Acts 24:22-27

²² Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” ²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs. ²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. ²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Introduction

How can you discern if God is speaking through a preacher, Bible study leader, ordinary Christian or not? How do you know or determine if person has been inspired, to tell you God’s message? Anyone can claim to have been called by God. Anyone can easily deceive anybody with flattering words. It is very necessary for each believer to know if God is speaking through a speaker or not.

In 2 Corinthians 13:5-6, ⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? ⁶ And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.

Factions have divided the Corinthian believers. There were followers of Paul, Peter or Apollos. Paul has implied that if the Corinthians did not have Christ in them, they cannot discern if Christ was really speaking through him. If Christ’s Spirit is absent, set aside or ignored, a person even a believer cannot discern the voice of Christ.

Everyone can underestimate or overestimate anything. When we are not so sure of God’s will, we can be indecisive. Anyone can have a share of indecisiveness.

1.  Indecisive

²² Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” ²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.

Governor Felix listened to the case presented against Paul. Paul presented his defense, and continued with the presumption that his accusers have indicted him or charged him because he was preaching about resurrection.

Felix displayed his indecisiveness when he adjourned or suspended the trial proceedings after that. The narrative reveals that Felix never made a decision to acquit or to convict Paul. Felix wanted to listen personally from commander Lysias, perhaps. It was not known if Lysias came or invited to Caesarea. Two year later, Felix was relieved from his position but he did not make any decision to release or to punish Paul.

It was considerate for Felix to allow the friends of Paul to visit and provide for his personal needs. Paul was heavily guarded though. Keeping Paul safe in prison was God’s grace in some practical ways. To be an accused like Paul, it would be better to be locked up in prison with guards than to be outside with no guard at all.

To be imprisoned with no reasonable reason can be very difficult. Have you ever asked God why He allows suffering, trouble, or great concerns come into your life? You know that you’ve been very faithful Christian. You did what is right before the Lord.

Yet, God let you endure thing that people would consider as punishment.

Job’s Friend?

Job’s friends Eliphaz presumed that Job was wicked. In Job 4:8-9, ⁸ As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. ⁹ At the breath of God they perish; at the blast of his anger they are no more.

Another friend Zophar said in Job 11:13-15, ¹³ “Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, ¹⁴ if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, ¹⁵ then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear.

Like the friends of Job, many Christians assumed that sufferings are results of sin.  Why would a loving God allow us to endure sufferings, difficulties or trials? Why?

Have you ever thought that you deserve better like anyone else? Christ Jesus Himself asked His Father three times to spare Him from the agony of crucifixion. Paul pleaded with God to remove the thorn in his flesh, also three times.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, ⁷…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul’s life was an exhibit of God’s grace. Paul said that God allowed him to be tormented to keep him from becoming conceited, or to keep him from exalting himself. Good or bad situations, they are a series of events God has arranged to help us grow in our faith in Him and to experiences more of the sufficiency of God’s grace.

Governor Felix had the power but he was indecisive. He cannot decide if he would ignore Paul or believe his message. He just desired some convenience. Convenience hinders the spiritual growth of many, including church leaders or ordinary churchgoers.

2.  Inconvenient

²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Did Felix want to grant favor to the Jews because of his wife Drusilla was a Jewish?

According to historians, Drusilla was a great granddaughter of Herod the Great. Drusilla had no Jewish blood but she was converted to Jewish religion when her first husband King Aziz became a Jew. Felix abducted Drusilla and became his wife. Drusilla’s curiosity of Jewish belief might have prompted her to ask Felix to have Paul talked about his faith in Christ.

History tells that giving or receiving bribe has been politically practised. Felix expected Paul to bribe him. He was not interested about faith. He was more concern about bribes. Perhaps, Felix has received bribes from the religious leaders of Israel.

Felix said that he will listen again to Paul if he finds it convenient for him. That’s another proof that the gospel of Christ cannot be readily accepted by anybody. Like Felix, even Christians seek for their convenient time to worship God, why? To practise our faith God consistently amidst challenges are proofs of God’s grace in a believer’s life.

Thessalonians

In 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10, ³ We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. ⁴ Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

⁵ All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. ⁶ God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you ⁷ and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. ⁸ He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.⁹ They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might ¹⁰ on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

When Paul and his mission team came to Thessalonica, the Jews were jealous. They brought together scoundrels and thugs hanging out in the market place and started a riot. They searched for Paul and Silas in the house of a believer named Jason. And when cannot find Paul and Silas, they dragged Jason and some other believers, and charged them before the city officials. They shouted that Jason and the other believers were causing troubles all over the world, and they came to Thessalonica.

Similar situation can be observed among churches these days. Preachers are accused by disillusioned churchgoers. They tell other churchgoers that their pastors are provoking troubles by their sermons. Have you ever experienced that here?

Praise God if you are accused of wrongdoings when all you have in mind is to serve the Lord. Praise God that you are counted worthy of the kingdom of God. Praise God when relatives or friends hate you because you prioritize your relationship with God.

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