Acts 24 | God Gives OpportunitySample

Opportunity for Integrity

Acts 24 is a tale for two kinds of people. Let’s start by talking a little about this Roman governor, Antonius Felix.

A lot is actually known about him from ancient sources like the Jewish historian, Josephus, and the Roman senator/historian, Tacitus.

Felix was appointed by Emperor Claudius as procurator (that’s Roman governor) of the Judean province from 52-60 AD. He was an ex-slave from Paul’s home province, but became a freedman who worked his way up the ladder of political and social success. He was known for corruption and cruelty. Here, in Acts 24, we’ll see his M.O. of seeking bribes in an administration marked by crime and all other kinds of strife. He even hired assassins to murder a Jewish High Priest named Jonathan.

A bit more. Felix was married three times. His first and second wife were both named Drusilla. The second Drusilla divorced her husband to marry Felix, and was none other than the daughter of King Agrippa I and sister to King Agrippa II. Nothing like marrying a Jewish princess to secure your position and climb your way up the social ladder. (You might remember that Agrippa I persecuted the Jerusalem church in Acts 12, had James killed, and was later eaten by worms. He’s also the grandson of King Herod – that same Herod who slaughtered the babies in Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus. Paul will stand before Agrippa II in Acts 25-26.)

So what do we see? Felix was a corrupt man. A compromised man. Perhaps a man who vowed he would never go back to that former life of life – poor, disregarded, and unimportant. He was a self-serving man who would do whatever served his best interest. He was a man for whom morality and integrity were backseat words.

And the prosecuting attorney, Tertullus, seems just like him. Remember what he says to Felix? “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude” (Acts 24:2-3, NIV). Really? Long periods of peace? Foresight for reform? Profound gratitude? Whether he’s buttering up the judge, saving his own skin, engaging in expected protocol and pleasantries, or just trying to ingratiate himself as one more sycophantic brown-nosing suck-up isn’t known. What is known from history is that it’s just not true.

This is who Paul is standing before. This is who the Sanhedrin has brought in to accuse him.

It would have been easy for Paul to lash out. At Felix. At Tertullus. At the whole situation. To stand there before all kinds of false accusations can get anyone’s anger up. And it would have been easy for Paul to compromise. To stand there before all kinds of false accusations when your life is on the line can lead anyone to question whether they should just tell the judge what they think he wants to hear.

Instead, Paul does something else. He speaks with integrity. He’s a different kind of person. Because when Jesus takes hold of your life, it makes you different. It changes things.

Paul doesn’t lash out. He doesn’t demonize his accusers. Nor does he compromise his faith in Christ. Paul seizes the moment to reflect Christ, to testify to Christ, and to ally himself with Christ. He speaks the truth with a clear conscience.

Prayer

Pray for God to work integrity in you. Pray to keep your head under pressure, for calm in the storm, for courage to use opportunities to speak the truth with love and grace, and to be more concerned with pointing to Christ than defending yourself.