Paul’s Testimony before Felix

“ ‘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 conscience toward both God and man…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.’” –Acts 24: 14-16; 20 (ESV.  Read Acts 24: 1-27).  

Paul is on trial before Felix, the Roman governor, in the Mediterranean seacoast city of Caesarea.  Get the picture of this courtroom scene:  Felix, of course, sat as ruler and judge to hear the charges. The high priest of the Jews, Ananias, had come from Jerusalem, with “some elders” (we don’t know the number) and a spokesman, Tertullus, whom scholars tell us may have been a Gentile by birth and a professional lawyer.  They were pitted against Paul, who was giving his own defense without benefit of a lawyer to represent him. Tertullus began by complimenting Felix. His comments have a ring of falseness, for the record bears out that under Felix there was little peace.  He sought bribes for his own good and was one of the Roman rulers who finally was recalled because of his inability to keep the peace and deal fairly with the people.  Tertullus stated the case against Paul:  (1) stirring up riots, (2) being a Christian (sect) ringleader, and (3) profaning the temple.  Paul accepted gladly the second charge, but the first and third he firmly denied.  Paul respectfully acknowledged Governor Felix, but his statement to him did not have the ring of insincerity and falsehood as did that of Tertullus.  Paul approached his defense logically:  How could he stir up riots, having been in Jerusalem only twelve days?  He was not “found” doing any of the usual things to stir up a riot—like disputing, or gathering a crowd.  But he definitely confessed to the second charge, being a strong adherent to the Way (which they call a sect) and also of holding to the scriptures of the Law and Prophets, and in particular, believing in the resurrection from the dead.  He mentioned the offering he had collected and presented to the suffering Jews in Jerusalem.  He also testified that when he went into the Temple he had gone through required purification rites.  And then “Asian Jews” had incited mob action against Paul, and they were not even present before Felix to name their charges against him.  Paul concluded that the major focus of the charges was that he had cried out in the crowd in Jerusalem that he was on trial because he believed in the resurrection from the dead. 

Felix, good at delaying decisions, put off making a judgment.  He himself had “some knowledge of the Way,” and said he would take the matter up again when Claudius Lysias came.  In the meantime, Paul was imprisoned but given privileges.  He remained in prison at Caesarea for two years at the end of which time Felix was replaced by the next governor, Porcius Festus, in 60 A. D.  Felix—and his Jewish wife, Drusilla—sent for Paul and heard him speak on the Way.  This section seems to indicate that Felix “almost” became a believer:  “Go away for the present.  When I get an opportunity I will summon you” (Acts 24: 25).  Paul was faithful in his testimony before rulers and anyone he met.  This response of Governor Felix to Paul’s testimony, and also his appearance and testimony before King Agrippa (recorded in Acts 26) were the scriptural references for song writer Philip Bliss writing the hymn “Almost Persuaded” in 1871.  Bliss heard a Rev. Mr. Brundage say:  “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.”   “Almost persuaded now to believe, Almost persuaded, Christ to receive; Seems now some soul to say, ‘Go, Spirit, go thy way, Some more convenient day On thee I’ll call.”   “”Behold, now is the day of salvation!”(2 Cor. 6:2).