For we have found this man a real pest and a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, and he even tried to desecrate the temple; and then we arrested him. Acts 24:5
Paul was accused by his people as being a plague on society, a ringleader of a sect, and a desecrator of the temple, as hired gun attorney Tertullus glibly described him before Felix the governor, but the Apostle succinctly and successfully defended himself by laying the issue at the feet of Jews from Asia, who were not present to accuse him. Felix used this loophole to conveniently and indefinitely postpone the proceedings against Paul, as if he presided over traffic court and the police officer did not show up. While the procurator would not go as far as to release him, he did allow him freedom to breathe while confined in Herod’s palace, and to accept visitors for nigh on two years.
But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you.” Acts 24:24–25
In the meantime, on occasion, Paul interacted with Felix and his Jewish third wife Drusilla, whom he “stole,” sharing with them the tenets of “sect” of which he was a member. While a life of prudence as a Christian was a scary prospect to the governor, he continued to summon Paul, thinking he might offer him a bribe for his release.
Some insight into the man holding the Apostle captive. Marcus Antonius Felix presided over the region for at least seven years in Caesarea and was well known for his slavish ruthlessness. He had terminated many for misdeeds, so it was very important for Paul to hide behind his Roman citizenship. His administration was described by Tacitus, a Roman historian, in this way, “He exercised royal power with the mind of a slave.” For he was indeed once a slave in Cilicia, Paul’s home province. Ultimately, he was summoned back to Rome for his heavy-handed treatment of the Jews following a skirmish with the Greeks. When he was replaced by Porcius Festus, in one last overture to the Jews, Felix did not release Paul. As such, the Apostle’s next target would be the new sheriff in town.
Some takeaways, as some like to call practical applications.
At the very least, Christians are viewed as pests in society (in the Greek loimos, meaning pestilence or plague). And down through time, we’ve been hard to eradicate, not so much because of our resistance to “pesticides,” but because of our hope in Christ and the multiplicative effect of sharing the gospel followed by discipleship. There’s always someone available to carry the flag.
In the final analysis, the claims of Christ are irrefutable and must be dealt with in each man’s head and heart, the latter being the real stickler. Even with Paul as one’s personal “pastor,” it was still hard for Felix to see the light, or perhaps in the governor’s case, it was way too bright! The sad thing is you may only get one chance at saying “yes” to God.
God is gracious. In a lavish setting overlooking the Mediterranean, Paul was allowed freedom of movement and visitors for two years. We can only speculate on how many came, as it would be no doubt intimidating to enter such a fortified structure with Felix in charge, who was known for his cruelty. We are safe to presume that here Luke did a fair amount of research for his gospel and its sequel, the book we now know as Acts. It turned out to be a somewhat unwelcome and tedious calm before the storm.
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