A Word in Season: Felix in the dock Acts 24:25

Felix Before Paul in Acts 24

Acts chapter 24 tells us about a Roman governor by the name of Felix. Felix was married to a Jewish woman called Drusilla. She was actually his third wife, a daughter of a king called Herod Agrippa, and a renowned beauty, and Felix had stolen her from her husband.

And now he has authority over the apostle Paul, who has been taken prisoner and is now brought before Felix. And Felix hears Paul concerning the faith in Christ. So Paul is going to have an opportunity here to lay the facts of the life, and the death, and the resurrection, and the reign, and the coming judgment from Jesus Christ before this man Felix.

He's going to explain precisely who the Lord Jesus Christ is as the incarnate Son of God who's come into the world to save sinners, who's been declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, and into whose hands the Father has committed the final judgment.

Paul’s Message of Righteousness, Self-Control, and Judgment

And he reasons with Felix. He explains and applies these things to him, pressing them upon this man's conscience. And he reasons about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. That's how Luke describes it in Acts 24 and verse 25.

Righteousness, because Felix is a corrupt man, well known for his lack of justice, for his willingness to receive a bribe. In fact, we'll see later on in the passage, he actually keeps Paul a prisoner, hoping that he'll get a bribe from Paul in order to set him free.

And he reasons about self-control. Because even as you see from the history I've given you of Felix, Felix is a man given to the indulgence of his appetites and his desires, not least his sexual appetites.

He's taken this woman because he's looked on her, and he's lusted after her. And that seems to have been typical of the man. He gets what he wants, he sees, he desires, he pursues, and because of his power he often gets.

And then the judgment to come. You see, Felix has been living as if no one is watching. And Paul makes clear that there is a greater judge than Felix, before whom Felix will one day come. That the same Christ who died on a Roman cross has risen again from the dead, and his resurrection is a guarantee of the judgment which lies before us.

That every one of us will be called to the dock, will come to the bar of Christ, the courtroom of heaven, and must give an answer for the deeds that we have done in our bodies. And the irony now is that though Paul is in the dock on earth, that Felix feels himself in the dock of heaven.

Felix’s Fear and Delay

The pressure of eternal things begins to press upon him. He begins to feel the guilt of his sins and his crimes. He begins to understand that he is an accountable man, and that he must one day give an answer to God for the way that he has lived his life and discharged his duties.

And so Felix was afraid. He begins to tremble. Perhaps his face goes pale and sweat breaks out on his brow. He begins to feel those realities pressing in upon him, and he knows that there is no escape.

And so, sadly, he delays. He says to Paul, go away for now. When I have a convenient time, I will call for you. And he's hoping then that Paul will give him this bribe that will allow him to release Paul and avoid any more trouble.

Now, something about Paul's sincerity and intensity has obviously gripped Felix because he talks with him for a number of other times. But there's no indication that Felix ever turns from his sins. He's a delayer.

He's a procrastinator. Another time, and maybe then I'll do something, when it's convenient. But Felix, when he knew that he was a sinner in the hands of God, should have cried out in faith and repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ, and he would have been saved.

Christ Alone Can Remove the Guilt of Sin

We don't know whether or not Felix ever did that, but if you understand whether or not it's because of righteousness, or self-control, or some other sin, that there is a judgment to come when you will give an answer to God for your sins, then you need to understand that Christ, and Christ alone, is able to take away the guilt and the shame of your sin, and to make you clean before God, and to make you acceptable in his sight, so that you need fear the judgment no longer.