Acts 23:33-24:27 - Contrasting Examples

Introduction

When you have gospel conversations with your friends or family members, what response are you hoping for? How many conversations do you expect you should have with someone before they either repent and believe… or reject the gospel… and then you never bring it up again?

We are picking up today right where we left off last Sunday, with the Apostle Paul riding horseback with a bunch of Roman soldiers away from Jerusalem and toward Caesarea (a major port city of the Mediterranean Sea on the cost of Judea). The soldiers were for Paul’s protection – there were 40 assassins dedicated to Paul’s death in Jerusalem – and the soldiers were also keeping Paul prisoner – Paul was under Roman arrest.

The short story is that Paul had been preaching the gospel of Christ far and wide in ancient Roman territories, and many Gentiles (non-Jews) had become Christians, repenting and believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But many of the Jewish leaders saw Christianity (at least Paul’s brand of Christianity) as more of a heretical sect of first-century Judaism. “Those Gentiles can have a second-class citizenship in the covenant God has made with His people, but only if they abide by the Mosaic laws and Jewish customs.”

Well, Paul taught that this sort of thinking would only keep sinners (both Jews and Gentiles) in bondage, and the Lord Jesus Christ had come to set sinners free by establishing a new covenant through which guilty sinners could become pure, holy, and righteous before God simply by trusting in or believing in or having faith in the finished work of Christ. Thus, sinners of all sorts, Jew and Gentile alike, could have their sins forgiven and could grab hold of that glorious hope of final resurrection unto life everlasting, and all this by grace alone through faith alone in the person and work of Christ alone.

The lines were drawn, Jewish leaders on one side and Paul on the other, and both parties were headed to make their case in the courtroom of a governor named Felix. That’s where we’re going to jump into the story.

One more quick note before we read our passage…

If your Bible is the King James translation or an NASB, then you are going to have quite a few extra words on the page than what I will read out loud today. The ESV is what I’m reading from, and there is a significant textual variation in Acts 24:6-8. I’ve talked a lot about textual variants in the Bible, and I’ll just say here that these should not cause us to doubt the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. Rather, as I see it, the fact that we can know where the variants are, that we can know what the different manuscripts say, and that we know none of the variants have any impact on the core teachings of Scripture.

Well, all of this makes me trust the Bible even more as I study the subject of textual criticism. If it bothers you, or if you have more questions about this, then come ask me after the service. I can recommend some articles, YouTube videos, and books, if you’re interested.[i]

Scripture Reading

Acts 23:33–24:27 (ESV)

33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.

5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense. 11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me.

14 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, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. 16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings. 18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult. But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me. 20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 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.’”

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

24 After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.” 26 At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.

27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Main Idea:

Worldly interests can distract us from that which matters most, while tending to eternal truths can produce contentment and boldness in any situation.

Sermon

1. Waiting for the Accusers (23:33-36)

Our passage today is, in many ways, similar to the one we considered a few Sundays ago (Acts 22). In both passages, there is a Roman official trying to decide Paul’s guilt or innocence. In both, there are several Jewish leaders trying to shut Paul’s mouth forever. And, in each, there is a lengthy testimony, in which Paul offers a “defense” for what he’s preaching and for who Christ is.

One major difference between Acts 22 and Acts 24, though, is the perspective from which Luke records the events. In Acts 22, Luke largely focuses on Paul – Paul’s defense, his backstory, his calling as an Apostle, and his message about a resurrected Messiah who welcomes Gentiles into God’s family. In Acts 24, Luke largely focuses on Felix, the “governor” of Judea who lives in “Caesarea” (v33). In fact, Luke describes Felix as waiting three times, keeping Paul in custody three times, and delaying his decision about Paul and his message three times.

Luke records exactly three statements from Felix, and all three of them are delays: “I will give you a hearing when [or “after”] your accusers arrive” (Acts 23:35); “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case” (Acts 24:22); “When I get an opportunity [or “When I find it convenient” or “when I find time”] I will summon you” (Acts 24:25). It’s also interesting that after each of these delays, Paul is “to be guarded” (v35) or “kept in custody” (v23) or “left… in prison” (v27).

Friends, this is what you call a rhetorical pattern or a literary device. Luke isn’t making the story up as he goes, but he’s also not recording everything. More to the point here, Luke is arranging his text in such a way that the reader will pick up more than just the bare facts of the case.

Acts 24 is not about evaluating Paul’s guilt or innocence. If you’ve been following the story up to this point, then you already know Paul is innocent of these charges! And you already know that the Jewish leaders are out to get Paul at any cost, up to and including murder!

