ACTS CH.23:11-35 PAUL BEFORE FELIX WHAT WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT Tonight as we continue our study through Acts, we find Paul being held under guard by the Roman commander in Jerusalem. Because he was at the center of a riot that had turned the whole town upside down, it was the commander s responsibility to find out what had happened so that he could make a report about it back to Rome. We read last week in verse 11 that while Paul sat confined in the barracks that the Lord had come to him at night and stood beside him and said Be of good cheer for as you have testified of Me in Jerusalem, so you must also do for Me in Rome. And so tonight we are going to see that journey to Rome begin HOW IT APPLIES TO ME / WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? For me this chapter serves as a reminder that God is in control. In a moment of time Paul goes from sitting in a prison cell wondering whether or not his ministry was finished because of the way things had gone down in Jerusalem to being completely at rest in his spirit knowing that God has told him that as he had testified of Him in Jerusalem, so he will do in Rome. How he was going to get there was really a non-issue, the fact was that God had said it was going to happen Isaiah Ch.55:11(New King James Version) 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. In the same way God has a purpose and a plan for our lives, and as we allow God to lead and direct our lives by waking in the Spirit, we too should be at peace in our hearts knowing that what God has purposed for our lives will come to pass. This knowledge should give us an assurance that He is in control, and with that assurance comes the peace that Jesus talked about in John Ch14:27 where He said; I will give you a peace that the world cannot take away Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 1
He promised to not leave us as orphans but that we would be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, that He would not only comfort us with His presence (John Ch.14:17-18) but that He would guide us into all the truth (John Ch.16:13) This is what is called a position of strength and no matter what the world throws at us and throw it will throw stuff at us; as long as we are abiding in the vine we will bear much fruit for the kingdom of God. John Ch.16:33 (New King James Version) 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Paul has a word of encouragement from the Lord to be of good cheer and I believe a confirmation in his spirit that his work on earth is not yet completed; he knows that he will stand in Rome and testify of the truth of the gospel. And over the next 2-3 years before he gets to Rome he is going to have his life threatened by people, he is going to suffer a terrible shipwreck and be bitten by an extremely poisonous snake, and through it all he knows God is in control, and that His promise to stand in Rome will come to pass and with that awareness he is able to be at peace in the midst of it all. So with all of that let s jump into Ch.23 and pick up where we left off. ACTS CH.23:11-22 THE PLOT AGAINST PAUL 11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. We covered this verse last week, I only want to add that this is one of may verses of scripture which confirms to me that God will meet us at our point of need. If Paul ever needed to hear a word from the Lord I believe it was now, and it was not only a word of encouragement but it was also a word of reminder that we don t always see things from God s perspective. We tend to judge ourselves by our successes. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 2
I think the Lord is telling Paul here Your ministry is not judged by its success but by your faithfulness. 12 And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13 Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. 14 They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near. Keep in mind what we are reading here is conversation between Jewish people who were zealous for the Law of God and the religious leadership of Jerusalem charged with the responsibility of leading the nation in the worshipping of God. It sounds more like a scene out of the Godfather and they are putting a contract out on Paul s life. So warped was the thinking of the religious leaders that that they actually believed that were justified in killing anyone who opposed their views. They believed they were serving God by destroying any person or thing they disapproved of. 16 So when Paul s sister s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. This is the only place in scripture where we read anything about Paul s family, and we see his nephew is very concerned about the safety of his uncle. The fact that he overheard the plot by these Jews to kill his uncle to me is just another example of the fingerprint of God, that Paul s nephew would be in the right place at the right time in order to overhear this. God is exposing the plot in order to get Paul safely out of the city. Very often I believe we tend to overlook the supernatural in the things of the natural that everyone else sees. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 3
We have all heard before and maybe said it ourselves on occasion, when something unexpected of extraordinary happens; we hear you were lucky or you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. There is no such thing as luck for the child of God, everything that happens in the life of a believer has been Father filtered. God is at work in and around our lives whether we are aware of it or not. A misconception many Christians have today is that the only time God is working supernaturally is when there is some kind of miraculous healing, or something of that sort; and that that alone is what represents the supernatural power of God. And I believe the only reason we think of the power of God in that context is because of a dullness on our part of how much supernaturally naturally happens around us every day. It was no accident that Paul s nephew heard about this plot. 17 Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him. 18 So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you. 19 Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, What is it that you have to tell me? Luke makes mention of this I think to show us the tender side of this Roman commander. This guy was in charge of hundreds if not thousands of Roman soldiers and the softer gentler side of this guy was most likely something he usually didn t lead with. But taking the boy by the hand and stepping off to the side tells me this was a younger child and was noticeably afraid, and sensing that, the commander takes him aside to reassure him that everything s ok; just settle down and tell me what s going on Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 4
