I am sure that just about every pastor or Christian Worker, as well as many Christians have had people talk to them about Christianity. They seem interested. They ask all sorts of questions … yet the one matter they never touch on is their sin and their need to deal with their sin. Mostly such conversations are nothing more than flirting with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. As Christians we can become excited and stimulated because we are able to talk about Christianity … yet it never reaches the Gospel stage … and should it … there are ums and ums with no further progress. We see this in our text today. Please read:
Ac 24:22 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 a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul discoursed on 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 favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.
These verses are all about Felix.
1) Adjourning the court case.
Ac 24:22 Then Felix … adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.”
It seems as though Felix had understood the truth of this case against Paul … yet he decided that he would like Lysias, the Roman Commander who had transferred the case to Felix, give further explanation to his letter. So he adjourned the case. What is interesting is that we are not told that Lysias arrived! He might have and the information imparted to Felix was private.
2) Being lenient on Paul.
Ac 24:23 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.
Felix could well have made a judgment, yet for reasons that might surface later, he held Paul prisoner. Yet because of Paul’s Roman Citizenship he gave him a reasonable degree of freedom as he was not a convicted criminal. He was also permitted to have his temporal needs met by friends, some of which would have been from the Church in Caesarea, other Gentile Christians as well as those from his mission team.
3) Knowing Christianity.
Ac 24:22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way
We are not told how Felix heard about “the Way” (Christianity). It might have been through his wife Drusilla who was a Jewess and the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I. History informs us that she was not yet twenty, had been engaged to the crown prince of Commagene in eastern Asia Minor. The marriage fell through because the crown prince would not convert to Judaism. Her brother, Agrippa II then gave her in marriage to king of Emesa, a tiny state attached to Syria. When she was sixteen Felix persuaded her to leave her husband and become his wife.
4) Husband and wife listening to the Gospel.
Ac 24:24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.
Soon after the court hearing, Felix and Drusilla visited near to where Paul was held prisoner and sent for him to preach the Gospel to them. Although hearing the Gospel is the first stage towards faith, and they needed to hear and hear the Gospel, it seems as the exercise was more religious to them than Gospel.
5) Reaction to the Gospel.
Ac 24:25 As Paul discoursed on 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.”
Preaching faith In Jesus is one matter and many only do this, neglecting the ethical implications of the Gospel. Remember that Felix stole Drusilla away from her husband and married her as his third wife. Apart from being an adulterer, Felix was sordid in many other ways. His reputation as well as bad decisions in prior governance were well known. Paul preached faith in Jesus but he applied his proclamation in three ways to Felix and Drusilla.
(1) He spoke of righteousness. Although we have no righteousness of our own, when we come to faith, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus is applied to our account. This is credited righteousness or positional righteousness. Once saved, we need to grow in righteousness. This is called practical righteousness. The way this is done is through putting off sin … which basically is living a repentant lifestyle. In other words, whatever conflicts with the Gospel cannot be continued with after salvation … because if it does it means that salvation is not genuine! Felix was not interested in repentance that leads to righteousness.
(2) He spoke of self–control. This is an extension of repentance. Felix had three wives. One (Drusilla) was a stolen wife. However she saw the marriage, he was filled with lust. He lacked self-control. More, he wanted power and wealth (as we shall see shortly). His position was insufficient to meet his greed. Like so many today, the last thing he wanted was to be self-controlled.
(3) He spoke of judgment. How can the real Gospel be presented without the warning of the coming judgment? Like so many today, the last thing Felix wanted to hear was judgment. He would have lots to account for. The problem was that he could have found favor at judgment through genuine conversion to Jesus … but rather, preaching these three points culminating in judgment put fear into Felix and he responded … “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” It’s like saying … Paul you cool off and I will cool off and when the dust has settled we shall talk again. That my friend is the final step to closing the door on the Gospel for yourself!
6) Wrong motive.
Ac 24:26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
Was this the reason he wanted to see Paul frequently? He was greedy. He wanted a bribe. Did it bother Paul? I would think not. His needs were met. He could engage the Church people and he could spend many hours each day in prayer … when not talking to the guards about Jesus!
7) Knowing the truth, yet siding with error.
Ac 24:27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.
Felix had a dead conscience. His heart was hard as rock. His refusal to seek righteousness, self–control and avoid a guilty verdict before the real Judge, the Lord Jesus says something. For two years he longed for a bribe from Paul, so he kept him incarcerated. Then, maybe more to appease his Jewish wife, Drusilla, he did the Jews a favor and left Paul in prison as a parting gift when Porcius Festus replaced him. What he did with the Gospel affected his eternity when he died. What are you doing with the Gospel? Which eternity will you enjoy when you die?
Our God and Father, graciously help us to prepare adequately for the Day of Judgment by seeking righteousness and being self-controlled under the Lordship of Jesus. Amen.