Acts 24
Acts 24
[00:00:00] Hey everyone. Welcome to God's plan. Your part year two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire new Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it. Today, we're looking at Acts chapter 24. And basically what we have is Paul in prison.
And the folks from Jerusalem come to make their case against Paul. Uh, they don't actually have a very strong case to make. Uh, so one of the things you're saying from the top, Jenny, is that this is another clear story of sovereignty. I call it a sovereignty story. Yes. Because all these pieces that fall together, fall in line.
Are just, there's no other way to describe how perfectly it, it like, laces together. Right. That would not, that would be outside of God. It doesn't make sense any other way. Um, so I was really encouraged just by how Paul is even allowed to make his case. And when he does, it like, it makes his accusers look very foolish.
He has opportunity to speak [00:01:00] into the lives of the people who have power over him. Mm hmm. Um, and he also has like, For being in prison, he has a lot of freedom, kind of like what you were saying towards the end, which makes no sense. And he is safe for like quite a long time. Right. Paul's life is actually in danger.
It does make some sense that he has freedom because it's very likely that he has this freedom because he's a Roman citizen, which would be another example of God's sovereignty because he is a Roman citizen, either from the city he grew up in or from birth. And because of that, he has freedom to write and receive people.
And so he's writing the letters that we still read today. And he's receiving essentially like leaders of other churches so that he can give instructions to them as they come and go. Well, I think what's interesting is at the beginning of the chapter, Ananias, not the good one. Yeah. This is the guy that slapped him across the face.
Yeah. He comes in and he like approaches Felix and he says, Through a [00:02:00] lot of like lengthy, whatever description, lots of very butt kissing phrases, as I would like to put it, just to really just be like, Hey, you know, we just, we love the piece that you offer our people. And just like trying to really take the corner of his like good side.
And mostly I think because they know that they have a floppy argument. And they just want Paul killed, so they're trying really hard to gain as many points as they can before this whole thing unfolds. We've seen this over and over again, when these Jewish religious leaders need to appeal to the Romans to get what they want, they often show how compromising they are.
Because they hated being under the rule of the Romans and a lot of times they would accuse Caesar of blasphemy Because Caesar declared himself to be a god they even refused to carry the official coinage of Rome because there was a There was a stamp of Caesar's head on the coins, which they claim to be a graven image.
So [00:03:00] in day to day practice, they would have been vehemently against the Romans, but here they are like buddying up to them. And at times they even make crazy statements like we have no king but Caesar, which they never would have shown day to day. But when they're asking for a favor, they Yeah, they buddy up to the Romans.
Now, also, we have Ananias making a false accusation against Paul, uh, before this Roman official, which is, again, forbidden by the law. So these dudes that are so passionate about the law don't even live under it themselves. Well, the things that they start, like, after all the niceties. After all that, you're so wonderful.
Thank you, Felix, for all that you've done. You're so great. You're so powerful, whatever. Verse 5, they just unleash all these insults about Paul. Um, just, there's a couple things I underlined. He's, um, uh, this man is a plague. He stirs up riots. He's a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Um, tried to profane the [00:04:00] temple.
By examining him yourself, you'll be able to see this. And then not only after Ananias is saying these things, the Jews join up and also start saying, Oh yeah, he's definitely done all these terrible, awful things. So it turns very quickly from. You're so great. You're so wonderful. That guy, he's a piece of trash.
Like, that's what it ends up turning out to be. What you can easily miss, the reason he calls out that he's stirring up riots and he is a ringleader, that would have been particularly interesting to the Romans because they're trying to accomplish peace across the empire. So they actually had a very short fuse when it came to ringleaders of riots, and they oftentimes would put them to death.
To death very quickly, but this is a false accusation by the high priest. He knows what he's doing is prohibited by the law. He's doing it anyway. I think it was hilarious then too, is that the next, the next part Paul's allowed to speak. And I love just even how we enter into his rebuttal. He says in [00:05:00] verse 10.
Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation. I cheerfully make my defense because he's nothing to hide Yeah, he has nothing to hide. You know, he's he's done nothing wrong and everything they're accusing him of is completely off, right? It's completely off from what actually happened What did stick out to me as well is he really kind of like?
