Bible Study series: Acts 24:24-27. Paul saw an open door and went through it. He talked about faith in Jesus, righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. What a full gospel presentation!
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Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 24:24-27
24 After some days, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife, a Jewess, and summoned Paul and listened to him about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 While he was discussing righteousness, self-control and judgment to come, Felix became afraid and answered, “Go away for now! When I have a spare moment, I shall summon you.” 26 At the same time, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul. Therefore he quite often summoned him and conversed with him.
27 When two years were completed, Felix received Porcius Festus as successor. Since he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul a prisoner. (Acts 24:24-27)
Comments:
24:
Drusilla and Felix were thoroughly corrupt. Drusilla married an older man (Felix) because she was unhappy with her first husband. But these things can be looked up online.
The point for this commentary about your walk with God is that he may surprise you so that you can witness about Jesus to the highest local authority. Paul went right back to the key of the whole gospel: faith in Christ Jesus, as distinct from obeying the law to attain enough righteousness to please God. Jesus pleases God for you, and all you (and Felix and Drusilla) have to do is live “in Christ.”
25:
And now Paul goes beyond the essential starting point—faith in Christ Jesus—to deeper doctrines, at least they were deeper for Felix and young Drusilla. Once you live in Christ, he gives you the grace to walk in righteousness, self-control, and be assured of judgment to come. However, Felix was not ready to face judgment, so he became afraid.
Like this:
Faith in Jesus → righteousness—self-control—judgment. For Paul, it all begins with faith in Jesus; then good results can flow from it.
26:
Here we have the perfect image of the conflict between God’s kingdom, which is advanced mainly by the preaching of the gospel and establishing a Christian community in a town, and a human kingdom governed by men like Felix in the foreground and Rome in the background. Felix was waiting for bribes from Paul and his friends. Recall that Philip and his four prophet daughters were there, and the believing community was growing. Felix must have received reports that Paul had his needs met from many believers coming and going, and he had brought an offering of aid to the church in Jerusalem. So the governor expected some monetary kickback.
Bruce: “In spite of stern and reiterated edicts against bribery, the wheels of Roman justice, especially in some of the provinces, ran more smoothly and rapidly if they were were judicially oiled; and a number of provincial governors were deplorably venal” (comment on v. 26).
27:
In the two years before Felix left, the Jews and Greek fought in Caesarea, and Felix punished the Jews, causing many deaths. Jews complained, and Rome did not like Felix’s handling of the case, so Rome recalled him and put him on trial. His very rich brother, however, intervened to prevent a guilty sentence.
Scholars speculate that Luke was putting together his notes for research on his (third) Gospel in Caesarea; he must have traveled into Jerusalem, and perhaps into Galilee, to interview people. I wonder if Mary, the mother of Jesus, was alive, and she told him about the virgin birth. Or maybe it was one of Jesus’s (half) brothers or sisters (“half” because his father was the Father through the Spirit). He probably got ahold of some of traditions (handed down stories about Jesus) that made up Matthew’s Gospel and the preaching that Peter told, which was retold by someone else, if Peter was not around in Judea at this time. These traditions formed the Gospel of Mark. Luke may have traveled up to Galilee to interview people.
The main point: Luke’s Gospel was rooted in the earliest recollections of the disciples. The Gospel of Luke—and by association Matthew and Mark—are historically reliable.
11. Eyewitness Testimony in Luke’s Gospel
As usual, I like how Bock summarized Paul’s defense. First he says that the new “sect,” the Way, when it is truly lived out, can only bring peace to society and is no threat to Rome. “In today’s world, where the moral compass has lost its magnetism, such a life stands in contrast to that of the many. This contrast, if lived out in an effective, engaging manner, can be attractive when people sense the chaos of the alternative lifestyle that a lack of morals produces” (comment on v. 27).
Then Bock writes:
Paul’s defense is that he is a citizen guilty of nothing but living out his faith and experiencing God’s promise. His offense is to challenge others to see the benefit of responding to God’s leading and direction as he has. Whether Paul’s offense for the gospel is a cause for offense or is met with a recognition of the need to acknowledge God depends on the heart of the listener. Paul has met his responsibility by sharing. He is not responsible for the result or the response. The same is true today for those who spread God’s message, reflecting Paul’s example. (comment on v. 27)
In other words, fulfill God’s mission and duty put on you. Speak the word and leave the results up to God.
GrowApp for Acts 24:24-27
1. To a pagan governor, Paul preached faith in Jesus, and then righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. Do you think he was wise to cover those themes?
2. What are you doing to live in those four biblical truths?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
For the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 