I. Paul Presents The Gospel To Felix V. 25a
Paul speaks about three things…
A. Righteousness
1. Righteousness-The condition which is acceptable to God (as opposed to man)
2. Jesus told us the degree of righteousness needed to enter Heaven
3. See Matthew 5:20
4. How is one righteous before God? Placing your faith (life) in God
5. Romans 3:10, 20-23; Romans 4:3-5
6. Righteousness with God is not possible by man’s works
7. Righteousness with God is possible only by faith in Jesus
8. Felix had to determine if his righteousness was acceptable to God
9. He was forced to think about that as Paul spoke to him
B. Self Control
1. The virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites
2. Felix & Drusilla- had no self control, but were self-serving
3. How does one get self-control?
4. See 2 Timothy 3:1-4
a. People w/no self control are lovers of self and not lovers of God
b. They lack self-control in regards to righteousness
5. See Galatians 5:22
a. Self-control comes as a result of being indwelt by God’s Spirit
b. The Christian is transformed into the likeness of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and not by self-will or determination.
c. Self-control in regards to righteousness, not behavior modification
6. Felix was forced to internally acknowledge his love of self & lack of self-control
C. Judgment To Come
1. Judgment– condemnation of wrong, the sentence of a judge, punishment
2. See John 5:24-29
3. See Revelation 20:11-15
4. Felix was a governor, and understood judgment for wrongdoing
5. Felix was forced to consider the judgment that he would face
II. Felix’s Response To The Gospel V. 25b-26
A. Fear- (Terror, Dread)
1. Felix did not fear Paul on a social/cultural level
2. Felix had fear of the power of Paul’s message
3. Felix had fear of God’s judgment, yet he did not turn to God
4. NOTE– Fear of God doesn’t automatically mean commitment to God
5. James 2:19
6. There is a fear of God that produces worry, concern, and thinking, but no commitment to God
7. There is a fear of God that results in a commitment to God
8. Felix was fortunate in the sense that his heart wasn’t totally hardened; he was still able to be touched by the truth regarding Jesus Christ
9. Some people go beyond having a “reachable heart” to extreme hardness of heart
10. 1 Timothy 4:2 “…having their own conscience seared with a hot iron…”
11. 1 Timothy 4 speaks of those who reject truth & establish their own righteousness.
12. If we reject God’s standard of righteousness, we will feel the need to create our own righteousness
13. That is what Felix went on to do. He felt the sting of the truth, but rejected it.
14. Hebrews 10:22 says that we can have “an evil conscience”
15. Felix & Drusilla– went from having a tender conscience, to a seared conscience, to an evil conscience
16. There is no record that “a convenient time” ever came for Felix
17. There is no record of them ever being saved from the judgment of God
B. Procrastination
1. Convenient time– a fitting time, a set time, an appropriate time.
2. Felix made the two mistakes that so many people make:
a. He assumed that he would have more time
b. He assumed that he would still be interested in this decision
3. That truth about Jesus that captivated and alarmed him was not something to set aside until another time. It was something to respond to right away.
4. The conviction needed to make a decision to follow Jesus was present.
5. Felix assumed that the conviction would remain, & that he could make that decision anytime he desired.
6. That fear and alarm is there for a reason. It is conviction about truth.
7. None of us know how much time we have left in this life.
8. James 4:13-17
C. Covetousness
1. Felix ignored that fear of God, and it probably went away.
2. He toyed with Paul, wanting to be bribed, half-heartedly listening to the truth about eternal life and eternal punishment.
3. The fear went away and covetousness set in. The void was filled.
D. Respecter Of Persons Rather Than God
1. Felix is a Roman governor who is there to keep the peace
2. It is to his advantage to gain favor with the Jews
3. He doesn’t like the Jews, but he gains favor w/them by keeping Paul in custody
4. The fear of God is now gone, and self-preservation takes over
E. Felix’s & Drusilla’s End
1. Felix– kicked out of power, called back to Rome, replaced by Porcius Festus. Why? A riot broke out in Caesarea between the Greeks and the Jews. When the Greeks emerged victorious, Felix vented his frustration with the Jews by ordering the Greeks to go throughout the city bludgeoning Jewish men, raping Jewish women, & plundering Jewish possessions. When Caesar heard about this, he immediately sent for Felix. Thus, Felix lived out the rest of his life in disgrace in Rome. He ended up committing suicide.
2. Drusilla– Two years after this event, in Europe on a shopping spree when Mount Vesuvius exploded, she was caught in the lava of the volcano, & died at age 21.
3. Felix and Drusilla both had an opportunity to hear the Gospel, but they put off making a decision.
24:1 Ananias is the High Priest. He is 80 years old, but willing to make this 60 mile journey in order to see Paul convicted and imprisoned.
The Elders: probably those liberal members of the Sanhedrin who were called the Sadducees.
Tertullus was a lawyer. His name is Greek. He was probably hired by these religious rulers.
24:2, 3 Tertullus flatters Felix with lies. The Jews hated Felix: a ruthless and wicked ruler
24:4 Tertullus promises to be brief: good news for Felix. Tertullus hopes for a favorable ruling.
24:5 Their accusations are that Paul starts riots, and is a leader of the Nazarenes, an early name of Christianity. Nazareth was considered a low class, unsophisticated city.
`Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?’ (John 1:46).
24:6 Paul did not profane the Temple, and they did not try to judge him by their law, they tried to kill him in a mob attack.
24:7-9 Tertullus presents no evidence, only accusations. The Jews all agree together.
24:10 Paul doesn’t have a flattery for Felix, but tries to fid something good to say.
24:11-13 Paul– it has only been 12 days since he arrive in Jerusalem. They have no evidence.
24:14-16 Paul does admit to being a Christian
24:17, 18 Paul explains that he had brought financial aid to the church in Jerusalem
24:19 Paul asks for his accusers to be present. Tertullus & the Elders were not eyewitnesses.
24:20, 21 Paul once again proclaims innocence, and they have no facts against him, only accusations
24:22 Felix had good knowledge of Christianity, but waist for Lysius, the Roman commander
24:23 Paul is put under house arrest, but given liberty to receive visitors.
24:24 Felix– a former slave who became a governor. He sent a magician to Drusilla, a 19 year-old Jewish girl, who was married.
The magician convinced her to leave her husband and become Felix’s 3rd wife.
Drusilla was caught up in the occult, & believed the magician.
They wanted to hear Paul speak about Jesus. They called for him.
Righteousness
Matthew 5:20 20For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 3:10, 20-23 “There is none righteous, no, not one;… 20Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 4:3-5 3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5But to him who does not work but believes on Him (God) who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Self Control
2 Timothy 3:1-4 1But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,…
Galatians 5:22 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Judgment To Come
John 5:24-29 24“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Revelation 20:11-15 11Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Felix’s Response
Fear
James 2:19 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!
Procrastination
James 4:13-17 13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.