This is Connect with Skip Heitzig and we're so glad you joined us for today's program. If you've been with us in our studies in Acts, we've already covered the fact that part of the Council was made up of Pharisees, part of the Council was made up of Sadducees. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection, all of the scripture. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection, did not believe in miracles, did not believe in the Old Testament scripture except the first five books of Moses. So there was a division that Paul capitalized when he was in Jerusalem for the first trial. Now he just says what he believes.
I believe like they believe, at least the Pharisees in that group, that there will be a resurrection from the dead of the just and the unjust, this being so, verse 16. So I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation. Paul said I came to Jerusalem to worship.
He stated that a few verses prior. Now he says I came to bring alms and an offering. He was in the temple making an offering, but he had brought alms.
What are alms? Monies. He collected money from Gentile churches and was bringing them to Jewish believers in Jerusalem. So man, I've been in Jerusalem improving the economy of Jerusalem. I brought outside money in. I brought support to help our nation.
That's his defense. It was all true. Verse 18, in the midst of which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a mob nor with a tumult. They ought to have been here before you to object if they had anything against me or else let those who are here themselves say if they have found any wrongdoing in me while I stood before the council. Now Paul brings up an interesting point.
Do you remember what we have read so far? When Paul was arrested in the temple right before that, it says some Jews supposed that Paul the apostle had brought Trophimus the Ephesian into the temple courts with him. That's how the riot started. It was Jews from Asia who made that first charge against Paul. Now according to Roman law, if you bring a prisoner to trial like this and the accusers, the original accusers of the wrongdoing aren't there, they're to be found and tried themselves. There's a stiff penalty for making an accusation than not showing up in court.
Paul knew Roman law. He brings this up. So we have Tertulus, prosecuting attorney, some of the council members, but not the original accusers. So he says where are the original accusers? They're not here at court. And if the ones bringing the charge who were there in the council, they can think back to the first trial when nothing at all was found against me.
He makes a great point. Unless, verse 21, unless it is for this one statement which I cried out, standing among them, concerning the resurrection of the dead, I am being judged by you this day. But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, Felicius, the commander comes down, I will make a decision in your case. The author of this book of Acts is who? Luke.
Luke, the doctor, the physician, the traveling companion with Paul, the historian who wrote the book of Luke, also wrote the book of Acts. And did you notice that Luke, the historian, ascribes to the procurator Antonius Felix that he is a person who has an understanding, a greater knowledge, a more accurate knowledge of the way, right? Now, he succeeded Pontius Pilate. He would have heard of the crucifixion.
Big news. He would have heard of the news of the resurrection. He would have known that Christians are spreading around, that many people are upset that Christianity is spreading around the Middle East. He has heard the rumors. He no doubt has some concern. He has been briefed on the case of Jesus of Nazareth and his capital punishment, death by crucifixion.
So he has a knowledge and understanding of the way. Now who was this procurator? Well, he wasn't a good guy. He was a bad guy. Antonius Felix at one time was a slave who was given freedom by the emperor in Rome by the name of Claudius. Claudius gave him his freedom, but he was a nobody. But this nobody had a brother by the name of Marcus who was very popular in the Roman court in Rome itself.
He got his brother the job as procurator of Judea. This man called Felix is a name he gave himself. It means happy. In Spanish, Feliz. In Latin, Felix.
Happy. But he wasn't a happy man, nor did he bring happiness wherever he went. He was a disaster. In fact, the Roman historian by the name of Tacitus said he was a master of cruelty and lust, and he exercised the power of a king with the spirit of a slave.
He was brutal. Paul knew it. They knew it. Tertulus knew it, but he tried to butter him up, saying you're just so awesome.
But verse 22, we're nearing an end toward this chapter. But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, when Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case. So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him. And after some days, when Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
Boy, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in those conversations. The procurator calls for the prisoner. The procurator says to the prisoner, tell us about your faith in Christ. And we're going to see what Paul says to him in just a moment. But it says that he was there with his wife by the name of Drusilla.
Drusilla was the youngest daughter of King Herod Agrippa I. Now, I've told you about the Harrods in our studies in the Book of Acts. I mentioned that they're a mess. I've gone through all the different ones.
I'll leave it at that for tonight. I think the wind will blow all recollection of it far away if I were to get into it. So she was the youngest daughter of King Herod Agrippa I. She was known for her beauty and she was married at age 16. Now, she comes from the family of Harrods, which means it's her grandfather who killed those babies in Bethlehem.
It was her great uncle who had John the Baptist's head severed from his body. So they're a family that was well known, illustrious. They were an Edomite family, but she says she was Jewish. So she had some kind of messianic hope. Also, she was married before. She was married at age 16. And Felix, after she was married to whoever she was married to, saw her and lured her away from her husband. And so he broke up that marriage and got this married woman to become his wife. Now, it's his third marriage.
