Paul's Passion, Part 3: Felix

Call to Worship

Revelation 21:10–11 “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like precious stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.”

Revelation 21:23–27 “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. And its gates will never be closed by day, for there will be no night there; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Elder: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you!

SingYourPart/Print Out: Blessed City, Heavenly Salem

Collect Prayer

Father in heaven,

Almighty Maker of heaven and earth, who in Your providence has given Your people peace,

grant that we would be faithful to You and to Your Anointed;

strengthen us to stand firm when the dragon rages and presses us to compromise,

so that the world may know we are Your disciples.

We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cleansing from Sin

Catechism

#167: Call Jehovah Your Salvation

Confession of Sin & Absolution

#735: Gloria Patri

Consecration

Sursum Corda

Psalm 46 Chant

Law Homily

Q. 133. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment, the more to enforce it? A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment in these words, “that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you,” is an express promise of long life and prosperity, as far as it shall serve for God’s glory and their own good, to all such as keep this commandment.

Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; 1 Kings 8:25; Eph. 6:2-3.

Cornelius Van Til says:

“As to the content of the promise we may remark that it cannot mean that every individual who honors his parents will live long. Nor did it mean this even during the Old Testament time. The facts would then have proved the promise untrue many times. It means that the nation whose citizens have respect for parents and old age in general may expect to endure.” (The Ten Commandments, p. 116)

Kids, which is the fifth commandment? The fifth commandment is, “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.”

The Bible tells us in this commandment that there is a blessing for obedience to your parents. Solomon tells us:

Proverbs 1:8–9 “Hear, my son, your father’s discipline And do not abandon your mother’s instruction; For they are a garland of grace for your head And ornaments about your neck.”

If you pay attention to what your parents tell you, you will be blessed. But if you disobey your parents—if you don’t listen to them—then you can expect hardship and punishment.

And this is certainly true in the home, but it is also true in society. Paul says in Romans 13 that all powers are ordained by God, and therefore when we unlawfully resist them, we are resisting God.

But not all in society recognize this. They rebel against God and His Anointed One. They don’t recognize where true authority comes from, which is the risen Christ. Again, Van Til:

“Only those in Christ fully recognize God’s authority. Hence in the body of believers the true society appears once more even if it be in principle only. Christ is already king of the nations whether they are willing to recognize or not. It is, therefore, the business of the church to maintain strictly the authority of Christ within its borders and to preach the true conception of authority for society in general.” (The Ten Commandments, p. 126–127)

It is our job to demonstrate what a free society, living before the face of God and under Christ’s rule, ought to look like. And then we should go out from here and seek to influence our societies in that direction.

Van Til again:

“It is the cultivation of a genuinely theistic attitude in society that is the business, not only officially of the church, but also of Christian people as an organism. Really, Christian elements among all the strata of society should seek more intimate contact and as far as possible effect an organization.” (The Ten Commandments, p. 128)

So, to summarize Van Til’s argument: Christians are the only ones who have a rational basis for any authority. We ought to be demonstrating what this means practically inside the church, and then going outside of the church and influencing society to the best of our ability toward submission to Christ.

And this is how the promise of the fifth commandment may be brought to a nation. As the nation submits to Christ, then this nation will recognize and honor the hierarchies that God has created, and this will lead to blessing and endurance of that people and place.

This is also true in our homes: the families that honor God’s authority in how they operate will endure.

So the exhortation is this:

Kids, honor your parents. Listen to them. Obey them. Remember what they tell you. This will be a great blessing for you in your life. It might feel like they are restricting you at times, or giving you too much responsibility, or whatever it is, but this will be for your good. God will bless you if you pay attention to your parents.

Brothers and sisters, be those who submit to God in Christ. Let this spirit govern your household, and fearlessly seek to influence any person or institution that has yet to bow the knee to Jesus Christ.

And in this way, we will bring the blessings of long life and prosperity to a land that is taught to keep this commandment.

