Saturday, 06 August, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.

Acts 24:24-26

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.

Paul stood before governor Felix, the man who had the power to prosecute him or to release him. Felix had asked him to speak about Christianity. Perhaps he was really interested at some level, but Luke tells us that part of Felix’s motivation to keep asking for Paul to come talk was his hope that Paul would offer him a bribe to be freed.

On this occasion in our passage for today, Felix brought his wife, Drusilla, who Luke tells us, was Jewish. What Luke doesn’t tell us, but we know from the history, is that Drusilla was the daughter of Herod Agrippa, and brother to Herod Agrippa II. She was given in marriage by her brother to King Azizus of Emesa. Josephus describes how she became Felix’s wife:

While Felix was procurator of Judea, he saw this Drusilla and fell in love with her; for she exceeded all other women in beauty. And so he sent to her one of his friends, Atomus, a Jew from Cyprus who pretended to be a magician, who endeavored to persuade her to leave her present husband and marry Felix. He promised, that if she would not refuse, he would make her a very happy [felix] woman. Accordingly she acted ill, and because she desired to avoid the jealousy of her sister Berenice — for she was very ill treated by her on account of her beauty — was prevailed upon to transgress the laws of her forefathers, and to marry Felix.

Paul’s freedom depends upon the judgment of Felix. Paul knows who Felix is(Acts 24:10 “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.”), and he has to know about the scandal of his marriage to Druscilla. So what does Paul preach to Felix and Druscilla when he is given the opportunity?

In good pastoral style, Paul preaches a three point sermon:

1. Righteousness.

2. Self-control.

3. The coming judgment.

What do we learn from this?

Paul didn’t pull any punches when offered the opportunity to “speak about faith in Christ Jesus.” He didn’t water anything down to try to please his hearers. He didn’t compromise the message to better his own position and win his freedom.

Paul began by declaring the law, and hammering home our guilt before God. It is only after people are convicted of sin will they be ready to hear about what God has done to save people from those sins.

For Paul, the opportunity to present the Law in all its preparatory work for presenting the Gospel was more important than being popular with people and it was more important than winning his own freedom.

Where is Christ in this passage?

We often talk of the love of Christ. It is His love for His people that caused Him to come to earth, live the perfect life to be credited to His people, and die on the cross to pay the price for their sins. That is a comforting thing for us to talk about, and it is often quite easy.

What we have a tendance to neglect, however, is telling people of the coming judgment, where Christ will come to judge the living and the dead. All of those who are not in Christ, all of those who have not come to God, trusting in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation, will stand before Him on the last day and find Jesus Christ not as their Savour but as their judge.

We find Jesus Christ in Paul’s third point, judging all those who are not His people for their lack of righteousness and self control.