It's her second, but it's his third marriage. So Felix and Drusilla call for Paul the apostle. And they sent for Paul and heard him concerning faith in Christ.
Now, the last few verses are the best, so I'm slowing down just a little bit. I bet that Felix was simply curious. He was just wondering, who is this Paul guy? I keep hearing about him. I've heard about Jesus of Nazareth. I want to know more.
I'm curious about this belief system. And I'm wondering, why would a guy risk life and limb, a prominent Jewish rabbi in Jerusalem, travel around the world at the risk of being misunderstood, at the risk of being beaten up and killed, and here almost killed in Jerusalem? What would motivate a guy like that? He's got to be crazy. He's got to be a nutcase. I'm interested in this guy.
What does he have to say? Reminds me a story about a man who went to a store, clothing store, and he bought a shirt. It was a bright green shirt with big purple polka dots, ugliest thing in the world. He bought it, took it home, but he discovered that in the pocket of the shirt was a note from a girl who worked at the factory. It said, whoever gets a shirt, would you please send me your picture? And so he thought, oh, this is romance.
Something could start because of this. So he put the shirt on, got a nice picture of himself, sent it to her, hoping that he would get a letter back, which he did. And she said, oh, don't misunderstand me. I'm just the seamstress at the shirt factory. And I was wondering what kind of jerk would buy a shirt like that? She was just curious.
Who's going to buy this thing? You're listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we get back to Skip's teaching, God desires to work in and through your life as a believer. And he does this through the Holy Spirit, who lives in everyone who places their trust in Jesus. We want to help you better understand the Holy Spirit by sending you The Holy Spirit Then and Now, a resource featuring two books by Chuck Smith, The Book of Acts Commentary and Power, a biblical balance on the person and work of the Holy Spirit with an introduction by Skip Heitzig. This resource is our thanks for your gift of at least fifty dollars today to help share biblical teaching with more people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. Go to connectwithskip.com slash offer or call 800-922-1888 and request your copy when you give at least fifty dollars today to reach people around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig.
Let's continue with today's teaching with Pastor Skip. So Antonius Felix, I think he and his wife are curious. She has a messianic hope. She's Jewish. He's been placed there by the favor of his brother in the favor of Claudia Caesar.
They're just curious. And so, verse 25, Now as he, that is as Paul reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Notice that again. As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Felix was afraid.
Mark that. One translation says Felix trembled. That's a more accurate translation. He started shaking. He started trembling. And he answered, go away for now.
When I have a convenient time, I will call for you. Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore, he sent for him more often and conversed with him. I love this verse of Scripture. I love these verses.
And if you've been with us in Israel, these are the verses I often cover when we are in the theater at Caesarea by the coast where this took place. What I love is the word reasoned. Paul reasoned with him. Dia legomai is the Greek word. And dia legomai means to think through something. To think it through.
To resolve the issue. To reason it through. You know, I find that the Christian faith is a very reasonable faith.
And so I get mystified because so many people are unreasonable when it comes to matters of faith. Well, why should I believe that? Well, you should just believe it. Well, why? Because I said so.
But why? Well, because I've always believed it. And you've always believed it. So you should always believe it. That's not reasonable. Give me reasons why you believe.
The Bible says we should be able to give to unbelievers a reason for the hope that is in us. And Paul reasoned. He thought it through. He worked it through with him.
But what makes me chuckle? It says that Felix trembled. Felix was afraid.
And I laugh at this because it's a role reversal. Who's in charge, Felix? Who's the prisoner, Paul?
Let's see. Procurator in charge. Prisoner not in charge in chains.
Huh. I'm thinking prisoners should be trembling. Procurator should be laughing.
No. The guy in charge is shaking. Is trembling.
Because Paul has reasoned certain things through with him. D.L. Moody used to say, if you throw a stone into a pack of dogs, it's always the one that got hit that does the yelping. This dog's a yelping. The procurator is trembling.
Why? Well, it says that Paul reasoned with him about righteousness. Can you hear the conversation?
Can you imagine what it must have been like? Paul, tell me about your belief system. Tell me about your philosophy. No, I'm going to tell you how to get right with the living God. You're not right with God. I'm going to tell you how to get right with God. That's what righteousness means. How to be right with God. Maybe he even went through truths like, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things pass away.
All things become new. He described how to be right with God. Second, he said he reasoned with him about righteousness and then self-control. What does self-control mean? It means the ability to control yourself. It means the ability to restrain your passions. We all have passions. Self-control is putting a hold, a restraint, grabbing a hold of your passions. Don't letting them rule you.
You rule them. Now, why would that make him shake? Because he had exercised no self-control in this illicit relationship he had with his wife, Drusilla. It's his third marriage.
It's her second. He lured her away because she was beautiful. All he cared about was his flesh and gratifying his passions. So Paul is telling him about how to get right with God and how to exercise self-control. Would you say Paul is treading on thin ice here before this governor?