Let’s pray.

Statement of Faith

#712: The Apostle’s Creed

Old Testament Reading

Genesis 28:10–19

New Testament Reading

Romans 8:12–25

Sermon: Paul’s Passion, Part 3

Felix

Review place in Acts

Summarize bullet points: The Dragon’s Continued Attack, Paul’s (The Knight’s) Defense, Christ’s Providential Delay: The Roman Politician

Divine Politics & Don’t Be A Spineless Beast

The Dragon's Continued Attack

Acts 24:1–9 “Now after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders, with an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought charges to the governor against Paul. And after Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “As we have attained much peace through you—and because by your provision reforms are being carried out for this nation— we welcome this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness. “But, that I may not weary you any further, I plead with you by your forbearance to hear us briefly. “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. We wanted to judge him according to our own Law. “But Lysias the commander came along, and with much violence took him out of our hands, ordering his accusers to come before you.] By examining him yourself concerning all these matters you will be able to ascertain the things of which we accuse him.” And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were so.”

Flattery

Like every good diplomatic attempt at building a case, Tertullus begins with flattery. Schreiner notes how sharply this rhetoric clashes with a faithful Jewish reading of their actual political situation under Rome. They praise Felix for the “peace” they have attained through him and for his “provision,” a term normally reserved for divine providence. Rather than standing like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed‑nego against the pagan system, these Jews play right into it, using devout vocabulary for the Roman ruler—language typically reserved for God, the true giver of peace and providence.

Rabblerousing

They then accuse Paul of being a “pest,” someone who “stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world,” and a “ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Here they paint him as a public menace, not merely a mistaken teacher. The charge is framed to suggest that Paul undermines the pax Romana throughout the “known world” (oikoumenē); being a “ringleader” of a sect magnifies the perceived threat, implying organized unrest rather than isolated misbehavior.

Desecrating the Temple

They add a religious charge: Paul “tried to desecrate the temple.” This accusation echoes those brought against Jesus and Stephen, where claims of temple offense and lawbreaking were used to justify execution. But, I believe they are trying to prove that this is an internal matter. If Paul desecrated the temple, a sensitive issue for the Jews of that time, then this would be the most effective way to stir unrest in the region, and therefore, it would make sense for the Jews to deal with it.

And Tertullus makes that point directly when he says “we wanted to judge him according to our own Law,” but that Lysias, the Roman, intervened and took Paul out of our hands. Which was obviously a very bad thing to do.

If these accusations are accepted, Tertullus’s case implies that Paul deserves execution for desecrating the temple, and that given his supposed disturbance of the pax Romana, which is Felix’s primary responsibility to maintain, the Jews would actually be doing Felix a favor by executing Paul.

So the grand shape of the prosecution is:

They flatter Felix with quasi‑divine language that faithful Jews should reserve for God.

They portray Paul as a threat to the pax Romana.

They accuse him of the capital offense of desecrating the temple.

They present the “convenient” verdict that it would be most expedient for Felix simply to let them judge and execute Paul under their own law.

The Knight's Defense

Acts 24:10–21 “And when the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul answered: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, since you are able to ascertain the fact that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. “And neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor across the city did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot. “Nor are they able to prove to you of what they are now accusing me. “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, for which these men are waiting, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a conscience without fault both before God and before men. “Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings; in which they found me, having been purified in the temple, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia— who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation, if they should have anything against me. “Or else let these men themselves tell what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the Sanhedrin, other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.’””

Truth

In contrast to Tertullus’s flattery, Paul begins his defense by appealing to truth.

He acknowledges that Felix has “for many years” been a judge to this nation, but he does not ascribe divine peace or providence to him; instead, he “cheerfully” makes his defense because Felix is able to “ascertain the fact” about his recent visit.