Shows their hand when he says in verse 14 that he believes everything laid down by the law And what is written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which they also would have believed. So everything they believe, Paul's not coming up against any of it. He's like, no, I, I clearly understand it. I believe all of it.
So why would I go, it's like that same thing about like, why would a kingdom turn on itself? It makes absolutely no sense. I'm not out to get them for what they believe, because I believe those things too. Unfortunately for them, They did not also believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Uh, I would say just as like a, [00:06:00] a side to keep everybody up to date on what's going on.
Um, the high priest accused him of leading the sect of the Nazarenes. That's most likely, uh, either his improper interpretation or early writers improper interpretation of essentially like, uh, the follower of the man from Nazareth. So Nazarene kind of comes from Nazareth. So they're referring to Christians, they're referring to early believers.
Also, when they talk about the way they're referring to early believers. So like very early Christians were known as followers of the way. And so just, just so like, as you read it, you know, what's going on here. These are accusations against Christians, both times. He also gives lots of other examples then, right after, about how, like, they said that he was, essentially, profaning the temple.
And he said, I actually went in purified, so, like, That's why he was there. Sorry. Sorry you misunderstood. Um, but, And he's essentially saying, like, I've, I've done [00:07:00] nothing wrong. All these things you're accusing me of, here's the reason that's wrong. Here's the reason that's wrong. Here's the reasons that, like, all these things are completely off and they just want to accuse me.
Um, and so Felix also, it says in verse 22 that he has a knowledge of the way. Yeah. Um. Yeah. Yeah. Which, I don't know if that is helpful to Paul or not, um, but I would think that if he, if Paul has knowledge of this, he's proclaiming to have knowledge of this way, um, then Felix too would be like, well, what's the problem then?
On first reading. When you read verse 22 through verse, basically the end of the chapter, what is it? Verse 27. You might get the feeling, and actually I did myself, you might get the feeling that Festus is like a Festus or Felix? Oh sorry, that Felix, um, Is like a kind audience that Felix is perhaps interested in learning more about Christianity because you have the line that is, he knew a lot about followers of the way [00:08:00] that's interesting.
Uh, there is the line about the fact that he's trying to have conversation with Paul constantly. That's interesting. Um, On first reading, it seems like, Oh, like maybe Paul's trying to witness to this guy, which I'm sure Paul is trying to witness to this guy. He does that with literally everybody. I'm not sure that Felix was actually like a, a soft receiving person.
And the issue here is that Felix is married to Drusilla. Drusilla is specifically called out in the text. All I can think of is Cruella de Vil. It is quite a name, right? Um, we're expecting a little girl. Maybe we should consider Drusilla as a name. Um, Drusilla is the daughter of Herod Agrippa I. So this is like no small thing that he's married to a relative of the Herods.
Well, and actually, the only reason he's married to her, this is like bonus points, is because he essentially like, I don't know, has an affair or something with her, and she divorces her other [00:09:00] husband to be with him as her husband now. So like, there's so much scandal behind this guy, it's not funny. So What is important about Herod Agrippa I, which is Drusilla's father, so this is Felix's father in law, is that he killed James in Acts 12.
He is the one that brought James up on charges and had him executed. And. basically took joy in persecuting Christians and found that the crowds enjoyed this. And so he tried to do more of it, but God killed him essentially on the spot. I believe it's, uh, I think it's Acts 12, um, where like the people start to worship Herod and he's like, yeah, I'll take that.
That would be awesome. Um, so Drusilla is familiar with the way and therefore Felix is familiar with the way with early Christians because her father went to great lengths to persecute them. So it's not very likely that they are actually interested in knowing more about Jesus or even interested in following Jesus.
They're actually quite familiar with it because they have done a lot of [00:10:00] persecuting followers of Jesus and killing followers of Jesus. Well, and what's crazy about this, I think this is another sovereignty piece. Like, peeking through here is that although all of those pieces existed, although they probably, like, in most situations, knowing all of that, like, it's surprising that Paul wasn't the next one right away, um, what's interesting is that Felix, His wife send for Paul for him to tell about his faith in Christ.
