Lesson #29

• MEMORY VERSE: PHILIPPIANS 3:10

• PAUL IS UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN THE ROMAN PALACE IN CAESAREA. IN THIS CHAPTER THE ROMAN AUTHORITIES MAKE ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM BETWEEN THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES AND PAUL. THEY CALL FOR THE JEWISH LEADERS TO COME TO CAESAREA TO PRESENT THEIR CASE.

• READ ACT 24:1-9
• ANTONIUS FELIX, GOVERNOR OF JUDEA (52 – 58 AD)
• FELIX WAS A CRUEL AND LUSTFUL MAN GIVEN TO CORRUPTION AND BRIBES.
• FELIX AND HIS BROTHER WERE ONCE SLAVES. THEY GAINED THERE FREEDOM THROUGH THE GOOD GRACES OF ANTONIA, THE MOTHER OF EMPEROR CLAUDIUS.
• TERTULLUS WAS MOST LIKELY A HELLENISTIC JEW WHO SPOKE GREEK FLUENTLY AND KNEW ROMAN LAW.
• TERTULLUS, A LAWYER, WAS TO PRESENT THE JEWISH CASE AGAINST PAUL ON BEHALF OF THE JEWISH LEADERS.
• TERTULLUS’ SPEECH
• WHAT IS TERTULLUS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN VERSES 2-4, AND VERSES 7-8?
• VERSES 2-4 ARE GROSS FLATTERIES TO IMPRESS THE GOVERNOR IN FAVOR OF THE JEWISH LEADERSHIP.
• THE FLATTERIES WERE ALL LIES. FELIX PUT DOWN VARIOUS JEWISH INSURRECTIONS WITH GREAT VIOLENCE AND BLOODSHED.
• THE MOST KIND THING FELIX DID WAS TO PERMIT THE JEWS GREAT LEEWAY IN RUNNING THEIR OWN AFFAIRS WITHOUT MUCH INTERFERENCE FROM HIM.
• VERSES 7-8 ARE AN ATTEMPT TO GET PAUL RELEASED FROM ROMAN AUTHORITY AND BE GIVEN TO THE JEWISH LEADERS.
• THE JEWS DID NOT LIKE IT THAT THE ROMAN COMMANDER, LYSIAS, TOOK PAUL AWAY AT NIGHT TO CAESAREA.
• WHAT ARE THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST PAUL (5-6)?
• =1= “A PERSISTENT FELLOW”
• TERTULLUS SPEAKS OF PAUL AS A CONSTANT TROUBLEMAKER INDICATING THAT THIS IS AN ON-GOING PROBLEM AND NOT JUST A ONE-TIME EVENT.
• =2= “MOVER OF SEDITION OF THE JEWS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD”
• THIS IS A SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST THE ROMAN EMPEROR THAT CALLED FOR STRICT ROMAN PUNISHMENT.
• =3= “A RING LEADER OF THE SECT OF THE NAZARENES”
• THE ROMANS CONSIDERED CHRISTIANITY AS A SECT OF JUDAISM. THEREFORE BOTH WOULD ENJOY CERTAIN PROTECTIONS UNDER ROMAN LAW. HOWEVER, IF THE JEWS COULD FORMALLY AND LEGALLY SEPARATE CHRISTIANITY FROM JUDAISM, IT WOULD REMOVE THIS PROTECTION FOR CHRISTIANS.
• =4= “GONE ABOUT TO PROFANE THE TEMPLE”
• THIS IS STRICTLY A RELIGIOUS MATTER WITH WHICH THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT CONCERN ITSELF.
• HOWEVER, THE WAY TERTULLUS PRESENTED THE CASE, HE IS SAYING THAT THE JEWS WERE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION IN THE TEMPLE LEGALLY WHEN THE ROMAN COMMANDER LYSIAS INTERVENED AND TOOK PAUL OUT OF THEIR HANDS WITHOUT CAUSE.