I would. I think he's like, Paul, don't push it. And there's a third. He reasoned with him about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. I mean, Paul's letting him have it.
Both barrels. He's not pulling any punches. I think it went something like this. You know, with all due respect, Governor Felix, you're sitting on the throne judging me, but one day you're going to be standing before God's throne. You're going to be judged. You're going to be the one on trial, not me. You. You will face a certain judgment by a holy God.
He reasoned with him about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment. Can I ask you a question? I want you to think about it honestly. You don't have to answer out loud.
You can answer it just in your head so nobody knows. Do you think it's unloving to tell people that there is a hell awaiting them if they reject Christ? Is that unloving to do so? Or is the most loving thing you could ever do is to tell a person the truth about eternity, that there's a God who loves them, and there's a heaven awaiting for them if they turn to Christ, but if they reject, there is a certain judgment to come. Did you know that Jesus Christ, the Lord of love, spoke about hell more than anybody else in the Bible?
Why? Because he knew about it. He had seen it. He had created it for the devil and his angels, and he knew the ramifications.
Thus, he warned about it more often than anyone else. So I want you to think about it. Is it unloving to tell somebody about judgment? I think it's loving. If it's done with a sweetness and a servant's heart, maybe even with weeping if need be. I always have concerns as church history moves on, and I see trends rise in church movements around the world. And there's a trend to soft pedal the gospel, to don't really talk much about judgment or about blood on a cross or heaven and hell, but just make people feel good about who they are. Give them something positive. I think the most positive thing you could ever do for a person is to keep them from facing God's judgment in hell. Friends don't let friends go to hell. There was an ad in a newspaper for a church locally, and the church ad said this. If you come, you will meet friends and neighbors, not a bunch of religious fanatics. They might tell you where you can find a good babysitter or about a job opening that they heard about, but they will not tell you how to live your life.
Well, I got to tell you something. Jesus will tell you how to live your life because he knows how your life ought to be lived. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Christianity is the way. We're followers of the way, not a way, not one of many roads or ways, the way. Jesus will tell you how to run your life and live your life because he loves you. And if you're not living your life the right way, he'll instruct you how to do it. That's what I love about truth. Sometimes we have a fifth gospel. We know there are four, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but some of us have five gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and our own. And we take selected verses that we like or that we think are nice, and those comprise our gospel.
But the gospel includes righteousness, self-control, and the judgment which is to come. Now his response is sad. Felix was afraid, but he answered, go away for now. And when I have a convenient time, I will call for you. That's procrastination. Yeah, I'm going to wait till my life gets straightened out, then I'll come. Procrastination, putting it off for tomorrow. You say, oh, but he trembled.
Man, it says he was afraid. Isn't that awesome? Yes, it's awesome. But don't get so excited about people's emotional response.
Wait and see how it translates the next day. I love seeing people come to an emotional point and give their life to Christ. But a shed tear is wonderful, but it can only last a moment.
What about the changed life? Because some people have shed a tear, but then they have a hardened heart. They harden their heart right afterwards. And I got to tell you something. Hardening of the heart spiritually is a lot worse than hardening of the arteries physically.
It's a worse condition. He really hardened his heart. He said, go away for now when I have a convenient time, then I will call for you. It's one of the saddest scriptures in all the Bible. You know, the Philippian jailer asked Paul the apostle, remember when the earthquake happened? And Paul said, don't hurt yourself, we're still here.
And the Philippian jailer said, what's the question? What must I do to be saved? What must I do to be saved? That's a good question. And he said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. But I have another question.
What must I do to be lost? Answer, absolutely nothing. Nothing. Don't turn to Christ. Let it go. Let it ride. Don't make a choice.
Put it off. Absolutely nothing. What must I do to be saved? Believe in Christ.
What must I do to be lost? Nothing. And Felix goes into history as one who was the procrastinator. That's why I said, atheism has slain its thousands, but procrastination, it's tens of thousands. Sometimes when I give ultra calls and people come forward afterwards, I talk to them, some of them will say, well, I just came for the first time, or I just started coming, or I've really first heard the gospel just in this message. But oftentimes I find people who said, you know, I've come for a long time. Weeks, months, even years.
And I've heard, but I've just put it off. I was waiting for the day I'd get straightened out. So, once again, before we take the Lord's Supper, I'm going to give you an opportunity here, quietly before the Lord, to evaluate your own life, your own choices, and ask, have you believed? Are you leaning upon? Are you trusting in? Nothing else.
No one else but the Lord Jesus Christ. Thanks for listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. We hope you've been strengthened in your walk with Jesus by today's program. Before we let you go, we want to remind you about this month's resource that will help you understand the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Our two-book bundle, The Holy Spirit Then and Now, with two books by Chuck Smith, is our thanks for your support of Connect with Skip Heitzig today. Request your copy when you give $50 or more.
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