Jesus regularly participating in temple worship.They had no thought of separating from Judaism, but in the end persecution made the break inevitable.

It’s interesting that one of the earliest descriptions of believers was ‘followers of the Way.’ This was probably because they followed Jesus who asserted that He was ‘the Way’ (John 14:6). Also, they were committed to a recognisable way of life which had love at its heart. It is an unstoppable ‘Way’, though men have tried violently to stop it. Jesus ‘’the Way’’ was crucified and buried in a tomb. Then they put a ‘stopper’ in the hole; but they couldn’t stop Him!

One final thought from this passage: ‘Well would it be for us if only we would devote a few minutes at the close of each day to discover whether our conscience accused us of failure in heart, thought or behaviour. The Holy Spirit pleads in the court of conscience. We would be kept from many a fall if we would be more careful to watch against the little rifts.’ F.B.Meyer: ‘Devotional Commentary’,p.499

 Acts 24:1-9: Lawyer or liar?

“Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. ² When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: ‘We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. ³ Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.  ⁵ ‘We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect ⁶ and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. ⁸ By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.’ ⁹ The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.’ NIV UK

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying all legal people are dishonest. If I was, I would be lying. However, it is always shocking to see how a barrister may be hired to say things about a person that are very far removed from the truth. You listen to Tertullus’ speech with horror, saying to yourself, ‘This is not the Paul I know.’

It is clear that God hates injustice. The Old Testament prophetic books burn with His white hot indignation against the abuse of the court system, and the mistreatment of innocents. Yet we should not be surprised when Christians are treated unfairly. Jesus said, ‘’…no servant is greater than his master…’’ (John 16:13). A great travesty of justice lies at the heart of the Christian faith – in fact the greatest in history – and if that’s how our Lord was treated, can we expect to get off lightly?

Yet look at all the good God is still bringing out of that bad thing. So when we sniff the injustice in this story, we know it cannot be the whole story, and we find ourselves anticipating what God will do next.

PRAYER: O Lord, you are a God of justice, and although injustice may sometimes seem to win the day, thank you that ultimately right will triumph over wrong in your Universe. If we ever find ourselves treated unfairly because we are Christians, help us to patiently bear it, and entrust ourselves into your Hands for vindication.