And what's crazy is in verse 25, where it says, as he reasoned, meaning Felix about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, he was alarmed and said, go away for the present. So there is this weird like inkling that he feels mm-hmm to wanna hear about it. And I'm wondering because of his knowledge of the way and all of these other things that like came before.
Like, okay, who, what's this guy about? But at the same time, there's this weird hardening that happens where he's like, nope, forget about it. I [00:11:00] actually don't want to hear any more. You just go live your days in prison. But he pursues continued conversation because it actually says that he called him up to talk a couple of times.
However, there's a key point in that the reason he wants to talk to him is because it says in our text, in our Bible, in the footnotes that It was very common, although not allowed for bribes to happen. So like he was expectant of Paul to just like, Hey, I'll give you money. Let me do my thing. Let me go. Um, which also speaks to Felix's character a little bit more.
Like he knows it's wrong, but he's still gonna like give opportunity for that conversation to happen. And it never does. Cause that's not who Paul is and that's not what he stands for. So at the end of the chapter. Uh, Felix is removed from his post. The text is not as explicit about it, but he was removed from his post because he failed to keep the peace between the Jews and the Gentiles, um, which Paul may have been at the center of.
We're not sure. Uh, but he is removed from this post and a new Roman [00:12:00] leader comes in, Portius Festus, and essentially Paul is in prison. For two years at this point in Caesarea, he uses this to write letters to receive people back and forth from churches and really The church is strengthened and continues to grow because of what has happened to Paul in these situations And we continue to be strengthened and we continue to grow because of Paul being caught in these situations Well, it's kind of hilarious too because verse 27 calls out how this was meant to be a way For, for Festus to appease the Jews by keeping him in prison.
And what they don't know is like, I kind of see this like in a weird twisted way. This is like weird. I don't know. Paul gets a sabbatical and gets to sit around and write letters to the churches because his friends get to come visit him, take the letters to whoever he's getting to like teach and mentor these men that are coming around him all the time.
Like he's actually like very uninterrupted, very in tune with what the spirit is telling him. He's very in tune with all of the things that he's gone through, like a [00:13:00] lot of self reflection, I'm sure. And just like time to process all of that in order to, um, like edify the church. While he's just sitting around, so I think it's, it's very ironic, and I, I guess I use that lightly because it's, it's just another, Example of God's sovereignty playing out through Paul's life.
All right. So you oftentimes like to put me on the spot and say, what do you think that your part is for today? Uh, Ms. Jennica, what do you think that your part is for today? Oh brother. Well, I guess like, again, I just keep coming back to this sovereignty piece. Like there are so many things that I feel like we have seen happen over and over again, and if you don't expect.
That God is working something out in your life, regardless of how the circumstance feels. You're like rejecting to like appreciate God's sovereignty through that situation. I know that is hard because there are some times where it's like, how in the world is God in this? Um, but when you look back and you see how his workings were like [00:14:00] so evident and so obvious, it's so like faith affirming.
And it's so encouraging to know that we serve a God who can work. Even through the craziest of times. So I would say just reflect or even consider the things that you are going through and how God is sovereignly working his plan out through your life. Hey, uh, just as a quick aside, uh, we have become an official affiliate partner of Logos Bible software.
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Acts chapter 24. And after five days, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman. One Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul, and when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, in every way, Transcription by CastingWords And everywhere we accept with this all gratitude, but to detain you no further I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.
For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of this sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. [00:17:00] By examining him yourself, you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.
The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied, Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city.
Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me, but this I confess to you that according to the way which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the law and written in the prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
So I always take pains to have a clear [00:18:00] conscience towards God and man. Now after several years, I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. While I was doing this they found me purified in the temple without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia, they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, should they have anything against me, or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council.
Other than this one thing, that I cried out while standing among them, it is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day. But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the way, put them off, saying, When Lysias, the tribune, comes down, I will decide your case. Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody, but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
After some days, Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ [00:19:00] Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness and self control in the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity, I will summon you.
At the same time, he hoped that money would be given him by Paul, so he sent for him and often conversed with him. When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porteous Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor. Felix left Paul in prison. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode of God's Plan, your Part.
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