*Written by Delaney Bandy
Acts 24 covers approximately 2 years of time surrounding Paul’s trial before Governor Felix in Caesarea Maritima.
Paul’s accusers made their case against him by standing before Felix, the governor, and his wife, Drusilla. They condemned him for being the “ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Deeming him as dangerous, they claimed that he had defiled the temple (v. 1-7).
Once the governor allowed Paul to speak, he defended himself by sharing his testimony. He explained that he had not been there long and that there was no evidence of their claims, but he confessed to being a follower of Jesus, that he agreed with the Jewish Law and what the Prophets spoke (v. 10-21).
Felix decided to delay his judgement of Paul’s case as he wanted to wait for Lysias, the commander, to make a decision. In the meantime, he opted to keep Paul in custody, with the exception of seeing his friends (v. 22-23).
A few days passed, and Felix sent for Paul concerning his faith in Christ. Paul shared his faith, about righteousness, self-control, and the judgement to come. Felix was scared of impending judgement, and he sent Paul away. He told him that he would summon him back (v. 24-25). Felix’s motives surrounding the situation were to be given money for Paul’s release, so he often called him back to converse. After 2 years, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and to do the Jews a favor, Felix decided to leave Paul in prison (v. 26-27).
We can glean a lot from this chapter as Paul remains steadfast in his defense of the gospel, even in the face of criticism and false accusations. Acts 24:14-16 says, “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.”
Paul describes Jesus in verse 14 as “the Way.” He believed that Jesus’ claims were consistent with the Law and the Prophets. In John 14:6, Jesus states “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
In the divided, pessimistic world we live in, may we stand firm in the faith by sharing our testimonies and sticking to our convictions even in the face of criticism. Putting ourselves in the position of Paul, nothing is more frustrating than being deemed a liar or being punished for something you did not commit.
The Lord is a keeper of His promises, and although the Christian walk can feel lonely and isolating, our Father in heaven desires for us to endure in suffering and give Him glory.
John 15:18-25, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
*Written by Delaney Bandy