• READ ACT 24:10-21 PAUL’S DEFENSE
• WHAT ARE THE MAIN POINTS OF PAUL’S SELF DEFENSE? (10-21)
• NOTICE PAUL DOES NOT SPEAK EXTRAVAGANT FLATTERIES TO FELIX.
• INSTEAD, PAUL REALISTICALLY EVALUATES FELIX’ EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH THE JEWS FOR SO MANY YEARS.
• IN ALL THESE YEARS FELIX MUST HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING ABOUT THE CREDIBILITY OF THE JEWISH LEADERSHIP.
• PAUL WANTS FELIX TO UNDERSTAND THAT HE HAS BEEN IN JUDEA ONLY 12 DAYS. THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR PAUL TO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING OF WHICH TERTULLUS ACCUSED HIM.
• PAUL STATES THAT THERE IS NO PROOF OF THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM.
• PAUL WORSHIPS THE GOD OF HIS FATHERS, BUT IN A WAY THAT THE JEWS CALLED A HERESY. HE WORSHIPS ACCORDING TO “THE WAY”.
• AS WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, BELIEVERS WERE NOT CALLED CHRISTIANS UNTIL LATER IN TIME EVEN THOUGH THE NAME “CHRISTIAN” FIRST OCCURRED IN ANTIOCH. IT WOULD TAKE MANY YEARS BEFORE THE NAME “CHRISTIAN” BECAME SOMEWHAT OF AN OFFICIAL DESIGNATION.
• PAUL GIVES ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE HIS THEOLOGICAL BELIEFS. THE WORD IS RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD OF BELIEVERS AND NON-BELIEVERS. (15)
• WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER ABOUT RESURRECTION?
• ALL TRUE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST BELIEVE IN THE PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD BELIEVERS ACCORDING TO 1COR 15.
• HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME CHRISTIANS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE PHYSICAL RESURRECTION OF ALL NON-BELIEVERS.
• READ 1COR 15:20-23
• VERSE 22 INDICATES THAT BECAUSE WE ALL DIE JUST BY THE MERE FACT THAT WE ARE BORN INTO ADAM’S SIN AS HUMAN BEINGS.
• HOWEVER, THIS VERSE ALSO INDICATES THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE RESURRECTED BECAUSE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION. (ACT 24:15)
• THEN, IN VERSE 23, PAUL GIVES US A QUALIFICATION OF THIS GENERAL CONCEPT OF RESURRECTION…”EVERY MAN IN HIS OWN ORDER”.
• BELIEVERS ARE RESURRECTED TO ETERNAL LIFE WITH CHRIST AT A DIFFERENT POINT IN TIME THAN THE RESURRECTION OF NON-BELIEVERS WHO ARE RAISED TO THE FINAL JUDGEMENT AND ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD.
• PAUL’S MENTION OF THE WORD RESURRECTION REGARDING HIS BELIEFS IDENTIFIES HIM WITH THE PHARISEES WHO ALSO BELIEVED IN THE RESURRECTION.
• PAUL’S CLEAR CONSCIENCE (16)
• TO THE ORTHODOX JEW, A CLEAR CONSCIENCE MEANT THAT HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN LIVING UP TO ALL THE MOSAIC LAW PERFECTLY.
• TO PAUL, A CLEAR CONSCIENCE MEANT THAT HE LIVED HIS LIFE OPENLY AND HONESTLY BEFORE MEN.
• PAUL GIVES HIS REASONS FOR BEING IN JERUSALEM IN THE FIRST PLACE. (17)
• HE WENT THERE TO BRING MONEY TO THE POOR IN JERUSALEM.
• PAUL REVEALS THE SOURCE OF THE TEMPLE RIOT. (17)
• “THE JEWS FROM ASIA” WHO SHOULD BE STANDING BEFORE FELIX TO GIVE TESTIMONY BUT ARE ABSENT.
• THE JEWS FROM ASIA WERE THE “JUDAIZERS” THAT FOLLOWED PAUL FROM CITY TO CITY THROUGH GALATIA, CAUSING RIOTS EVERYWHERE PAUL WENT BY PREACHING STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE MOSAIC LAW.
• (ACT 14:19-28 LESSON #19)
• PAUL EXPLAINS TO FELIX THAT THE WORD, RESURRECTION, WAS WHAT CAUSED THE RIOT BEFORE THE SANHEDREN.
• YOU WILL REMEMBER THAT THE WORD, RESURRECTION, DIVIDED THE JEWISH PHARISEES FROM THE JEWISH SADDUCEES.