Felix’s familiarity with Jewish customs and festivals means the timeline (“no more than twelve days ago”) and the temple records could be checked; Paul is inviting an investigation, not flattering for a political verdict.

This is due process. Paul is concerned about the truth.

Worship, Not Rabblerousing

Paul affirms that he was not causing a riot at all; he went up to Jerusalem “to worship.” In the temple, in the synagogues, and across the city, he was neither disputing nor inciting a crowd.

Then, in contrast with the fact that Paul can prove the things he is saying, he says “Nor are they able to prove to you of what they are now accusing me.”

At the same time, he openly confesses that he belongs to what they call a “sect,” “the Way,” yet he serves “the God of our fathers,” believing everything in accordance with the Law and the Prophets, with a hope in God and a clear conscience before both God and men. This means that his profession—his stated beliefs—does not lead him to desecrate the temple or cause riots; on the contrary, his membership in “the Way” is an expression of fidelity to Law and Prophets, not evidence of guilt.

So the Jews cannot rightly use his Christianity to prove that this automatically leads to a temple-desecrating disposition.

Resurrection and New Covenant Faithfulness

Paul twice brings up the resurrection, and this deserves highlighting. He has a hope in God “for which these men themselves are waiting,” namely that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. And he concludes: “For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.”

We know that Christ has brought in a new and better covenant; Paul is the one worshiping God in spirit and in truth because he believes in the resurrection of Jesus Christ the righteous, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets.

His accusers claim to believe in resurrection, but they refuse to believe what the Law and the Prophets actually testify, and they refuse to acknowledge the Davidic King ascended to the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

They cannot worship God rightly without affirming the lordship of Jesus Christ, the resurrected One.

Jesus’ resurrection has inaugurated life in the new creation; Christ is the firstfruits, and we, united to him, will follow after. He has fulfilled what the Law and the Prophets were promising, which means that Paul is in fact the more faithful Jew: he believes the Scriptures which point to the crucified and risen Messiah.

So, the crux of this matter does come down to faith in Jesus Christ.

Purified, Not Desecrating

Paul continues by stressing his conduct: after several years he came to Jerusalem to bring alms to his nation and offerings. They found him “having been purified in the temple, without any crowd or uproar.” This presses home the point that, contrary to their accusation, he was participating in purification rites in the temple, not desecrating it.

Foreign Accusations

To make matters worse for the prosecution’s case, it was the Jews from Asia who initially brought the accusations, and they are absent from the hearing. Paul notes that they “ought to have been present” if they had anything against him. Therefore, if anyone is rousing rabble or disturbing peace, it is these foreign Jews, not Paul—and they are not even there to accuse him.

So, Paul’s defense addresses the charges point by point:

He appeals to a search for truth rather than flattery.

He affirms his desire to worship God in spirit and truth according to the Law and the Prophets, identifying this with “the Way.”

In line with that, he was found in the temple purified and giving alms, not desecrating it.

The disturbance actually arose from foreign Jews from Asia who are now absent from court.

Legally, Paul has truth on his side and the accusers do not have adequate evidence to prove their case. Theologically, the deeper problem is that these Jews stand opposed to the Anointed One and so find themselves in the position Psalm 2 describes—not as the righteous nation over against “heathen” Rome, but as those who rage against the Lord and against his Christ.

Christ's Providential Delay: The Roman Politician

Acts 24:22–27 “But Felix, having a more accurate knowledge about the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some rest, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and summoned 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 answered, “Go away for the present, and when I find time I will call for you.” At the same time, he was also hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to summon for him quite often and converse with him. But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.”

Divine Politics

Luke tells us that Felix had “a more accurate knowledge about the Way,” and thus understood that the accusations against Paul’s Christianity were unfounded. Nevertheless, rather than judging accordingly, he decides to play political games: “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case,” and in the meantime he keeps Paul in custody with relative freedom. Felix likely felt quite self‑assured that his decisions were his own, but Luke shows that God is providentially protecting Paul and positioning him to go to Rome as Christ’s witness.