No, Acts 24 is about a Roman governor, who had the preeminent evangelist of early Christianity come right up to his doorstep to talk with him about the Messiah, which he knew all-too-well the Jews are expecting. The “praetorium” or governor’s fortress where Felix commanded Paul to be “guarded” (v35) was built by the same “Herod” who (50 years or so earlier) “killed” all the little boys 2-years-old and younger “in Bethlehem and in all that region” (Matt. 2:16), because he heard that a baby had been born who was called “king of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2).

And Felix is the governor of Judea! No more than 20 years had passed since Pontius Pilate had vacated that same governor’s seat, and Felix was brought in to deal with the political instability of that region, which was still a live wire because of Jewish zealots who would not abide Roman rule. What little history does record about Felix is that he was born a slave, that he was freed by a Roman emperor, and that he was a brutal and corrupt governor who only seemed to make problems worse in Judea during his short political career there.

This opening scene of our passage, then, introduces us to the main character of this episode of Luke’s storyline – Paul making his way to Rome. It was “to his Excellency the governor Felix” that the tribune had sent Paul (Acts 23:26); and it was “to Felix” that “seventy horsemen” had brought Paul “safely” on a hard ride away from danger (Acts 23:24). And now, Felix meets Paul… and the first thing Felix wants to know is “what province” is Paul from (v34)?

Felix was a savvy politician. He knew that important people live in “Cilicia” (v34). Paul himself had said that Cilicia was “no obscure city” (Acts 21:39). So, Felix decided that he would “give [Paul] a hearing” … but only “when [his] accusers arrive” (v34). For now, Paul would have to wait, “guarded in Herod’s praetorium” (v35), and so Felix would wait as well.

Up to this point in the episode, Felix may or may not have known what Paul’s message was. Felix may have thought that Paul was a troublemaker, or he may have thought that Paul was the target of other troublemakers in Jerusalem. Either way, all became clear when Paul and his accusers each presented their cases to Governor Felix in his courtroom… “five days” later (v1).

2. Waiting for the Tribune (v1-23)

Part A. The Prosecution (v1-9)

This next section of our text begins in 24:1, and it ends with yet another statement of delay from Felix, in v22-23. For the second time in our passage, Felix is waiting for something or someone in order to make a decision about Paul. But the section is divided into two segments: (A) a prosecution and (B) a defense.

The whole thing puts off a strong courtroom vibe. There is a formal accuser, a defendant, and a judge presiding over all of it. Each party gets their turn to make a case, and both are appealing to Governor Felix as the authority. But each party has its own strategy and style.

Let’s look first at the prosecution, in v1-9. The accusers consist of “Ananias” (the “high priest”), “some elders,” and a “spokesman” or “orator” or “lawyer,” a man named “Tertullus” (v1). These are the leaders of Judaism from its capital – Jerusalem. And Luke’s word for “Tertullus” is the word from which we derive our word rhetoric or rhetorician. He was a professional wordsmith.

v2-4 show us just how much of a pro this guy was, and they also reveal that Tertullus was just as corrupt as the Jewish leaders who hired him for the job. In these three verses, Tertullus tells three flowery lies that are intended to help Felix side with the accusers.

He said that Judea “enjoyed much peace” because of the “foresight” of Felix’s leadership (v2). Tertullus mentioned “reforms” that Felix had made, which created the circumstances of peace (v2). And Tertullus said that the Jews “accept” these reforms “with all gratitude,” in “every way,” and “everywhere” (v3).

The only truth in all of this is that Felix had instituted some reforms or policy changes in Judea. But there was ongoing civil instability, Felix’s “reforms” were blamed for making things worse, and many Jews hotly contested Felix and his political leadership. But Tertullus doesn’t let the truth get in the way of his strategy; and he seemed to feel free to bend the truth in order to get what he wants.

Before we continue into v5-9, on a brief side note, it strikes me that this sort of rhetoric is what we’ve come to expect in almost every arena of our lives today. Politicians “spin” the story, news media promotes the stuff they like and “fact-checks” the stuff they don’t, social media platforms artificially inflate some and secretly hide others. I remember when jokes about aggressive and deceptive lawyers were a thing, but today it seems that almost everyone is leaving behind any expectation for genuine truth and honesty.

Friends, this is not the Christian way! This kind of dripping flattery with the intent to cover up what the real facts are is disgusting and wicked. There’s a reason why people used to call guys like Tertullus “silvery-tongued devils.” Deception for the purpose of gain is a devilish tactic.

