The audio for this evening’s sermon is available here, as is a PDF handout.  Remember that you can leave comments and questions at the bottom of the page, or by clicking on the comments link just above this paragraph.

Felix says that he has heard of “the Way”, and is interested to hear more (Acts 24:22-27).  Felix and his wife are not very interested in the Gospel, rather Luke tells us that Felix wants a bribe.  But the fact that he is described as “well acquainted with the Way” may mean that he knows that Paul and his group are not revolutionaries (like the Egyptian, etc.)

Why does Felix think that Paul might bribe him?  Perhaps he things that since Paul brought money from Asia to give to the poor Jews in Jerusalem, therefore he has money for bribes as well.   Another possibility is that Paul had more means that is usually thought.  He must pay for his own needs while in Caesarea, indicating some access to wealth, and we know that he rents rooms in Rome.  It is possible that Paul had property which could be sold or some other family wealth that gave Felix hopes of a bribe.

We are told that Paul talks about several subjects with Felix, righteousness, self control, and the judgement to come.

Righteousness has a different nuance for a Jewish audience than for a Roman.  To a Roman, this word means justice in a legal sense.  Felix was unjust himself, since  even here he is hoping for a bribe! For the Jew, righteousness has to do with one’s standing before God and the acts which one does which maintain that state of righteousness.  Either way, Felix needs to be educated in righteousness / justice !

Self-control, on the other hand, is the foundation of Greek philosophical ethics.  One must control passions in order to be wise.  This too would be a sensitive issue for Felix, who was on his third wife at the time, and this one was coaxed away from her husband!

Jews and Greeks both understand what the “judgment to come” means, although Romans do not have a robust view of the end of the world.  The idea that one faces some sort of judgment for deeds done in this life is fairly common in the ancient world.  This indicates that eschatology is a part of Paul’s regular teaching, and in this case it would mean that Felix had better watch his justice and self-control since he would have to face a judgment at some point!

Felix’ reaction is “that’s enough for now!”  If he finds it convenient, he will call for Paul, and since he was fishing for a bribe, he frequently called for Paul.