Acts 24:1-9
There were only 5 days for the Jews to get a lawyer and prepare their accusation against Paul. They were probably in a hurry so Felix wouldn't throw the case out against Paul. Ananias, the high priest, went down to Caesarea with the elders and Tertullus, the orator lawyer. We have to believe that he didn't bring any of the Pharisees that were sympathetic to Paul. This would have been mostly Sadducees and Ananias.
I bet Paul was glad to see Ananias. This is the guy who had him punched in the mouth for speaking of his good conscience. He had never seen Tertullus before; he was simply a hired gun. He was a lawyer, probably a Hellenistic Jew. Together, they made their case before Felix, the governor.
When the High Priest, the elders and this lawyer go all this way to present their case, it shows how serious they were about getting a conviction against Paul. They didn't just want him out of their hair or out of town. They wanted him imprisoned, or better yet killed.
Paul sat as the accused in the court of Felix. Here's what we know about Felix. He was born in the family of a slave. His brother was a friend of Emperor Claudius. Because of this friendship and influence, his became a freed man. As he rose in status, he became the first slave to become a Roman governor. You would think a man coming from a humble beginning would fare well and be fair minded and have integrity. But Felix took on the mentality of a slave master. He liked being in a position of power and it went to his head. He liked being master and having slaves to treat cruelly.
A Roman historian said he was a master of cruelty and lust. He recorded that Felix indulged in everything excess. He thought he could do any evil act and get away with it.
Tertullus began by flattering Felix. This was how it was done when speaking to the governor. None of it was true, but that didn't matter. It was more important to win points and favor than to be truthful. In fact, they really didn't live in peace. There were insurrections, general riots and violence. The people were being taxed hard and most of all they were not thankful. They were, in fact, feeling rather oppressed by Rome.
Paul was accused:
- Paul was like a plague (NASB, a real pest); everywhere he went, he spread his message. This plague needed to be stamped out.
- He was a creator of dissension among all Jews. There is some truth to this. Paul could start a riot by arriving in nearly any public place. However, the responsibility for the dissension didn't lie on Paul.
- He was called a ringleader of a sect of Nazarenes (Everyone knew that nothing good could come from Nazareth; John 1:46). Probably used as a dismissive term.
- He tried to profane the temple. This was tacked on when they knew it was false.
There were essentially 4 charges: gospel plague, sedition, sectarianism and sacrilege.
The first charge wasn't really a legal charge, but implies it was illegal religion offending Roman law. No details were given. No proof or evidence offered. This ends up being more of a collective opinion.
Sedition is stirring up dissension and causing problems. In general, it was rebellion. This was a violation of Roman law and was punishable with execution. There were no specifics given with the charge. If this crime were being tried in another court's jurisdiction it would or could be moved. If Tertullus had been more specific about a place, then Felix could have the case moved. Since the Jews had some influence over Felix, they wanted the case to stay there.
The third charge was Sectarianism. Paul was accused of being a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. This was a violation of Jewish law. Tertullus' reference to Christianity was with contempt as he portrays them as a messianic sect that endangered Rome.
The fourth charge was sacrilege. They accused Paul of attempting to desecrate the temple which was a violation of God's law. This was a blatant lie. They are really stretching the truth now. At that time, Judea was filled with self-proclaimed messiahs and revolutionaries. Many were going to deliver the people from Rome. Tertullus tries to put Paul in the same category with these kinds of terrorists.
Tertullus doesn't offer any evidence. He makes it sound as though Lysias interfered with their system by ripping Paul out of their hands. Remember Lysias's letter to Felix? It said that he had pulled Paul out of the melee and saved him when he found out he was a Roman citizen.
Tertullus tells Felix that he can find out for himself when he questions Paul. The Jews all nodded in agreement with Tertullus. Their only hope is that Paul would incriminate himself.
Acts 24:10-21
Paul skipped the flattery but instead reminded Felix of his familiarity of the Roman courts. This put pressure on Felix to be just and not be swayed by the power of the Jews. Paul starts his defense by noting that he only went to Jerusalem 12 days ago. Five of those days were spent in custody. During the time he was in the city, no one could testify to any dispute or inciting a crowd. They simply had no witnesses, even when it had just been few days prior. His denial challenged his accusers to be more specific. Paul's biggest defense against the lies is to challenge them to prove it.
