Faith and Justice: Paul's Trials and Choices

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.” 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. [00:00:27]

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.” 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. [00:01:09]

But after two years, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix. And Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound. Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they petitioned him asking a favor against him that he would summon him to Jerusalem while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. [00:01:42]

And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. And when he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. [00:02:37]

And while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered in Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?” [00:02:57]

So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. For if I am an offender or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to die. But if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” [00:03:19]

Now, it’s a liberal type of prison. Felix gives him permission to be dressed by his friends and relatives, that they could bring supplies to him and meet with him and so on. Some church historians speculate at this point that it was during this two years that Luke amassed much of his material that he incorporated in his Gospel and in this record of the book of Acts. [00:07:14]

But even today we have an axiom in our culture that justice delayed is justice denied. And Paul is clearly being denied justice under the procrastination of Felix. The first thing we want to know is why did he do it. Why did he put Paul in prison even though he knew that Paul was not guilty of the charges? [00:08:09]

It was a political decision. Paul was kept in prison as a matter of political expediency. This Roman magistrate knew that under the law Paul was innocent, but in order to appease the Jews, who were screaming for the blood of the apostle Paul and to seek some measure of peace among the people, he judged not by principle, by expediency. [00:08:44]

Now this man Felix was at least impressed enough by Paul to want to learn something from him. Let me just take a moment to give a little more background. We mentioned that his third wife was Druscilla, who’s mentioned here in the text, and at the time that this conversation takes place between Paul and Felix, when he brings his wife along, Druscilla’s not even twenty years old. [00:12:16]

But listen to what specifically he addresses. “Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come…” Luke doesn’t include everything that they discussed, but he emphasizes that where Paul was pointing his emphasis was, first of all, on righteousness. You might step back and be critical. And you say, Wait a minute. What kind of an evangelist is the apostle Paul? [00:14:16]

And he addresses Felix at the point of Felix’ sin—his unrighteousness. And he gives him a lecture on his self-control, which Felix certainly didn’t exercise when he took Druscilla from her previous husband. But then the coup de grâce is when he focuses attention on the last judgment. Here’s Paul, who’s being judged by this fellow in this world and is now in captivity and he’s speaking to his captor about the last judgment. [00:15:51]