• READ ACT 24:22-27 HOUSE ARREST
• FELIX’S PROBLEM AND POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY.
• NOTICE THAT FELIX DOES NOT FIND EITHER IN FAVOR OF THE JEWS AND AGAINST PAUL, OR IN FAVOR OF PAUL AGAINST THE JEWS.
• FELIX WAS A POLITICIAN WITH A PROBLEM.
• FELIX HAD INFLUENCE THROUGH HIS BROTHER IN ROME WITH EMPEROR CLAUDIUS, BUT NOW NERO WAS EMPEROR. FELIX HAD LITTLE INFLUENCE IN ROME AT THIS TIME.
• FELIX WAS AFRAID OF MAKING THE SANHEDREN ANGRY.
• FELIX RECOGNIZED THAT PAUL WAS NOT GUILTY OF THE CHARGES BUT HE COULD NOT SAFELY RELEASE HIM.
• FELIX UNDERSTOOD A LOT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY (“THE WAY”) FROM WHAT HE LEARNED IN PAUL’S SELF DEFENSE.
• FELIX ADJOURNED THE HEARING WITH THE EXCUSE THAT HE WAS WAITING FOR LYSIAS’ TESTIMONY. (22)
• THIS WAS FELIX’S WAY OF DOING NOTHING, FOR HE KEPT PAUL IN A FREE ENVIRONMENT OF HOUSE ARREST FOR 2 YEARS.
• IT CERTAINLY DID NOT TAKE LYSIAS 2 YEARS TO TRAVEL TO CAESAREA TO TESTIFY.
• WHY DID FELIX TREAT PAUL SO WELL AND KEEP HIM UNDER HOUSE ARREST FOR 2 YEARS? (22-23)
• FELIX’S WIFE WAS JEWISH.
• DRUSILLA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF HEROD AGRIPPA I WHO HAD JAMES BEHEADED AND PETER PUT INTO PRISON. HER GREAT UNCLE BEHEADED JOHN THE BAPTIST. HER GREAT GRANDFATHER TRIED TO KILL BABY JESUS.
• FELIX FOUND PAUL MENTALLY STIMULATING IN CONVERSATION.
• HOWEVER, THE MAIN REASON FOR THE LENGTHY PERIOD OF 2 YEARS WAS THAT FELIX HOPED FOR A LARGE BRIBE FROM THE MONEY PAUL BROUGHT TO JERUSALEM. (26)
• WHAT ARE SOME THINGS PAUL AND FELIX DISCUSSED? (24-27)
• REMEMBER THAT GOD TOLD PAUL THAT HE WOULD PREACH TO KINGS. (ACT 9:15)
• THIS 2 YEARS IN FELIX’ PRESENCE IS A FULFILLMENT OF THAT PROPHECY.
• PAUL USED THE OPPORTUNITY OF HOUSE ARREST TO PREACH TO FELIX AND HIS WIFE ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH, ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS, TEMPERANCE, AND THE JUDGMENT TO COME.
• IT IS NO WONDER THAT FELIX TREMBLED AT PAUL’S PREACHING.
• THIS CORRUPT OFFICIAL NEEDED RIGHTEOUSNESS IN JESUS CHRIST.
• THIS LUSTFUL LEADER NEEDED TEMPERANCE THROUGH THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• THIS KING WHO LOVED TO JUDGE OTHERS, WOULD ONE DAY BE JUDGED BY ALMIGHTY GOD, THE FATHER.
• AT THE END OF TWO YEARS, FELIX IS RECALLED BY THE ROMAN EMPEROR, NERO, AND REPLACED WITH PORCIUS FESTUS.
• THE INCIDENT THAT CAUSED FELIX TO LOSE HIS POSITION WAS A RIOT IN CAESAREA BETWEEN JEWS AND GENTILES THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF MANY JEWISH LEADERS.
• THERE WERE ALSO CHARGES AGAINST FELIX FOR POOR ADMINISTRATION OF HIS PROVINCE. THESE CHARGES MAY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BY THE JEWS.
• FELIX’S LAST OFFICIAL ACT WAS TO ORDER PAUL BOUND IN CHAINS.
• FELIX’S REPLACEMENT, PORCIUS FESTUS
• FESTUS WAS A MORE HONEST RULER BUT OVERWHELMED BY THE INTRIGUE AND CORRUPTION HE INHERITED FROM FELIX.
• FESTUS WAS ALSO HAMPERED BY HIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING JEWISH AFFAIRS.
• FESTUS DIED IN HIS OFFICE TWO YEARS LATER AS A RESULT OF EXTREME FRUSTRATION AND DESPAIR AT HIS FAILURE TO COPE WITH THE PROBLEMS OF HIS POSITION.