As you might expect, Tertullus didn’t stop lying and flattering in v5-8. In fact, his summary judgment about Paul is that “this man [is] a plague” or a “pestilence” (v5). The NIV translates the word “troublemaker,” but that just doesn’t convey it accurately. One dictionary said that Paul was being accused of being “a pernicious person who infects everything.”[ii]

And, what specifically, was Paul accused of doing? Well, it seems that the travel time was well spent by Tertullus. He was well-versed in the charges the Jewish leaders had leveled at Paul several days before. Paul “stirs up riots among all the Jews” wherever he goes (v5), he’s a “ringleader of the sect [or heretical group] of the Nazarenes” (v5), and he “even tried to profane the temple” (v6). So, Paul was accused of being a rioter, a heretic, and a blasphemer. And the Jewish leaders “joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so” (v9).

Brothers and sisters, I just want to point out here how horribly Paul is being misunderstood and misrepresented. And I also want to point out that this is what Christians should expect in this world. The world does not owe us an honest hearing or balanced scales of justice! This is how the religious leaders treated Jesus during His mock-trial before Pilate (Lk. 23:1-5), and this is how Jesus said that His disciples would be treated after He ascended. Jesus said, “in the world you will have tribulation [or “affliction” or “distress”]. But take heart [or “courage”]; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33; cf. Acts 23:11).

Part B. The Defense (v10-23)

After the accusers “laid before the governor their case against Paul” (v1), Felix gave Paul his opportunity to reply. And in v10-21, Paul “makes [his] defense” (v10). In short, Paul answered their charges point for point, and he emphasized (yet again!) the centrality of the concept of “resurrection” to his message (v15, 21)… both Jesus’s resurrection and the final one for all people.

Paul argues in v11-13 that it was less than two weeks ago when he arrived in Jerusalem to “worship” (v11), and when he arrived, he didn’t come “disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd” anywhere (v12). Not only that, but the accusers standing in front of Paul that day had never observed any of the “riots” that had been instigated by the Jews from other towns outside of Jerusalem. Therefore, they had no evidence (even the made-up kind) to “prove” that Paul was a rioter (v13).

Then, in v14-16, Paul fascinatingly argues that he is not a heretic by claiming that “the Way” [or Christianity] is not “a sect” at all (v14). Rather it is the true “worship” of or “service” to “the God of our fathers [i.e., the God of the Old Testament]” (v14). Paul not only does not“unhitch”[iii]himself from the “Law” and the “Prophets” of the Old Testament, but he says that good Christians believe “everything laid down” in the Old Testament (v14)!

The thrust of Paul’s defense is also found in this answer to the second accusation. Paul is not a heretic, and his “hope in God” is based on Old Testament Scripture and a New Covenant reality – “that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust” (v15). We talked a lot about resurrection a couple of weeks ago, and if you want my sermon notes from that Sunday, just ask me.[iv]

It's important to note that Paul is not here (in v15) referring to the “hope” of “resurrection” in the sense of that specific Christian hope for glorification. No, here Paul is saying that he believes the day is coming when all people will be resurrected to stand at the bar of God’s justice. And that’s why he “always takes pains to have a clear conscience” (v16), to do and say what’s right! He lives in light of the final day, when both “the just and the unjust” (v15) will stand before God and give an account of themselves – every thought, word, and deed.

So, Paul is not a rioter (v11-13), and he’s not a heretic (v14-16). In v17-21, Paul argues that he’s not a profaner or defiler or blasphemer either (v6). As a matter of fact, when the Jewish leaders “found” Paul “in the temple” (v18), Paul was “purified” according to the Jewish custom (v18).

You might recall that it was the elders or pastors of the Christian church in Jerusalem who recommended that Paul undergo a Jewish rite of “purification” (Acts 21:24), so that he might avoid unnecessarily offending the scruples of some of the Jewish Christians. Paul had performed the rite, and he was acting as a model Jew in the temple when “some Jews from Asia” (having nothing to do with Paul) came and accused him of all the stuff Tertullus and the Jewish leaders were bringing into court now (v18).

Paul’s defense, then, was twofold: (1) that the accusations were not true, and (2) that the accusers in the courtroom weren’t even the ones who started this whole thing in the first place. But Paul also admitted that he did say one thing that stirred up the Jewish leaders… Paul affirmed “the resurrection of the dead” (v21).

Now this affirmation is distinct from the “resurrection” Paul mentioned in v15. Here, Paul is claiming not only that all the “dead” shall be raised on the last day, but that at least one of the “dead” had been raised already! This thread goes all the way back to Paul’s public address in Jerusalem, where he claimed that “Jesus of Nazareth” (the same Jesus who was crucified, dead, and buried outside of Jerusalem) confronted Paul on his way to Damascus (Acts 22:6-8). Furthermore, Jesus’s resurrection was proof-positive that He was and is “the Lord” (Acts 22:10).