Faith in Jesus

Up to this point in the chapter, the name of Jesus has not been mentioned in the courtroom scene; now, “some days later,” Felix arrives with Drusilla, his Jewish wife, and summons Paul to hear him speak “about faith in Christ Jesus.” This confirms that the resurrection of Jesus is the basis of Paul’s defense—he is essentially insisting that he is the faithful Jew because he believes in Jesus, the resurrected One, as foretold in the Law and the Prophets.

Luke notes that Paul’s discourse on faith in Jesus naturally includes “righteousness, self‑control, and the judgment to come.” Judgment will distinguish the righteous from the unrighteous; and, as elsewhere, without true holiness no one will see God. We do not believe in a merely theoretical holiness, but in a real, practical holiness produced by our forensic justification before God for the sake of Jesus Christ. True faith in Jesus inevitably bears fruit in practical righteousness, self‑control, and vindication in the judgment.

Spineless Greed

In Felix we see a vivid picture of pagan pragmatism, which is still prevalent today. He is frightened by Paul’s talk of righteousness, self‑control, and judgment—ultimate matters that probe his conscience. Yet he keeps Paul in prison and refuses to render a just verdict. At the same time, he hopes to receive money from Paul, so he summons him often and converses with him, hoping for a bribe.

Even here we can see the divine hand: God uses Felix’s greed to expose him repeatedly to the truth and to keep Paul’s witness before him for two years. It may seem tiresome from Paul’s perspective, but this is precisely what God has called him to do—to bear witness before this petty ruler as part of Christ’s larger plan.

The passage ends by exposing the two‑faced character of politics: “wishing to do the Jews a favor,” Felix leaves Paul imprisoned when Porcius Festus succeeds him. If Felix had been virtuous and courageous, he would have adjudicated the matter accurately and released Paul despite the anticipated Jewish backlash. Instead, he tries to placate both sides for his own benefit. That is a recognizable picture of modern politics: virtue does not usually win the day; political expedience and profit do.

Yet over and above Felix’s spineless greed stands Christ’s providential rule. The knight remains under guard, the dragon continues to rage, and the Roman politician plays his games—but the risen Lord is on the highest throne directing all of this toward Rome, where His gospel will be proclaimed in the heart of the empire: to the Oikumene.

Summary & Application

The conflict continues with the dragon making accusation before Felix, Paul defending himself, and then Felix playing political games. But ultimately, Christ is guiding Paul, who must testify in Rome also.

The Dragon, the Offspring, and the Beast

First, consider the proto-apocalyptic nature of this text.

John tells us in Revelation 12–13 that behind the church’s persecution stands a dragon—Satan—and that this dragon works through beastly powers: empires and rulers who will sacrifice the saints for political expedience.

In Acts 24 this is exactly what we see. The dragon is raging through false accusations and plots; Paul is one of the offspring who holds fast the testimony about Jesus; and Felix is behaving like a little beast. He has no virtue, no spine, driven by greed and fear of man. He’s not a talking animal, but he acts beast‑like. He knows Paul is innocent, yet he leaves him in chains to keep the Jews happy and in the hope of a bribe.

Later, Nero will scapegoat the Christians to save his own skin; the same beastly logic is already here. Luke is showing us in history what Revelation shows us in vision: the dragon, the offspring, and the beast are all at work—but Christ rules over them all.

Divine Politics

This leads into the second point: even though circumstances seem rather bleak, we can rest assured that Christ is in control. Paul is kept in prison after being unlawfully arrested, and in this corrupt system, the governor wants a bribe before he releases an innocent man. That is maddening. But Christ orchestrated this.

We must internalize the fact that we serve Christ. He may need us to go through hard circumstances for the sake of the cause. Our responsibility is faithfulness; it is not controlling the outcome. We are not responsible for what happens, and it may not happen how we think it will happen.

