Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

When you have gospel conversations with your friends or family members, what response are you hoping for?

How many conversations do you expect you should have with someone before they either repent and believe… or reject the gospel… and then you never bring it up again?

We are picking up today right where we left off last Sunday, with the Apostle Paul riding horseback with a bunch of Roman soldiers away from Jerusalem and toward Caesarea (a major port city of the Mediterranean Sea on the cost of Judea).

The soldiers were for Paul’s protection – there were 40 assassins dedicated to Paul’s death in Jerusalem – and the soldiers were also keeping Paul prisoner – Paul was under Roman arrest.

The short story is that Paul had been preaching the gospel of Christ far and wide in ancient Roman territories, and many Gentiles (non-Jews) had become Christians, repenting and believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

But many of the Jewish leaders saw Christianity (at least Paul’s brand of Christianity) as more of a heretical sect of first-century Judaism.

“Those Gentiles can have a second-class citizenship in the covenant God has made with His people, but only if they abide by the Mosaic laws and Jewish customs.”

Well, Paul taught that this sort of thinking would only keep sinners (both Jews and Gentiles) in bondage, and the Lord Jesus Christ had come to set sinners free by establishing a new covenant through which guilty sinners could become pure, holy, and righteous before God simply by trusting in or believing in or having faith in the finished work of Christ.

Thus, sinners of all sorts, Jew and Gentile alike, could have their sins forgiven and could grab hold of that glorious hope of final resurrection unto life everlasting, and all this by grace alone through faith alone in the person and work of Christ alone.

The lines were drawn, Jewish leaders on one side and Paul on the other, and both parties were headed to make their case in the courtroom of a governor named Felix.

That’s where we’re going to jump into the story.

One more quick note before we read our passage…

If your Bible is the King James translation or an NASB, then you are going to have quite a few extra words on the page than what I will read out loud today.

The ESV is what I’m reading from, and there is a significant textual variation in Acts 24:6-8.

I’ve talked a lot about textual variants in the Bible, and I’ll just say here that these should not cause us to doubt the trustworthiness of the Scriptures.

Rather, as I see it, the fact that we can know where the variants are, that we can know what the different manuscripts say, and that we know none of the variants have any impact on the core teachings of Scripture.

Well, all of this makes me trust the Bible even more as I study the subject of textual criticism.

If it bothers you, or if you have more questions about this, then come ask me after the service.

I can recommend some articles, YouTube videos, and books, if you’re interested.[i]

Scripture Reading

Acts 23:33–24:27 (ESV)

33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him.

34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from.

And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.”

And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus.

They laid before the governor their case against Paul. 2 And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying:

“Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, 3 in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude.

4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.

5 For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

6 He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him.

8 By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.”

9 The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so.

10 And when the governor had nodded to him to speak, Paul replied:

“Knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation, I cheerfully make my defense.

11 You can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, 12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city.

13 Neither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me.

14 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, 15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.

16 So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.

17 Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings.

18 While I was doing this, they found me purified in the temple, without any crowd or tumult.

But some Jews from Asia— 19 they ought to be here before you and to make an accusation, should they have anything against me.

20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council, 21 other than this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’”

22 But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”

23 Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

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.

27 When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus.

And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Main Idea:

Worldly interests can distract us from that which matters most, while tending to eternal truths can produce contentment and boldness in any situation.

Sermon

1. Waiting for the Accusers (23:33-36)

Our passage today is, in many ways, similar to the one we considered a few Sundays ago (Acts 22).

In both passages, there is a Roman official trying to decide Paul’s guilt or innocence.

In both, there are several Jewish leaders trying to shut Paul’s mouth forever.

And, in each, there is a lengthy testimony, in which Paul offers a “defense” for what he’s preaching and for who Christ is.

One major difference between Acts 22 and Acts 24, though, is the perspective from which Luke records the events.

In Acts 22, Luke largely focuses on Paul – Paul’s defense, his backstory, his calling as an Apostle, and his message about a resurrected Messiah who welcomes Gentiles into God’s family.