But this claim is bigger than Paul and the Jewish leaders in the courtroom that day! If Paul’s theology and history are wrong, and Jesus has in fact not been raised from the dead, then Felix is the highest authority, and Paul had better start using the same tactic of flattery as Tertullus! But if Paul’s theology and history are right, and Jesus of Nazareth has been raised from the dead, then Felix and everyone else in that courtroom had better repent and believe… so that they may “take refuge” in God’s Son and not suffer His “anger” and “wrath” (Ps. 2:12).

Friends, this is what you’re hearing when a Christian tells you about gospel. Whether you like or dislike the person standing in front of you… whether you love him/her or reject him/her… the gospel offer is an invitation to peace and forgiveness, but only through the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Christians are not merely saying that God is gracious, or loving, or merciful… in some generic sense. No, Christians are saying that God graciously saves those He loves through the person and work of Christ! Christians are saying that God, who is “rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-7)!

We can believe or trust that Jesus has justified our guilt-ridden souls, and we can turn from our sin and follow Him… Or we can ignore or neglect this message about Jesus and remain in our sin. Felix chose to wait a little longer. Luke says, in v22, that Felix already had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way,” and he was not interested in making a decision that day about the validity of Paul’s claim. So, Felix delayed a second time, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case” (v22). And yet again, Felix “gave orders” for Paul to “be kept in custody” (v23).

3. Waiting for a Better Opportunity (v24-27)

Two times, so far, Felix has put off making any judgment about Paul and his message, and it’s interesting that Luke doesn’t say anything else at all about the Jewish leaders or their lawyer. Instead, in this last portion of the text, Luke records one last statement from Felix… and he seems to tell us that time simply ran out.

In v24, Luke says that only “some days” had passed before Felix “sent for Paul” so that Paul might “speak about faith in Christ” to both Felix and his wife “Drusilla” (v24). Luke says that “Drusilla” was “Jewish,” and indeed she was (v24). She had been the queen of a lesser kingdom, married off for the purpose of making alliances, but Felix sent a false Jewish prophet named Simon to convince her to leave her husband for Felix. The only reason I mention this is so that we will not think that of Drusilla or Felix as particularly attentive to Paul’s message.

On the contrary, they both seemed to think of Paul more like someone to extort and someone who might entertain them. Indeed, Luke says, in v25, that when Paul “reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, ‘Go away…’.”

It seems that, at some point, Paul struck a nerve with his message about the coming day of judgment. Maybe Paul said to Felix and Drusilla the same thing he had said to the Greek crowd in Athens: God “has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man who he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). But, rather than repent and believe in Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38-41), Felix wanted Paul to “go away” (v24).

Luke says Felix was “alarmed” (ESV) or “afraid” (NIV) or “frightened” (NASB), and this must refer to some sense of conviction. But conviction of sin is not the same thing as repentance! Lots of sinners feel guilty over their sin, but a sense of guilt or conviction or grief or sorrow or even shame is not the same as repentance. Felix was “alarmed” when Paul “reasoned” with him about “the coming judgment,” but Felix’s solution was not to repent… rather it was to send the evangelist away.

Friends, I wonder what you do with your guilt. How do you deal with guilt when it alarms you? Don’t you ever feel a sense of fear about what God must think about your sin… your constant rebellion… your repeated efforts to do exactly what you know God has said you ought not do?

What do you do when you are alarmed or afraid? Do you, like Felix, try to push away whatever seems to be the cause of your alarm?

Do you try to convince yourself that your guilt is just the lingering effects of traditional institutions that need to die (family, church, civic virtue)? If you’re below the age of 30, that’s exactly what most of your peers think.

Do you try to distract yourself with TV or movies or social media or games or hobbies? The toys and the tech may change, but sinners have been trying to distract themselves from guilt for centuries.

When you are overcome with guilt, do you get mad at the person talking about it? “You’re just being judgmental!” Or maybe you start comparing your strengths with his or her weaknesses… “Well, at least I’m not as bad as you!”

Notice the way Luke concludes this episode with Felix. The last thing Felix said was “When I get an opportunity I will summon you” (v25). And Luke says that Felix summoned Paul “often” in hopes that he might get “money” from him (v26). Apparently, Felix kept putting Paul’s message off, again and again, for “two years” (v27), until “Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus” (v27). And for the third and final time in our passage, Felix delayed and left “Paul in prison” (v27).