Paul probably was not expecting to have all the conflicts he had in his missionary journeys. They would have a measure of success and then need to leave the region because of the hostility. And so they did. They took it as a sign that God wanted them to move elsewhere. In this way, Christ’s kingdom was established: the New Covenant ekklesia, the new Israel.

Don’t Be a Spineless Beast

And lastly, don’t be a spineless beast. I describe this as a man without a chest, in the words of Lewis—someone who doesn’t stand for a cause, but rather for feeding their own greed and lust.

When we live lives that are essentially self-centered, then we are living like spineless beasts. What guides our decisions and our actions is not virtuous self-sacrifice, but selfish covetousness. And we can be manipulated very easily when our primary concern is gratifying ourselves rather than serving God and our neighbor.

In the Wingfeather Saga, there is a creature known as a Ridgerunner; they love all kinds of fruit. So much so, that they are very easily manipulated into doing things that will result in them getting fruit. We can be that way when we let our beastly or carnal desires dictate how we live and what we prioritize.

Rather than prioritizing faithfulness to your spouse, you prioritize your lust. And you are therefore susceptible to all kinds of temptation that will gratify that lust.

Rather than prioritizing contentment and godliness, you prioritize greed and profit. And this might make you susceptible to sacrificing your family or your church or even society as a whole on the altar of personal profit. Maybe you work long hours so that you can make lots of money, but this costs time with your family. Or maybe instead of coming to worship, someone will log some overtime, or someone could pursue political programs that harm some parts of society as long as they benefit them.

These are all ways that we can be spineless beasts.

So, the two main points of application are:

Remember that Christ is in control. We should not worry about the outcome, only our own faithfulness.

Don’t be a spineless beast, but diligently add to your faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, self-control, patience, brotherly kindness, and love—for if these things are yours, you will be fruitful, and you will have no fear in the coming judgment.

Let’s pray.

Pastoral Prayer

Salutation & Adoration

Father in heaven, We live before your face, You know when we stand, sit, or lay down, There is nowhere we can flee from your presence.

Confession

We confess that we at times have forgotten Your sovereignty over all things, We seek to control more than we can and pridefully are disappointed when the results are not what we want, We have also acted, at times, like spineless beasts, living for ourselves rather than for You and our neighbor. Please forgive our transgressions in Christ.

Thanksgiving

We give thanks for your church and for your ordinances. We thank you for our daily bread.

Petition & Imprecation

We bring our petitions before you this day: I pray that You would teach us how to live as men with chests. That we would diligently add to our faith. By your word and Spirit.

We pray for every home here represented that each would be characterized by the rule of Jesus Christ. We pray for Covenant Reformed Church, that we would demonstrate what Christ’s rule should look like practically. We pray that we would go forth from here and bring that true authority into our society so that they can enjoy your blessing in Christ.

And we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Communion

Passing of the peace

2 Peter 1:2 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;”

John 17:3 ““And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

We are here gathered around the table of our Lord. And this is truly eternal life: we commune with God. This is what it means to be a Christian. We have been brought into the most holy place, into full fellowship with God. This is where we can experience the source of life, which is eternal.

And we liturgically proclaim the results of this personal communion each of us have with God in Christ when we pass the peace of Christ to one another. It is impossible for someone to rightly commune with God and yet refuse to enjoy peace with brothers and sisters in the Lord.

It is a beautiful truth that the glory of the gospel results in this practical benefit that we liturgically celebrate at this climax of our service: Christ has granted us communion with God the Father, and fellowship with each other. We are here to celebrate the life that we have in Christ, under His good authority, resulting in peace and joy forevermore.

If you are baptized in the name of the triune God, and are not harboring sin in your heart toward God or your neighbor, then please, commune with us at this table.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution: Psalm 139:1–12, 23–24

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution: Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

#726 The Lord’s Prayer

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

#731: Song of Simeon

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’