Acts 24:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
A. \\#13:1-14:28\\ The First Missionary Journey
B. \\#15:1-35\\ Judaism or Grace
C. \\#15:36-18:22\\ Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
D. \\#Acts 18:23-21:17\\ Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
1. \\#18:23\\ Galatia and Phrygia
2. \\#18:24-28\\ Apollos in Ephesus
3. \\#19:1-23\\ Paul Returned to Ephesus
4. \\#20-1-6\\ Paul in Greece
5. \\#20:7-12\\ Paul in Troas
6. \\#20:13-16\\ Paul in the Coastal Cities
7. \\#20:17-38\\ Paul Bids the Elders of Ephesus Farewell
8. \\#21:1-3\\ Paul in more Costal Cities
9. \\#21:3-7\\ Paul in Tyre
10. \\#21:8-14\\ Paul in Caesarea
11. \\#21:15-17\\ Paul arrived in Jerusalem
E. \\#Acts 21:18-28:30\\ Paul’s Arrest and Journey to Rome
1. \\#Acts 21:18-23:32\\ Paul in Jerusalem
a. \\#Acts 21:18-25\\ Paul before the Church
b. \\#Acts 21:26-30\\ Paul in the temple
c. \\#Acts 21:31-22:23\\ Paul on the steps
d. \\#Acts 22:24-30\\ Paul to be examined
(1) \\#Acts 22:24-29\\ By the Whip
(2) \\#Acts 22:30-23:10\\ By the Council
e. \\#Acts 23:11-32\\ An Attempt to Kill Paul
(1) \\#Acts 23:11\\ Paul Vision
(2) \\#Acts 23:12-15\\ The Plot
(3) \\#Acts 23:16-22\\ The Revealing
(4) \\#Acts 23:23-33\\The Relocation
(5) \\#Acts 23:31-33\\ The Transport
2. \\#Acts 23:33-27:2\\ Paul in Caesarea
a. \\#Acts 23:34-24:27\\ Before Felix
b. \\#Acts 25:1-25:12\\ Before Festus
c. \\#Acts 25:13-26:32\\ Before Agrippa and Festus
3. \\#Acts 27:1-28:16\\ Paul’s Journey to Rome
4. \\#Acts 28:17-31\\ Paul in Rome
I. \\#Acts 23:34-24:27\\ Before Felix
A. \\#Acts 23:34-35\\ Paul’s first meeting with Felix
1. The meeting seemed to be short and to the point.
2. The governor…
a. \\#34\\ read the letter"
b. "asked of what province he was."
(1) The letter stated that Paul was Roman but Felix
wanted to know whose jurisdiction Paul belonged;
hence the question.
(2) "he was of Cilicia" - That would put Paul in the
Syrian province, north of Judah.
(3) Hearing that, why did Felix agree to hear the
case? Probably because the alleged crime was
committed in Judah.
c. \\#35\\ "I will hear thee …when thine accusers are
also come" - He agreed to hear the case.
d. "Herod’s judgment hall" - This was built by Herod the
Great. He built a theater, amphitheater, hippodrome,
palace, Roman temple and an extensive network of
aqueducts.
B. \\#Acts 24:1-23\\ Paul’s second meeting with Felix
1. \\#1\\ The Timing - "after five days"
a. It occurred "five days" later, when the "high priest
…with the elders, and …Tertullus" arrived.
b. Tertullus must have served as a prosecuting attorney
and was selected because of his abilities to
persuade.
2. \\#2-8\\ The charges
a. \\#2-3\\ Some flattering of Felix must come first.
b. \\#5\\ "pestilent fellow" - The word "pestilent" means
a "pest" but not just a small bug. It comes from the
word plague indicating a deadly disease.
c. "mover of sedition" - "Sedition" means insurrection or
up rising. The man was saying that Paul was
attempting the Jews "throughout the world" to revolt
against Rome.
d. "ringleader …of the Nazarenes" - There has been some
debate about this term.
(1) Some think it is refers to the Nazarites, those
who separate themselves from the world in order
to more fully dedicate themselves to God.
(2) However, It is more likely referring to Jesus’
birthplace, Nazareth, and had become another
term to refer to Christians, indicating those
who followed Jesus, the Nazarite.
e. \\#6\\ "Who also hath gone about to profane the
temple" - This was why the Jews wanted to kill Paul.
It really had nothing to do with Rome but since Paul
was in a Roman court, he had to be tried on Roman
charges.
f. \\#7\\ "But …Lysias …with great violence took him
away" - It would not seem that exaggerations would
help their cause. There was no record of Lysias
exercising any violence to the crowd.
g. \\#8\\ "commanding his accusers to come unto thee"
That part was true; however, they overlooked the
alleged plot that Lysias discovered to kill Paul.