• APPLICATION:
• THIS CHAPTER HAS GIVEN US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE RESURRECTION.
• FIRST THERE IS THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST THAT EVEN TODAY STIRS CONTROVERSIES OF UNBELIEF AND FANCIFUL CLAIMS IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY.
• THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD WAS AT THE HEART OF THE JEWISH PROBLEM BETWEEN THE SADDUCEES AND THE PHARISEES.
• PAUL GIVES IT AS A REASON FOR HIS ROMAN IMPRISONMENT.
• HOWEVER, BESIDES THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST THAT CONTINUES TO SURFACE IN ALL PAUL’S PREACHING, IS THE BELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION OF ALL HUMANS EVER BORN.
• GOD CREATED MAN A LIVING SOUL. A SOUL THAT WOULD LIVE FOREVER. ADAM’S SIN BROUGHT PHYSICAL DEATH UPON MANKIND, BUT PHYSICAL DEATH DID NOT PUT AN END TO MAN’S ETERNAL SOUL.
• READ REV 20:11-15
• NOTICE THAT THE DEATH OF A NON-BELIEVER DOES NOT MEAN ANNIHILATION. THIS IS WHAT MADE FELIX TREMBLE WITH FEAR.
• HOWEVER, FELIX HARDENED HIS HEART AND PROBABLY NEVER RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST INTO HIS HEART.
• IF MAN’S SOUL LIVES FOREVER, THEN THERE ARE ONLY TWO CHOICES. EITHER WE LIVE WITH JESUS CHRIST IN OUR HEARTS OR WE LIVE SEPARATED FROM GOD FOREVER. HOW MUCH BETTER TO CHOSE CHRIST AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE WITH A GOD WHO LOVES YOU.

HOMEWORK
ACTS 25
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF ACT 24
• DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE LIKE FELIX WHO KNEW MUCH ABOUT CHRISTIANITY AND WHO HAD HEARD THE GOSPEL, BUT EITHER REJECTED CHRIST OR IGNORED A POSITIVE RESPONSE? PUT THAT PERSONS NAME HERE AND REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THAT PERSON EVERY DAY THIS WEEK.

• PREPARATION FOR ACT 25
• READ ACT 25:1-27
• WHAT IS PAUL’S APPEAL BEFORE FESTUS? (9-11)

• WHAT ONE REFERENCE DOES FESTUS MAKE TO JESUS CHRIST?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK FESTUS BELIEVED ABOUT CHRIST

• WHAT WAS KING AGRIPPA’S REACTION TO THE SUMMARY THAT FESTUS GAVE ABOUT PAUL’S CASE?

• WHAT DO YOU LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER ABOUT HUMAN JUSTICE? 

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 89:14