Year 1, Day 257: Acts 24

Paul’s Defense Before Felix

Acts 24 has Paul giving his defense to Felix.  Again we see striking similarities to the arrest and trial of Jesus: trumped up charges, mob mentality, and the agenda of the few driving the overall results.  It is the way of the world.

Let’s look at Paul’s defense.  He speaks the truth about what actually happened.  He does follow the Law and respect the Prophets.  He does worship God.  He had himself purified before entering the temple.  Sure, he might have brought Trophimus (a Gentile) into the city of Jerusalem with him, but Paul knew better than to bring him into the Temple any further than the Gentiles were allowed to go in the first place!  Yes, Paul is teaching about Jesus – but even the Pharisees of last chapter found little fault in that teaching so long as he was keeping the Law.  Again Paul is to be commended for declaring the truth.

Take this point to heart.  We should always speak the truth.  Even if the truth does not get us out of a given situation, we should speak the truth.  Paul speaks the truth here and ends up in house arrest for two more years.  But his conscience is clear.  When he stands before God, he will have a clear conscience about it.

Felix

Of course, then we discover that Felix had knowledge about the Way.  “The Way” is the Biblical term it uses when it wants to speak about Christianity.  It refers to “the way of Jesus.”  Notice that the Bible is careful to not call Felix a follower of the Way; rather it simply says that he has knowledge of the Way.  So Felix is not likely a Christian himself, but he has had enough contact with Christians to know that Paul is likely the one telling the truth.

Here’s a huge point.  Paul had never met Felix up to this point.  But Paul reaps the benefit of those Christians in Felix’s life who had influenced Felix.  The people that Felix knew who were Christian gave Felix the general impression that Christians were trustworthy, honest, and worth keeping around!  So many times we forget that what we do not only affects how people see ourselves but also how people will see every other Christian that enters their life!  We represent Christ always!  We represent our Christian brothers and sisters always!

You see, you don’t win people to Christ by beating them down and kicking them.  You don’t win them to Christ by scaring them about Hell, either.  Think about it.  How many times did Jesus feel it necessary to scare the crowds by telling them “You better believe in me or you’re going to Hell!”  Try and find it in the Bible.  There are a few places, but it certainly is in the minority.

Christ won people to Himself by being genuine, compassionate, forthright, and honest.  The disciples followed the same pattern.  Paul himself is following the same pattern.  People are won to Christ by the slow, steady, and subtle influence of Christians around them.  People are won to Christ when they get a change to observe for themselves the difference that Christ makes in another person’s character.  That’s how people are won to Christ; and that is precisely what we see happening here with Felix.  Felix knew about the Way and knew enough to know that the followers of the Way were typically not troublemakers.  They were people to be respected and with whom it was good to converse.

Now, we also know that Felix doesn’t have a pure heart, either.  He keeps Paul in custody hoping that someone will try to offer him a bribe for Paul’s release.  Of course, that never happens.  But we do know this.  The Bible tells us that Felix sent for Paul often and conversed with him.  Paul represented Christ to Felix and gave him every opportunity to find Christ for himself.  That’s what Christianity is about.  Paul may have been kept in custody for worldly reasons, but he made the most of the opportunity.

Judgment

Also notice that Paul was not afraid to speak about the coming judgment.  When I said earlier that you don’t win people to Christ by scaring them about Hell, I don’t mean that we should ignore Hell, either.  We need to be honest with people about their humanity.  We need to talk to people about their selfishness and self-centeredness.  We need to talk to them about how God’s ways are different than human self-mongering.  We need to talk to them about how God will judge all of us and we will all be found lacking.  And we need to talk about the fact that since all are found lacking, only a true reliance upon Christ’s work of salvation on the cross can spare us from the wrath of God.  People need to know the facts; but people do not need to be scared into faith. 

People need to be discipled rather than scared.

That’s the testimony I see in Christ.  It’s the one I see in Paul.  It’s the one I see all throughout the Bible – Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament alike.

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