Friends, Luke concludes by describing Felix as having had numerous opportunities over the course of two years to hear the message of the gospel, and yet he remained completely focused on “opportunities” for worldlygain – for “money” (v26) and for political “favor” (v27) – and completely uninterested in that message about “faith in Christ” and “righteousness” and “the coming judgment” (v24-25). What a tragedy we have here in Felix… and what a glorious example we have here (yet again!) in Paul.

Conclusion

In Felix, we have a man who had some knowledge of the gospel (“the Way” v22), who had ample opportunity to hear the Apostle Paul explain it (for two years!), and who even felt (at least once) the pinch of his own conscience regarding the coming day of judgment. And yet, with all of this, Felix seems to have kept his mind on the superficial matters of his day. Of course, legal proceedings, financial gain, and political favor were not superficial matters from his perspective! But these all pale in comparison to the matter of his soul.

Jesus told a parable about a man who made all sorts of arrangements for his worldly wealth and pleasure, but took no care for his soul. And just when the man was ready to enjoy all his worldly gain, God comes to him and says, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you…” (Lk. 12:20).

Friends, are you focusing too much on the trivial, and are you neglecting the weightier matters of “righteousness” and “self-control” and the “coming judgment” and “faith in Christ Jesus”? If you feel a sense of your guilt today, then don’t run away from it… Instead, run to Jesus with it. If you want help understanding what that means or how to do it, then let’s talk as soon as the service is over.

Felix is a tragedy, as I said, but Paul is a glorious example. In Paul, we have a man who was wrongfully accused, slandered by the religious leaders, and detained in Roman custody for years… all for simply preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, not only is there no hint of him despairing… he is presented as the model Christian witness! He boldly confesses, worships, serves, and talks about the one true God and His Christ… in the courtroom and in the governor’s mansion… and presumably in his prison cell as well.

No doubt, Paul would have preferred to be free. But he knew his mission was to be a witness for Christ in the world, and his circumstances didn’t change that mission in the least! As Paul wrote to the church of Philippi, from a prison cell (maybe the very one we are talking about this morning!), “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:11-13). Yeah, that’s right… that verse isn’t about running fast, lifting heavy, or winning a game… it’s about contentment in Christ in the midst of all circumstances… which is a way more impressive superpower than any of that other stuff.

May God help us to learn from Felix’s tragic mistake, and may God help us follow Paul’s good example. Let’s give our attention to the gospel and the weightier matters of the soul… let’s repent from sin and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation… and let’s live as faithful witnesses of Christ in whatever circumstances we might find ourselves.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aland, Kurt, Barbara Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th Edition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.

Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible. Biblical Studies Press, 2005.

Calvin, John. Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles. Edited by Henry Beveridge. Translated by Christopher Fetherstone. Vol. 2. 2 vols. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

Peterson, David. The Acts of the Apostles. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos, 2009.

Polhill, John B. Acts. Vol. 26. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version. 2015 Edition. Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009.

The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.

Endnotes

[i] Here is a 13-part series of articles by Colin Smith, intended as an introduction to textual criticism. I recommend the beginner particularly read “Part 1 – Introduction” and “Part 2 – The Writing and Transmission of Ancient Documents” (https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/textual-issues/an-introduction-to-textual-criticism/). Here are two helpful lectures from Dan Wallace, a preeminent scholar on textual criticism. First, a 33-minute introduction to textual criticism (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arDUbZnpICA); and second, a 55-minute answer to the question “Is what we have now what they had then?” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVW6kduRXA4&t=4s). Here is my own introduction to textual criticism, looking especially at the textual variant in John chapter 5, verses 3-4 (https://marcminter.com/2017/06/01/a-simple-introduction-to-textual-criticism-john-53-4/). [ii] Horst Robert Balz and Gerhard Schneider, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–), 360. [iii] This is a reference to a common practice among many progressive and liberal evangelicals. They often downplay the relevance and authority of the Old Testament Scriptures in attempt to alleviate from themselves some of what they perceive are the most embarrassing aspects of Christian doctrine and history. Andy Stanley, a prominent evangelical pastor, actually came out and made the assertion in one of his sermons (see https://www.christianpost.com/news/christians-must-unhitch-old-testament-from-their-faith-says-andy-stanley.html). I recommend the interested reader check out this article from Albert Mohler, written as a critique and answer to Stanley’s assertion (https://albertmohler.com/2018/08/10/getting-unhitched-old-testament-andy-stanley-aims-heresy). [iv] You can view a manuscript of my sermon “The Resurrection and the Life to Come” (the last in a series through the Apostles’ Creed) by clicking the link here: https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/1038869-the-resurrection-and-the-life-to-come.