Acts Of The Apostles 35 Of 39

Felix was a politician in every sense of the word. He had risen from being a subservient person, to the position of Governor of Judaea. He got his start through the influence of his brother at the imperial court of Claudius. He married three Princesses, which also elevated his career. The first princess was the granddaughter of Antony and Cleopatra, and the third was the well-known Drusilla, daughter of King Agrippa. To say the least, Felix was not known for being of good character.

Illus: Tacitus, the Roman historian said of Felix, "Felix, indulging in every kind of barbarity and lust, exercised the power of a king in the Spirit of a slave."

We get the picture of a man who had the job, but did not appear to be qualified for the job. Nevertheless, he was the man before whom Paul stood on many occasions.

I. THE FAST ARRIVAL

A. THE SPEED

Verse 1, "And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Terurllus, who informed the governor against Paul."

Notice, Ananias, the high priest, and his cohorts, wasted no time getting to Felix's palace so they could falsely accuse Paul. That high priest had God's Word (the Old Testament), and he should have been the last to bring false accusations against anyone. Lying is among the things the Lord states He despises in Proverb 6. Look at verses 18-19, He lists, "An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren."

Illus: Have you ever seen people make haste to go out of their way to spread discord, sometimes even to the point they will tell lies. Any time you hear someone do this, you can safely assume that the person making the statements does not like the person he is making the negative remarks about. How many times have we observed one person acting as if he likes another person, but in reality he hates that person and wants to see him hurt any way he can? Ananias and the elders literally hated the apostle Paul. They did not even try to make a pretense about it, the way we see some do today. It was clear to everyone around that they were there, wanting the axe to fall on the neck of the apostle Paul. Why? Because those religious leaders knew they were loosing converts to Christianity, and they wanted to send a signal to all the other disciples that they had better stop spreading Christ's teachings because if they did not, they were going to experience the same fate as Paul!

Not only did they get there as quickly as possible, they came with a professional orator. This orator was supposed to impress governor Felix.

B. THE SPEECH

Verse 2a, "And when he (Paul), was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him..." Notice this, that crowd that was doing the devil's work was going first class. They knew the importance of having the right man in the right place. This is something many Christians have never been able to comprehend down through the ages.

Illus: For example, we find that today the devil's crowd has filled about every important position they can fill.

1. They are almost in complete control of the air waves. There are a few Christian radio and television stations, and programs, but many times you hear more garbage and scandals on them than you do on some of the secular stations.

2. The devil's crowd has almost complete control of newspapers and news broadcasting programs across our nation. Every night they report what they consider to be newsworthy, whether it is or not.

3. The movie and theater actors are exalted like gods across this country. Their lifestyles certainly depict everything Satan wants all of society to follow.

4. Then, as we look at the politicians in Washington, and elsewhere, you will be hard-pressed to find a born-again believer among them.

The point we are wanting you to get is this, the devil's crowd knows the importance of placing their best people in key positions, and of using their best to get the job done. In this case, they needed a great orator and Tertullus was qualified. He used his gift to bring about a decision that they hoped would doom the apostle Paul to death. Well, they brought their very best, but they were soon to find out that Paul was one of God's very best.

II. THE FALSE ACCUSATION

A. THE FLATTERY

Verses 2b-4, "...saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words."