1. Acts of the Apostles, Acts 24:1-27
Paul Appears before Felix
and is kept in Custody
for Two Years

2. Felix knew all about the Way, as the religion of Christ was called.
Introduction
Paul is kept in custody in Herod’s palace for two years until the governor, Felix, is succeeded by Porcius Festus.
Ananias and some of the elders, with a lawyer named Tertullus, came down five days after Paul’s arrival and made their formal accusations against Paul.
Felix knew all about the Way, as the religion of Christ was called.
Ruins of Temple at Caesarea

3. He listened to all of them but put off his judgment until Lysias the commander came down.
He knew Paul was not guilty of anything and would never have ordered him, a Roman citizen, to be punished. But he wanted to please the Jews so he kept him in custody.
He called for Paul many times to hear him talk because he found him interesting and because he hoped Paul would offer him a bribe.
Herodian Aqueduct at Caesarea

4. Pontius Pilate Inscription – First Century
For background information about the attitudes and problems of the Roman governor of Palestine you can read the letters of Pontius Pilate to his friend Seneca in Rome.
Felix, Festus and others that preceded and followed them in this position must have made similar observations and had similar feelings.
The picture shows an inscription found at Caesarea from his time that calls Pontius Pilate the Prefect of Judea. His governorship was AD.
Pontius Pilate Inscription – First Century

5. Acts 24:1-2
24:1 Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor.
Tertullus (from tertius, “third”) must have been a skilled and well-known orator of the time though he is not mentioned in contemporary histories. He must have known Roman law and common legal procedures.
Statue- Roman Orator

6. This was part of Herod’s palace.
Ananias and these members of the Sanhedrin were still hoping to get their hands on Paul to kill him.
As Tertullus’ speech shows, they were willing to bend the truth and would try any devious and underhanded trick to get Paul.
What do you think happened to the forty or so men who swore not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul?
They were never able to kill Paul. But I think the Jewish high priest absolved them of their rash oath.
This was part of Herod’s palace.

7. Acts 24:2-4
2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. 3 Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. 4 But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.

8. How do you think the Jews REALLY felt about Roman rule?

9. Cornelius Tacitus – from a Roman statue
Tacitus the Roman historian (History, book 5, chapter 9) and Josephus the Jewish historian (Antiquities of the Jews, book 20, chapter 8, section 5) and Suetonius the biographer of Claudius (Life of Claudius, chapter 28) attested the good job Felix had done in keeping the peace. But all three said he was a corrupt and dishonest ruler and an unjust and cruel man.
Let us see how he deals with this situation.
Will he turn Paul over to these men?
Cornelius Tacitus – from a Roman statue

10. Caesarea – Palace of the governors
Acts 24:5-9
5 "We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect 6 and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him."
9 The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true.
Caesarea – Palace of the governors

11. Tertullus said the following four things about Paul:
He was a plague
He created dissention among all the Jews
He was a ringleader among the sect of the Nazarenes.
He tried to profane the Temple

12. my nation and offerings
What had the Bible said about the gifts that Paul had brought to Jerusalem for the poor (24:17)?
Now after many years
I came to bring alms to
my nation and offerings

13. Acts 11:28-30“Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea.”

14. 1Cor 16:1-4 “Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.”

15. Paul is, of course, not a seditious person or a troublemaker
Paul is, of course, not a seditious person or a troublemaker. He never instigated a riot.
Christianity is not a Nazarene sect and Paul did not desecrate the temple. All these charges were false and Felix knew it.
Felix, as Paul says, knew more about this Way than any of Paul’s accusers. He knew Paul was not what they said he was.
Felix might have been an unjust and cruel man but he was intelligent, well-informed and not easily swayed by flowery rhetoric.

16. Acts 24:10-13
10 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. 11 You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 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. 13 And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me.

17. The Romans enforced their laws.
Paul challenges them to furnish proof of their charges. They cannot and they know it.
I wonder why they did not bring false witnesses like those they used at the trial of Jesus and Stephen in the Sanhedrin.
The answer is that, unlike the Jewish court, such false witnesses would be rigorously cross-examined in a Roman court and perjury was punishable by death as it should have been in the Jewish court.
The Romans enforced their laws.