3. \\#9\\ The Corroborating Witnesses
a. "the Jews also assented" - The Jews from Jerusalem all
testified that it was so.
b. Remembering that in that crowd was the high priest
and, we suppose, a good number of influential
leaders, the fact that Felix did not immediately
condemn Paul into their hands is itself interesting.
4. \\#10-21\\ Paul’s Defense
a. \\#10\\ Paul also opens with some flattery
b. \\#11\\ "yet but twelve days since I went up to
Jerusalem"
(1) It has only been 12 days since Paul arrived in
Jerusalem.
(2) That was not a lot of time to attempt an over
throw of Rome.
(3) Doing the math:
(a) It was the next day that Paul went to see
James. \\#Acts 21:18\\
(b) Paul spent one night in prison waiting to be
brought before the high priest.
\\#Acts 22:30\\
(c) Paul spent one night in travel to Caesarea.
\\#Acts 23:32\\
(d) He had been in Caesarea five days.
(e) That totals 8 days. Paul probably spent
about 4 days in the temple with the other
four Nazarites.
c. \\#12\\ The Jews did not find Paul:
(1) "disputing with any man" - Attempting to
convince or persuade anyone.
(2) "raising up the people" - Leading any kind of
revolt.
(3) Doing any of the things they accused him of in
"the temple …the synagogues, nor in the city,"
Jerusalem.
d. \\#13\\ "Neither can they prove" what they say.
e. \\#14-19\\ But Paul confessed:
(1) \\#14\\ "after the way which they call heresy"
Paul admitted that he worshipped "the Way,"
Christianity, which the Jews believed was
heresy. See \\#22\\.
(2) But he believed "all things which are written in
the law and in the prophets." - Even though the
Jews called Paul a heretic, he affirmed that his
beliefs and lifestyle were true to the
Scriptures.
(a) \\#15\\ Including the "hope …which they
…also" believed.
(b) "that there shall be a resurrection of the
dead" - A future judgment where all shall
be judged.
(3) \\#16\\ "herein do I exercise myself" - And so
Paul lived, conscious of the fact that he would
one day stand before God.
(4) \\#17\\ "Now after many years"
(a) Paul had been away for many years, missing
the feasts and unable to offer sacrifices.
(b) We cannot know for certain how long Paul
had been away. Matthew McGee’s estimate
was three to four years.
(c) Paul came to bring "alms" and "offerings."
(5) \\#18-19\\ "Jews from Asia found me" - Those who
initiated the charges against Paul had not come
to press their charges.
(6) \\#20\\ "or else let these …here" - Of those
who had come should have some evidence of their
charges beside such their claim.
(7) \\#21\\ "Except it be for this one voice" - The
only charge Paul could see that they had
against him was his belief in "the resurrection
of the dead."
5. \\#22-23\\ Felix’s Ruling
a. \\#22\\ He "deferred them," that is he delayed his
decision, wanting "more perfect knowledge of that
way," of Christianity and wanting testimony from
"Lysias the chief captain."
b. \\#23\\ "he commanded a centurion to keep Paul"
Paul was kept under arrest but given "liberty,"
probably to move about freely within certain areas
of the city with permission and could receive his
acquaintances.
C. \\#Acts 23:24-27\\ Felix’s Follow-up Visits
1. \\#24-26\\ Felix’s Third Meeting
a. \\#24\\ "came with his wife Drusilla" - History says
that Felix had three wives.
(1) Drusilla "was a Jewess."
(2) Perhaps Drusilla was to be Felix’s source to
learn more about "the way."
b. "heard him concerning the faith in Christ" - Felix
was not interviewing Paul concerning his case but
concerning his FAITH. He wanted to know more about
Jesus and what he had heard about Him.
c. \\#25\\ "And as he reasoned"
(1) Reasoned means to thoroughly discuss or to
preach. The men were not arguing but
discussing, no doubt with Paul doing most of
the talking.
(2) "Felix trembled" - Here is the conviction of God.
(3) "Go thy way" - But Felix delayed trusting Jesus,
and as far as we know, that delay cost him his
eternal soul.
d. \\#26\\ "He hoped also that money should …be given"
Felix also wanted a bribe.
2. \\#26-37\\ Felix’s Other Meetings
a. \\#26\\ To that end, "he sent for him the oftener"
It appears that Felix’s motives changed with the
first visits he had with Paul.
(1) The first visit was to meet Paul.
(2) His second motive was to try the case.
(3) His third motive was to learn of Jesus.
(4) The remainder of his visits was for a bribe.
b. \\#27\\ The Result
(1) "Felix …willing to shew the Jews a pleasure,
left Paul bound." Paul became one of the
forgotten in prison.
(2) "But after two years" - For two years. Perhaps
he would have stayed there until he died, but
there was a change in leadership.
(3) "Porcius Festus came into Felix’ room" - Festus
was governor from approximately 59 to 62, placing
this event around 29 years after Christ’s death.
(4) "after two years" - By this time, Paul had been in
prison for 2 full years.
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