Paul referred to the 'Law and the prophets'. This is a reference to the Old Testament. Paul believed the entire Old Testament and its testimony to Jesus Christ. The Sadducees didn't believe much of the Old Testament and the Pharisees believed most but rejected the testimony to Jesus as the Messiah. Paul is saying he didn't abandon the God of his fathers or the God of the law and prophets. Paul knows that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of those things. His hope is in God. His hope is in the resurrection of the dead.
Paul believed in a time when the righteous and unrighteous would be resurrected; the righteous to eternal life, the unrighteous to judgment and eternal hell. Since that is where his hope lies, he strives to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. This conscience is what got him punched by Ananias previously in chapter 23. This talk of resurrection already caused a riot among the Sanhedrin. Now, Ananias would have left the sympathetic Pharisees at home. The High Priest would have brought the Sadducees with him. It's as if Paul is daring the Sadducees to take exception to his belief of the resurrection in front of Felix.
Paul stated his reason for being in Jerusalem. Not to start to bring trouble or plot overthrow, he was simply bringing alms and offerings, the work of a pious and devout Jew. This is a reference to the offering Paul collected from the churches of Asia at the end of his 3rd missionary journey and brought back to the church of Jerusalem.
Paul reminded Felix that there is no one here that was present and could testify to the accusations. Remember the Jews from Asia started the mob action against Paul. They dragged him out of the temple court to kill him. Yet, they didn't even come to testify against him. Paul even called for those of the council to testify against him if they would. The only thing they could speak of is his statement about the resurrection.
Acts 24:22-27
Felix knew a little about 'The Way' probably from Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jew. There was no reason to pursue charges against Paul since there was no case. Yet Felix knew enough about 'The Way' to know releasing Paul would infuriate the Jews. Felix needed to stay in the middle of the Road. Roman law said Paul was innocent, but the Jews wouldn't stand for his release. Felix just let him stay in prison.
Felix and Drusilla heard Paul speak about his faith in Jesus Christ. Paul gave them the gospel truth. He laid it all out to them. It's interesting that Paul reasoned with them about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Remember Felix was a cruel man, drunk with power and lived with the excesses of anything allowed. His wife, Drusilla, was reported to be a woman of great beauty, but she was also known for her loose morals. Paul spoke of these 3 topics because that's what they needed to hear.
Drusilla was a sister to Herod Agrippa II and Bernice. Titus Vespasian, a man that would later become emperor, took her to Rome and would have married her but the public wouldn't allow it. A short time later, her brother Herod gave her to another man in marriage. Right after her marriage, Felix took notice of her. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful. Felix lured her away from her husband and she ended up as Felix's wife. Now she stood at Felix's side having already been around the block a few times. At this point in her life, she is about nineteen years old.
Now when is says Felix was afraid, we know why. Felix felt the conviction of the spirit. He understood that he had sinned against his creator. He knew he was bound for hell and needed a savior. But he rejected the offer. Someone that rejects Jesus and the gospel should be very afraid. Felix sent Paul away until a later date when the conviction had passed. He didn't want to hear it anymore. He wanted Paul away from him. Ignorance is bliss; Paul ruined his ignorance.
Felix was waiting for a convenient time to follow Christ. Many of us responded to the gospel in the same way. We expressed our rejection by delaying. That procrastination is because we loved our sin. We knew we would have to let go of the sin that so dearly loved. He was looking for a convenient time in his life where he might take what Paul offered but only if it fit in his life without disruption. He had his twenty-year-old beauty, his power, wealth and status; there was no room for Jesus. That sounds a lot like much of the world today.
While Felix wanted away from Paul's talk of Jesus, he didn't want so far away as not be available for a bribe should Paul offer one. It was against the law to receive a bribe but Felix was still looking for some reason to release Paul. He left Paul in prison for 2 years.
For over 2 years Paul waited in custody. Remember Paul had the promise from Jesus that he was going to Rome. All that excitement and energy had to have been worn off by now. He was surely wondering when, how; why not now? After 2 years, Felix was called back to Rome because a riot broke out between the Greeks and Jews in Caesarea. The Greeks emerged victorious and Felix was frustrated at the Jews. He vented that frustration by ordering the Greeks to go through the city beating the Jewish men, raping the Jewish women, and plundering the Jewish possessions. Because of this, Emperor Nero called Felix back to Rome and gave his position to Porcius Festus. Felix lived out his remaining days in disgrace in Rome. As far as we know, he never gave Paul's words about Jesus another thought.
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