18. Acts 24:14-16
14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15 and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

19. Paul admits that he is a worshiper of Jesus and follows His Way.
But he says that this new Way, which could not be called a sect of Judaism, was based on the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies.
As Jesus had also said, if people believed the prophecies of Moses and the other Old Testament prophets, they would believe in Him. They would believe that He was the promised Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.

20. Acts 24:17-21
17 "After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. 18 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. 19 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. . .

21. v19 Why would Paul be so confident that he could stand up against accusers from Asia?

22. Acts 17:13 “When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.” (NIV)
Acts 14:19 “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” (NIV)

23. Acts 18:12-16; “While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court
Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you But since it involves your own law I will not be a judge of such things." (NIV)

24. Why could Paul be confident that he could stand up against the charges of those from Jerusalem?

25. Acts 23:9 “There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man (Paul)” (NIV)
Acts 23:26-30 “Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law, but there was no charge against him that deserved death or imprisonment.” (NIV)

26. 20 Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin- 21 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.'"
Paul tells the governor that there was no one who could bring a truthful charge of wrongdoing against him. If there was any such, as he said, they should be there to give their testimony.

27. Paul tells about the mission he had accomplished just twelve days earlier to bring gifts from the Gentile Christians to the poor Jewish Christians throughout Judea.
Then he admits that he shouted out that it was for his belief in the resurrection that he was on trial before the Sanhedrin.
One could say that this was true in a sense. But Paul had used this ploy to create an uproar and escape the fate they had intended for him.

28. Acts 24:22-23
22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. "When Lysias the commander comes," he said, "I will decide your case." 23 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.
As mentioned earlier, Felix was not about to pervert justice for a Roman citizen. He would have had to give an account. Besides, he knew that Claudius Lysias knew the truth.

29. Antonius Felix coin (52-56 AD, Judea)
Acts 24:24-26
4 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.
25 As Paul discoursed on 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."
26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
Antonius Felix coin (52-56 AD, Judea)

30. Why didn’t he become a Christian? We’ll never know for sure.
Since Drusilla, Felix’s wife was a Jewess, Felix no doubt had been more interested in Jewish culture and history than he would have been otherwise.
He had heard all the stories about Jesus and I’m sure had investigated them himself. He knew that Paul was telling the truth.
He must have believed in God and the words of Paul. One version says that when Felix heard about the judgment to come, he was terrified.
Why didn’t he become a Christian? We’ll never know for sure.

31. Coin of Porcius Festus, Governor of Judea
Acts 24:27
27 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.
Felix was not thinking of Paul and what was best for him. He only cared about political correctness and pleasing his constituency. Is that a familiar attitude?
But God knew what was best for Paul. That was the real reason he stayed under guard in Herod’s palace.
Coin of Porcius Festus, Governor of Judea

32. He will be in this situation for two years.
Conclusion
Paul will survive all the plots and machinations of the unbelieving Jews.
He will be in this situation for two years.
He will appear before the new governor, Festus, then before King Agrippa, the king of Judea, a puppet of the Romans.
After a time he will decide to exercise his right as a Roman citizen and appeal to Caesar to make a final disposition of his case.
He will go to Rome.

33. Alone but Never Lonely by Ellis Jones Alone but never lonely,
I know God’s always there.
His word speaks clearly to my heart.
I talk to Him in prayer.

34. When God is on His throne, I know when I am praying
Alone but never lonely,
When God is on His throne,
I know when I am praying
I’m with millions of His own.

35. Spirits of the faithful dead, Who’ve won their victory.
Alone but never lonely,
By the eye of faith I see,
Spirits of the faithful dead,
Who’ve won their victory.

36. For orders from their Master, Then they don’t hesitate.
Alone but never lonely,
Angels around me wait,
For orders from their Master,
Then they don’t hesitate.

37. Alone with God I also find, He’ll spend more time with me.
Alone but never lonely,
When I find time to be
Alone with God I also find,
He’ll spend more time with me.