20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. 21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you. 22 So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me. The commander has already had first hand experience with this Jewish mob and was very aware of their zeal to kill Paul, but this is a new low even for them. The idea that there is now a plot to murder a Roman citizen through deception did not set well with the commander and an immediate response to the threat was called for; notice: ACTS CH.23:23-35 PAUL IS SENT TO FELIX 23 And he called for two centurions, saying, Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at the third hour of the night; 24 and provide mounts to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. This guy gives the orders for over 470 trained Roman soldiers to escort one man to Caesarea. I imagine if anyone of these guys who had taken the vow to kill Paul saw this entourage coming out of the castle, I m sure they would have been overwhelmed by the appearance of all of these fully armed trained soldiers surrounding Paul and would have reconsidered their vow. It s one thing to be surrounded by 40 of your zealous friends and all of you getting whipped up with emotion to go and plan an assassination on one guy who is causing you all of this grief. It is quite another to come to the realization that if you are going to go through with this plot that you are going to have to go through 470 professionally trained killers first. The Roman commanders response to this threat was strong and over the top; and it accomplished exactly what he wanted; safe Passage for Paul to Caesarea. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 5
25 He wrote a letter in the following manner: 26 Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. Much like the letters we read in the New Testament by the different Apostles, the opening salutations always included not only who the letter is being addressed to but also who the letter is from. Keep in mind that when these letters were written they were done so and then rolled up as a scroll. When the recipient opened the scroll they would be able to see right away who the letter was from without having to unroll the entire scroll to find out. So here we see a model of those first century letters. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. 28 And when I wanted to know the reason they accused him, I brought him before their council. 29 I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains. 30 And when it was told me that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to state before you the charges against him. Farewell. This is not how it happened, he did not learn that Paul was a Roman Citizen before he rescued Paul; in fact he did not learn Paul was a Roman until Paul identified as such in order to stop the beating he was about to receive from the interrogation that Claudius Lysias had ordered to try and find out who Paul was and why these guys wanted to kill him. This is what has become to be known as revisionist history. So Claudius is in somewhat of a tight spot here, he has arrested a Roman citizen, and he is processing this prisoner to Caesarea which was the Roman capital of Israel at that time; and he is sending this man in chains without any official charges against him. So the purpose of the letter to Felix is to say I know I am sending you someone who has been bound without charges, and I want you to know that the reason he has been chained is because of public safety issues. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 6
I believe the fact that Claudius adds in his letter his assessment that Paul had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains was also important for Luke to record. Since Roman officials trying Paul's case were going to read this document, they needed to know that other Roman officials had judged Paul "not guilty." 31 Then the soldiers, as they were commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 The next day they left the horsemen to go on with him, and returned to the barracks. So on the orders of Claudius, these troops leave their fort at 9:00 pm with Paul and march all night to Antipatris which was about twenty miles outside of Jerusalem. And from there the foot soldiers return to the barracks and the horseman continued onto Caesarea. The first twenty miles from Jerusalem to Antipatris was very mountainous with a lot of wooded areas and rough terrain, and if there was going to be an assassination attempt on Paul s life this is where it would have happened. Once they got to Antipatris, the road to Caesarea was pretty much wide open and the horseman could transport the prisoner to Caesarea without too much concern about their safety. 33 When they came to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. 34 And when the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, I will hear you when your accusers also have come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod s Praetorium. So Felix, determining that he in fact has the jurisdiction to hear this case against Paul agrees to do so. And he gives orders to keep Paul in Herod s Praetorium until his accusers arrive to present their case against Paul. Of all the places where they could have locked Paul up this was probably the nicest. Herod palace was right on the shore of the Mediterranean. For the next two years Paul is going to remain under house arrest on beach front property before he is finally transported to Rome to stand before Caesar. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 7
