Acts 24
COMMENTARY:
: 3 We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. (2169 “thankfulness” [eucharistia] means thanksgiving, the giving of thanks, the act of expressing gratitude or showing appreciation to someone, or to express gratitude for benefits or blessings.)
DEVOTION: We have to guard our speech when we are dealing with people. There is a difference between compliments and flattery. Compliments are to be given when they are deserved. It is to say something about someone who has done something nice to us or others.
Flattery is something that is said not in honesty but to get something from someone who can provide us with what we want but really is not a very nice person. We are lying when what we say something about them isn’t true. We are doing it to get what we want but not caring that the person is really in need of constructive criticism instead of a compliment.
Here we find an orator speaking to a ruler in order to get the ruler to do what he wants him to do. He has ulterior motive. It is not to just state the truth about the person but to tell him what he wants to hear in order that he would give the right judgment regarding Paul.
The Jews really didn’t like being ruled by Gentiles. They wanted the Gentiles to give them their freedom to do what they wanted. They couldn’t at this time and so they wanted to say whatever would make the Gentile rulers happy. Many times the rulers liked to please the Jews to keep the peace.
We might fall into this type of speech sometimes. We might say things that are nice in order to get our way when we know our way is not what is right. When we get what we want it sometimes causes us to be sad the way we got our way.
Our speech should be honest at all times. Sometimes the advice given long ago is good:” if you can’t say something nice don’t say anything at all.”
CHALLENGE: Watch out for those who say only nice things to you and never confront you when you are wrong.
: 5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. (3061 “pestilent” [loimos] means pest, plague, troublemaker, public menace, nuisance, or any deadly infectious malady.)
DEVOTION: How many of us have ever been called a pest while we were growing up or even as an adult. Sometimes it is a wife calling her husband a pest about something he wants to do as a family or a wife that wants something to happen.
Some of us might have even been called a troublemaker. Elijah was called a person who troubles Israel. He was a prophet who caused it not to rain for three and a half years because of the sins of Israel. He was a good prophet that a wicked king didn’t want around.
Achan was called by Joshua someone who caused trouble for Israel was they entered the Promised Land. He was a man who stole things that belonged to the LORD and because of that thirty six men died. He was guilty of greed.
Now we have Paul called a troublemaker because he believed in the Way that they thought was heresy. He was teaching that Jesus Christ was the Messiah which they didn’t believe, so it must have been heresy. They were wrong but they didn’t want to lose their standing with the Roman government.
I have been called a troublemaker for asking questions in Seminary about some of the things that were being taught to the young men who were there with me. I was older and had been in the Seminary years before earning another Master’s degree. I thought that these young men were accepting all that was being taught by men who had never been pastors in churches. Being a professor all of their life didn’t make them good pastors. My previous group of instructors had been pastors with many years of experience. Their teaching regarding how a pastor should pastor was good. When we think that we have something to say that is truth we should not worry about what people say about us. We should make sure that people know what we believe is found in the Bible not just in books. Practical experience in ministry helps us understand what needs to be done to cause the ministry of Christ to move forward.
Paul was preaching the truth but these individuals didn’t want to hear it and didn’t want others to hear it either. Should he have stopped teaching the truth about Jesus Christ? NO!! Neither should we. Make sure we are speaking the truth in love but always speaking the truth.
You are going to be called names if you are faithful to the LORD. Sometimes the names are accurate if we are not guarding our life as we should. Confession is necessary during those times to the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Otherwise tell it like it is and let the LORD deal with those who call you a heretic. That will happen.
: 14 But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets. (3000 “worship” [latreuo] means serve, to serve for hire, minister to, to perform sacred services, to offer gifts, or to worship and perform sacral rites following prescribed rules.)
DEVOTION: Paul was honest in his statement to Felix. He stated what he believed. He told him that he was falsely accused of causing problems. He had just gone into the Temple to complete a vow.
He confessed that he did believe the teachings of this new group that was called the Way at the time. There has been other groups who have not be true followers of Jesus Christ according to the Bible who have called their group “the Way.” These are two different groups. The one in the first century were teaching according to the teaching of Jesus alone. The one in the twentieth century were not following the fundamental teachings of the Word of God.
Now Paul also stated that he worshiped the God of his father. This is the God of the Bible. He believed the teachings of the Old Testament. He believed that the teachings of Moses would cause people to realize that they were sinners and needed redemption through blood sacrifice. He believed Jesus blood sacrifice on the cross completed the sacrificial offering of the Old Testament. No more sacrifices were needed for redemption. Jesus did it all.
He also stated that he believed the Prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah. He believed Jesus fulfilled many of these prophesies at HIS first coming and would fulfill the rest at HIS second coming. This is what we believe as well today.
We can learn about God from Genesis to Revelation. Each book helps us understand who God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are in relationship to us. The triune God is one God in three persons. Each person of the Godhead has specific responsibilities in their relationship to us.
CHALLENGE: Find out what these responsibilities are and then apply them to your understanding of the ONE TRUE God you serve.
: 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you. (1256 “reasoned” [dialegomai] means made a speech, to say thoroughly, to ponder, discuss, dispute, preach, to think different things with one’s self, or to mingle thought with thought.)
DEVOTION: Paul was not afraid to confront a political leader in his position. He was under arrest and still spoke with power from on high. He told the governor about a need to be righteousness in his life. The first point of his speech was that all have sinned and need a Savior. In order to live right there has to be confession of sin.
The governor had heard the testimony of the Jews. He had postponed any judgment on Paul until the chief captain came. He gave Paul personal freedoms. He wanted Paul to pay him a bribe, so that, he could set him free. Instead of paying a bribe, Paul preached.
He told the governor that he needed to have temperance in his life. Paul’s second point dealt with the present. Dealing with sin deals with the past. In the present there was a need for self-control. Felix was on his third wife. He had his present wife divorce her husband. He was out of control with his lust.
He told the governor there was judgment coming. With this message we know that he told the governor to repent and follow Christ. The governor trembled at the message. When anyone is confronted with the prospect of meeting God for his final judgment there is FEAR. Felix knew he would stand before God one day.
The only thing he could do was send Paul away and say he would call him back another time. We find that when we witness to some people, they want us to come back later. There might not be a latter. Those who are on our prayer lists that need salvation need to know they are on our list. We need to keep praying and talking to them about Jesus. The Lord will work in HIS time. We have the ONLY answer to their real need. WE have to give an account to the LORD for those who are in our world. If we have had an opportunity to witness and don’t listen to the Holy Spirit – we will answer for it. If we listen and witness, we are free of their blood. Do we have the courage of Paul?
CHALLENGE: Ask the LORD to guide you through the Holy Spirit on who you should witness to. Then do it!!! Don’t fear them.
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
Visit our Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.