Saturday, April 28, 2018

The Acts Of The Apostles. Day 88, The Trial Before Felix, Part Two: The Real Reason Paul Stands Accused

The lawyer Tertullus has accused Paul before Felix of things he did not do. Now it's Paul's turn to tell his side of the story. As always he includes the message of the resurrection---the only message that gives mankind any hope.

"When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: 'I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense.'" (Acts 24:10) In contrast to Tertullus, Paul doesn't begin his remarks by heaping a bunch of false flattery on the governor. He just says, "You are a man with a great deal of experience who knows the law inside out. Because I believe I will receive a fair trial in your courtroom, I have confidence while making my defense before you."

He continues, "You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship." (Acts 24:11) Paul points out, "These men have accused me of many illegal acts, acts I wasn't even in Jerusalem long enough to carry out if I had been of the mind to carry such things out."

"My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me." (Acts 24:12-13) It won't take much investigative work by Felix to find out there is no basis for the charges against Paul.

In a minute we will arrive at the heart of the matter. He is hated and falsely accused because he preaches the resurrection of the dead. This is a doctrine accepted by most of his countrymen with the exception of the Sadducees, but the problem is that Paul is preaching the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Paul is preaching that Jesus is God's Son and should be worshiped as God. According to Jewish law (see the entire chapter of Deuteronomy 13) it would be a capital offense to entice people to worship anyone other than the God of Israel. In the minds of his enemies this is just what Paul is doing when he preaches about Jesus of Nazareth. If Jesus were not the Son of God then Paul would be guilty. But Paul believes, as do all the apostles, in the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is not inciting the people to abandon the God of Israel but is encouraging them to accept the sacrifice God's own Son made on their behalf.

Paul wants his listeners to know that he values the laws of God and that nothing he is preaching is in contradiction to those laws. "However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." (Acts 24:14-16)

"After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance. But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me. Or those who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin---unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: 'It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'" (Acts 24:17-21) Paul's rights have been violated all along the way. He has a right to face his accusers in court but the Jews from Asia Minor who stirred this mess up in the first place aren't there. The Sanhedrin didn't hand down a verdict against him. He should never have been beaten, arrested, chained, or held in custody by anyone.

"Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. 'When Lysias the commander comes,' he said, 'I will decide your case.' He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs." (Acts 24:22-23) Living in Caesarea where the Christian church is growing by leaps and bounds, Felix is quite familiar with what the Christians believe. It's not a crime under Roman law for Paul or anyone else to worship Christ. Rome allows religious liberty in all the territories it has conquered as long as the citizens conduct themselves peacefully. Felix has not seen or heard anything during Paul's trial that would warrant him declaring the apostle guilty of a crime. But he hasn't heard the testimony of Commander Lysias yet, so he wants to wait and see what he has to say. He puts a centurion in charge of Paul because he is still a prisoner, and also because if he were not under guard his enemies might manage to assassinate him. But Paul is allowed more freedom than an ordinary prisoner and his friends are allowed to visit with him anytime they please.

The Bible never mentions Lysias again. We don't know whether he was ever sent for. We don't know whether he ever arrived. Felix is a greedy man and, contrary to Paul's opinion of him, he is a man willing to pervert justice if it brings him monetary or political gain. We will see in a moment exactly why Felix keeps holding Paul in custody. "Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, 'That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.' At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison." (Acts 24:24-27)

Felix is bothered by the idea of his own unrighteousness and his own lack of self-control and the coming judgment. He is currently married to his third wife who was already married when he met her, but he seduced her away from her husband. He is definitely a man lacking in self-control where women and sex are concerned.

Felix is also a man lacking in righteousness, for he's greedy enough to be willing to overlook the laws of Rome by hoping Paul will offer him a bribe for his freedom. It would appear that had Paul or his friends raised enough money, Paul could have had his freedom, but it's vital that Paul maintains his integrity as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Felix is also a man lacking in compassion and human decency. According to Roman law no prisoner could be held in custody for more than two years unless sentence had been passed against him, but by that time Felix was in serious political trouble with both Romans and Jews. In quelling an outbreak of strife between the Jews and Gentiles, he treated the Jews involved with such murderous violence that his prejudice against them was made clear. Being married to the Jewish descendant of Herod the Great does not mean he held the Jews in high regard. Ancient historians attest to the stunning beauty of Drusilla and by that we know Felix married her because he lusted for her so much he had to have her. But being married to a Jewess did nothing to make him care about Jews in general. Because he was under the censure of Rome and because he was despised by the Jews for his harsh treatment of them, he tried to make amends by leaving Paul in custody.

Paul is at the mercy of a man who shows him little mercy. But at the same time Paul is the servant of a merciful God who plans to use his status as a prisoner to reach people with the gospel who would not have heard it if Paul had remained a free man.






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