Although Paul may have experienced some anxieties while he awaited his trial in Caesarea, ultimately he knew that God was in control because he had received the Lord's words of encouragement and His promise that he would go to Rome to share the gospel. We too like Paul have received promises from the Lord; His promise to lead and direct our lives as we yield to the Holy Spirit, His promise to never leave nor forsake us no matter what kind of stupid stuff we do. Remember He knows the end from the beginning, and in spite of all of the unwise and irresponsible decisions He knew ahead of time that we are going to make in this life, He still called us to become a child of God, and He offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice to God the Father in order that we might be accepted by Him and be adopted into His family. ACTS CH.24:1-9 ACCUSED OF SEDITION 1Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence to the governor against Paul. Jewish historians tell us that Ananias was 80 years old when he made this 60 mile journey from Jerusalem to Caesarea and I think this gives us a little more insight into the degree of animosity he had in his heart towards Paul. It is also interesting to me that the high priest and the elders brought with them Terrullus who was a high powered Roman attorney hired by the Jewish religious leaders to present their case before Felix. Obviously they thought using a Roman attorney to argue their case would make points with Felix. 2 And when he was called upon, Tertullus began his accusation, saying: Seeing that through you we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight, 3 we accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. It was customary in those days when you stood before a Roman official of judge, that you would begin your case by flattering the judge, it never hurts to say something kind about the judge. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 8
But boy is he pouring it on heavy: we enjoy great peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight most noble Felix Really? I can imagine some of the people gagging as they hear him speak. Felix was a scoundrel; the only thing he had done with any kind of regularity was that he robbed the people blind and appointed corrupt leaders to impose his tyrannical power on the common folk. Tacitus, born in the first century, and considered to be one of the greatest Roman historians, said of Felix: He was a master of cruelty and lust who exercised the powers of a king in the spirit of a slave. He was a self-centered, opinionated, and detestable man who lost his balance on the slippery slopes of life. Felix was a slave who was given his freedom by the Emperor Claudius because his brother Pallas was very popular in the royal court, and it was his influence that ultimately brought Felix into power. Everyone in the country knew Felix was a rat, yet Tertullus came on with the flowery language and flattery knowing he would strengthen his position with Felix as he sat there and drank in all of the praise. 4 Nevertheless, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us. 5 For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. There was one charge that always got the attention of the Romans, and that was the word that someone was creating instability within the Roman Empire. Roman governors and proconsuls did not tolerate any kind of insurrection. And that is what Tertullus is accusing Paul of here, that everywhere he goes he is stirring up trouble. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, and we seized him, and wanted to judge him according to our law. Another big fat lie; he didn t profane the temple and they were not trying to judge him according to their law, they were trying to kill him and would have succeeded had not the Roman commander stepped in and pulled Paul out. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 9
7 But the commander Lysias came by and with great violence took him out of our hands, 8 commanding his accusers to come to you. By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also assented, maintaining that these things were so. So with great words of incrimination and boldness he builds a straw man argument against Paul; he has no evidence, cannot produce a single eyewitness to verify the lies he has presented as fact, and then he has the audacity to call on Felix to interrogate Paul to determine if these things are true. And the Jews jump in and pile on with the lies. These are the highest ranking religious officials in all of Israel, and they know that everything just presented to Felix was a blatant lie and yet they stand in a court of law and proclaim it as truth. ACTS CH.24:10-21 THE DEFENSE BEFORE FELIX 10 Then Paul, after the governor had nodded to him to speak, answered: Inasmuch as I know that you have been for many years a judge of this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself, 11 because you may ascertain that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. He is pointing out the obvious to Felix; I have been in town for less than two weeks, there is no way I or anyone else for that matter could build up the kind of insurrection I am being accused of by these guys. 12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. Paul says they can t prove anything because it is all a bunch of lies, show me some evidence, and produce a witness. They can t because what they are trying to sell you is a bunch of lies. I did not incite anyone, in the temple, the synagogue or anywhere in the city. Notice he refers to them as they because he is inferring that there is not a single eyewitness in this entire group that has come up from Jerusalem. And his argument to Felix is that according to Roman law, eyewitnesses must be produced in order to substantiate anyone s story, I cannot be convicted on hearsay. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 10
14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets. In essence Paul is saying; alright, I have been brought into this courtroom to produce a confession from me, I can t confess to these trumped up charges of insurrection, but let me tell you what I am guilty of. Paul is moving the direction of this court hearing and is going to turn it into an opportunity to preach the gospel. My belief in Jesus as the Messiah does not violate the laws of my fathers at all; He is the fulfillment of the law. It not only does not violate the law of my fathers, it is based on the law and the prophets. I think it is also interesting that Paul points out that the name of this sect that followed Christ was known as the Way. Doubtless this came from Jesus who said concerning Himself in John Ch.14 John Ch.14:6 (New American Standard Bible) 6 Jesus *said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. The early church was so faithful to that message, and became so known for that message, that it became the tag that was put on them by everyone else. As Christians today, we are the only ones who carry the truth in this world, and there is tremendous pressure on the Christian today to keep that truth to themselves; and all too often the voice of the Christian is being suppressed by the external pressures. But we have not been given a spirit of weakness, but of power. 2 nd Timothy Ch.1:7-9 (New International Version) 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 11
