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Acts 24:1-23 NKJV– Paul Testifies Before Felix:

Taking a stand and putting God’s interests first can be an effective witness.

Have you ever been in a healthy environment where the entire team is working towards the same mission, the same vision, and serving with a supportive spirit? The result is that morale is strong, productivity is high, and the retention rate of team members is unusually high. This is because people do not want to leave a healthy, productive, and supportive environment. But have you also witnessed a team that is not equally committed to the established mission and vision? Where everyone seeks their own interests and looks out for opportunities to promote themselves and get the most out of every situation, regardless of whether it hurts other people or puts them in an awkward situation? The former scenario is a blessing. The latter scenario is dysfunctional and burdens people. In Acts 24:1-23, Paul stood in front of a man (Felix) who had nothing but his own personal interests in mind. And the people he invited into the room also had their own interests in mind and did not care at all about Felix. Even the man who delivered Paul to Felix had his own priorities to fulfill in the situation. Yet Paul was the only one who cast his own interests aside and made God’s interests his priority.

Paul was safely delivered by 470 Roman soldiers (Acts 23:23-35) to Felix, the Procurator (i.e., Governor) of the region, who presided in Caesarea. Felix had received a memo from Claudius Lysias, the Roman Commander, informing him that Paul, a Roman citizen, was threatened for his life simply because of theological disagreements among the Jewish people. As a result, Claudius did not charge Paul with any wrongdoing (Acts 23:27-29). Still, Claudius decided to send Paul to Felix because he learned that there was a plot on his life. Claudius had to get this Roman citizen out of town (Acts 23:30a). But also, Claudius informed Felix that he had arranged for Paul’s “accusers to state before you the charges against him” (Acts 23:30b NKJV). And to avoid any additional conflict on this 65-mile-long journey from Jerusalem to Caesarea, Claudius’ men transferred Paul under the cover of darkness (which would not have been the first time Paul was provided security by being whisked away during the nighttime hours. See Acts 9:29-30, 17:10). It is easy to understand why Claudius wanted to get Paul out of town for his safety. But one has to wonder why Claudius arranged for all the parties involved to travel to Caesarea to hold a formal hearing on the legitimacy of their complaints when Claudius had already cast judgment on the situation. Christianity had already been recognized on numerous occasions as a legal religion. Gallio refused to hear the case in court (Acts 18:14-15). The Ephesian leadership declared that Paul had committed no crimes (Acts 19:40). Part of the Jewish Sanhedrin did not care for Paul’s theological positions but did not cite that any crime was committed (Acts 24:17-21). And in Claudius’ own words, he admitted that he too did not see a reason to bring any charges against Paul (Acts 23:30b). So, why desire to have Felix hold a hearing to see if Paul committed any crimes?

Claudius had mostly self-serving motives for sending him to Felix in this manner. First, news probably had spread that there was a mob riot in Jerusalem, and this letter (Acts 23:25-30) gave Claudius the opportunity to show the Governor of the region that he had fully addressed the situation and performed due diligence in keeping the peace in the city. Second, the letter showed Claudius took proactive steps to investigate the situation by taking Paul to the Sanhedrin. Third, to get in front of any rumors about the chaos that broke out among the Sanhedrin and how there was a report that over 40 men, plus the Sanhedrin, were in on a plot to have Paul murdered (Acts 23:12-22). All this sounded like Claudius was not able to keep the civil peace. So, all this elevated it to a serious situation that should be investigated further. Fourth, Claudius probably needed official orders to follow his detainment of Paul, or else Paul could have brought a civil complaint for illegally detaining him without receiving a stated reason. Rome would have probably won this case, but the attention it would have drawn related to a Roman citizen who is a person of “The Way” would probably have turned public opinion negatively against Rome and Claudius for antagonizing such a person. As a result, Paul arrived at Felix and waited for the leadership and legal team of the Sanhedrin to arrive to hold a hearing (Acts 23:33-35).

At this point in this drama (and yes, there will be much drama with Felix), it is helpful to understand the background of Felix and his wife. Felix was known for being a man of low morals, as he lived a life of sexual immorality and was cruel to the Jewish people. He was out for money, power, fame, and pleasure. Felix made political connections with the Roman leadership to secure his position and received a pass on his immoral lifestyle. He married a Jewish woman named Drusilla, who was equally immoral and who was exposed to the Jewish faith growing up because her father was Herod Agrippa I (the grandson of the King Herod who 55 years earlier ordered all male children two years old and under to be killed. See Matthew 2:16-18). Drusilla undoubtedly had a decent knowledge of the Jewish faith and the complex problems that Christianity caused the Jewish people and Roman leadership. Her father, Agrippa I, had three children: Drucilla, Bernice, and Agrippa II. We find that two years after Drusilla and Felix interrogated Paul in Caesarea (here in Acts 24), Agrippa II and Bernice arrived to do the same (Acts 26), as brother and sister in an incestual relationship! This relationship was commonly known yet never publicly talked about. Immoral living ran rampant in this family. In fact, when Felix met Drusilla, she was already married to the ruler of the region of Syria, but Felix, with the help of another sinful man, persuaded her to leave her husband and marry Felix. This was the judge and jury in front of whom Paul would defend himself.