In Acts 24, Luke largely focuses on Felix, the “governor” of Judea who lives in “Caesarea” (v33).

In fact, Luke describes Felix as waiting three times, keeping Paul in custody three times, and delaying his decision about Paul and his message three times.

Luke records exactly three statements from Felix, and all three of them are delays: “I will give you a hearing when [or “after”] your accusers arrive” (Acts 23:35); “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case” (Acts 24:22); “When I get an opportunity [or “When I find it convenient” or “when I find time”] I will summon you” (Acts 24:25).

It’s also interesting that after each of these delays, Paul is “to be guarded” (v35) or “kept in custody” (v23) or “left… in prison” (v27).

Friends, this is what you call a rhetorical pattern or a literary device.

Luke isn’t making the story up as he goes, but he’s also not recording everything.

More to the point here, Luke is arranging his text in such a way that the reader will pick up more than just the bare facts of the case.

Acts 24 is not about evaluating Paul’s guilt or innocence.

If you’ve been following the story up to this point, then you already know Paul is innocent of these charges!

And you already know that the Jewish leaders are out to get Paul at any cost, up to and including murder!

No, Acts 24 is about a Roman governor, who had the preeminent evangelist of early Christianity come right up to his doorstep to talk with him about the Messiah, which he knew all-too-well the Jews are expecting.

The “praetorium” or governor’s fortress where Felix commanded Paul to be “guarded” (v35) was built by the same “Herod” who (50 years or so earlier) “killed” all the little boys 2-years-old and younger “in Bethlehem and in all that region” (Matt.

2:16), because he heard that a baby had been born who was called “king of the Jews” (Matt.

2:2).

And Felix is the governor of Judea!

No more than 20 years had passed since Pontius Pilate had vacated that same governor’s seat, and Felix was brought in to deal with the political instability of that region, which was still a live wire because of Jewish zealots who would not abide Roman rule.

What little history does record about Felix is that he was born a slave, that he was freed by a Roman emperor, and that he was a brutal and corrupt governor who only seemed to make problems worse in Judea during his short political career there.

This opening scene of our passage, then, introduces us to the main character of this episode of Luke’s storyline – Paul making his way to Rome.

It was “to his Excellency the governor Felix” that the tribune had sent Paul (Acts 23:26); and it was “to Felix” that “seventy horsemen” had brought Paul “safely” on a hard ride away from danger (Acts 23:24).

And now, Felix meets Paul… and the first thing Felix wants to know is “what province” is Paul from (v34)?

Felix was a savvy politician.

He knew that important people live in “Cilicia” (v34).

Paul himself had said that Cilicia was “no obscure city” (Acts 21:39).

So, Felix decided that he would “give [Paul] a hearing” … but only “when [his] accusers arrive” (v34).

For now, Paul would have to wait, “guarded in Herod’s praetorium” (v35), and so Felix would wait as well.

Up to this point in the episode, Felix may or may not have known what Paul’s message was.

Felix may have thought that Paul was a troublemaker, or he may have thought that Paul was the target of other troublemakers in Jerusalem.

Either way, all became clear when Paul and his accusers each presented their cases to Governor Felix in his courtroom… “five days” later (v1).

2. Waiting for the Tribune (v1-23)

Part A. The Prosecution (v1-9)

This next section of our text begins in 24:1, and it ends with yet another statement of delay from Felix, in v22-23.

For the second time in our passage, Felix is waiting for something or someone in order to make a decision about Paul.

But the section is divided into two segments: (A) a prosecution and (B) a defense.

The whole thing puts off a strong courtroom vibe.

There is a formal accuser, a defendant, and a judge presiding over all of it.

Each party gets their turn to make a case, and both are appealing to Governor Felix as the authority.

But each party has its own strategy and style.

Let’s look first at the prosecution, in v1-9.

The accusers consist of “Ananias” (the “high priest”), “some elders,” and a “spokesman” or “orator” or “lawyer,” a man named “Tertullus” (v1).