What we have been given is this supreme truth about the reality of who God is and what he has done for us; not to hoard it to ourselves but to share with others. We know the truth and we should not be afraid to say we know the truth. If we become marginalized because we are being viewed as arrogant or narrow minded because of the truth we proclaim then so be it. But the reality is, is that there are people in this world who are waiting to hear the truth, there are people in this world who need to hear the truth about who God is and what He has done for them in terms of making salvation available to them through His Son Jesus. This is the only reason you and I are still here in this world; not to apologize for what we know to be true, but to proclaim it boldly and to pray for one another for the boldness to say what needs to be said: heaven is real and there is only one way to get there, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who died for our sins so that we might live through Him. Paul continues: 15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Paul speaks of this judgment that is to come, and the fact that everyone will one day have to give an account to God of what they did in regards to his Son. And notice the order of Paul s concern; to be at peace with God first and then man. Everything he did was done in that context. Paul is proclaiming that he is not only afraid of standing before Felix and this court, but he is not afraid to stand before God in the court to come, because his account is in order, he is right with God and he knows it. Not because of anything he has done but because of what Christ has done for him. He also knows Felix and the others cannot share in that same confidence, and he is hopeful that the reality of an ultimate judgment, that everyone will have to stand before God and give an account of their lives, is enough encourage them to deal with that reality. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 12
17 Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation, 18 in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with tumult. 19 They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me. Again, there are no eyewitnesses here to corroborate their accusations against Paul! 20 Or else let those who are here themselves say if they found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council, 21 unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged by you this day. ACTS CH.24:22-27 FELIX PROCRASTINATES 22 But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case. We are beginning to see a characteristic in Felix s life and it is a dangerous characteristic in Felix s life that he has a tremendous tendency to put off or procrastinate when it comes to making important decisions in his life. There is no reason for Lysias to come in and establish the facts; there have been no eye witnesses produced to validate the false accusations against Paul; this whole case should have just been thrown out. 23 So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him. 24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. What was Felix trying to accomplish, he had watched firsthand how Paul had dismantled this high power attorney in the courtroom, and some suggest that he was just looking for a little more entertainment. Others suggest that he wanted his wife to hear what Paul had to say in order to give him counsel so that he could make a decision on what to do with Paul. I think we will find the real answer as to what motivated Felix to do what he did concerning Paul in verse 26 it was all about the money. But Felix got a little more Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 13
than he bargained for because Paul used every opportunity given to him to preach the gospel. Paul s words cut deep because of the conviction both Felix and Drusilla felt. I mean these guys were the poster kids of what a life lived in unrighteousness and a total lack of self-control looked like. Jesus told us in john Ch.16 that one of the things that the Holy Spirit was going to do was this very thing: John Ch.16:8 (New American Standard Bible) 8And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you. So again we see the same procrastination on Felix s part to make a decision. Why deal with the hard question today when I can do it tomorrow? This is one of the greatest lies of the enemy; to put off making a decision about Jesus Christ. Paul has doubtlessly laid down a tremendous case about the person of Jesus, and the necessity for man to make a decision to accept Him as their personal Savior, on this side of eternity because there a day of Judgment coming, and Felix visibly shaken from the reality of this truth chose instead to push Paul away and not make a choice. However, the reality of the situation is this: to not make a choice concerning Jesus as the Messiah is in effect making a decision about Jesus as the Messiah. The danger of procrastination is this; you never know that you will have another opportunity, to procrastinate on a decision that has to do with my eternity is madness when I know the truth about the decision I need to make. Every time a person says no to the gospel when they are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit they become a little more callous to His prompting and eventually they will no longer even fill a conviction to the message or a need to respond. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 14
The same thing can happen to us who are Christians; we can by degree harden our hearts by procrastination, every time the Holy Spirit convicts us of something we may be doing or not doing in our lives, when we refuse to act on His prompting to deal with it, the next time it becomes a little easier to resist and eventually we won t even hear Him because we have become so callous. This is what the writer of the book of Hebrews was talking about when he said in Ch.3: Hebrews Ch.3:12-13 (New International Version) 12 See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin s deceitfulness. 26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. 27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound. Pastor Steve Acts Bible Study - Lesson 23-24: Paul Before Felix August 19, 2014 page 15