The Sanhedrin came with their lawyer, Tertullus, who is relatively unknown in Scripture but must have been very respected for the Jewish leaders to secure his services (Acts 24:1-9). His mission was to fill Felix’s head with slander, rumors, and gossip about Paul that sounded substantive so Felix would act officially against Paul and Christianity as a whole. Tertullus began with flattery, thanking Felix for the peace and prosperity he had always provided the Jewish people (Acts 24:2-3). This, of course, was a lie, and Felix knew it, but he appreciated the public accolades. Then he attempted to make a case that there was cause to arrest Paul for civil disturbance of the peace. This was important to Roman leaders as Jews often threatened to travel to Rome to complain about the Roman leaders’ lack of ability to keep the peace. In fact, John 19:12 describes how the Jewish people implied this veiled threat to complain to Rome that Pilate was not keeping the peace if he did not crucify Jesus (and historically this would have been the third strike against Pilate). Then Tertullus suggests that if Felix would just hand him over to the Jewish leaders, they would take care of it and take the issue off Felix’s plate. That was what they initially wanted to do until Claudius interjected himself into the situation (Acts 24:6). It is noteworthy that Tertullus introduces a new name for Christians that had not been used before, but actually carried on beyond this scenario. In Acts 24:5 (NKJV), he called Paul “a ringleader of the ‘Nazarenes’” (plural). He probably adopted “Nazarenes” to very tactfully avoid calling them “Christians” (Acts 11:26 NKJV), as it could imply that he was acknowledging that they are speaking about the followers of the Christ/ Messiah. Or, he might have wanted to portray that they are far from home (90 miles), causing trouble in Jerusalem. Still, he could have attempted to relegate them to a distant area to show how they are not any different than the many other distant fringe groups who had claimed to follow the true messiah (Acts 5:34-39; 21:38; see our Devotional on Acts 21:26-40). There is a reason why the Scriptures utilize a one-time-used word in the Greek New Testament to describe Tertullus in Acts 24:1(NKJV) that is translated “orator” (“rhō-TAIR” meaning, “an advocate with strong rhetorical skill”). Because he was slick and working from every possible angle. But the significant reason why the Sanhedrin secured a lawyer was to once all receive a binding legal judgement on the illegality of the existence of Christianity (see how the same attempt failed approximately six years previously in our Devotional on Acts 18:12-17). But Paul made a significant case that the Sanhedrin was angry simply for religious reasons. Paul shared simply that he believed all the Scriptures they do, but also saw Jesus fulfilling the prophecies as he is a person who lives “according to the Way” (Acts 24:10-21 NKJV). After hearing both sides, Felix withheld judgment until Claudius Lysias arrived to discuss this matter with Felix. He dismissed the Sanhedrin leaders and retained custody of Paul but commanded the centurion guarding him to give Paul freedom and liberty to engage any friends who came to visit him (Acts 24:23).

But a few days after everyone left, the remarkable happened, “Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, [and] he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ” Acts 24:24 NKJV)! And what Paul shared next took great courage

Ponder & Pray Today…

Reflect on how difficult it is to live for the Lord when other people attack you personally, just like Tertullus and the Sanhedrin did towards Paul. It is difficult. Think about how hard it is to continue to live for Jesus, do exactly what He wants you to do, while trying not to devote all your time to defending yourself and correcting all the slander and rumors. Frustration and anger would be a normal reaction. But ponder this reality – God holds us responsible to control only what we can control. And if we think about it, we realize that we do not control too much except our own hearts and our own reactions.

Pray to God and tell Him how hard it is to not totally and completely focus on protecting your own, or to slow down or stop serving the Lord when people attack you. Tell Him how much something like this consumes your thinking when it happens. But acknowledge to Him that you know that is not what He wants you to do when this happens. And tell Him that you want your reactions to be controlled by the Holy Spirit beginning today so that you will be able to focus on honoring Him with your life, thoughts, and actions, and you will let Him fight your battles.