Paul: Before Felix and Agrippa

The next chapter in Paul’s life would be filled with upheaval and he sensed it coming. After spending some time in Asia and Macedonia strengthening the believers, Paul traveled through Troas and Miletus en router to Jerusalem. Sensing that he might now have the opportunity to see many of the believers face-to-face again he sent for the Elders of the Ephesian church and gave them a message of encouragement and exhortation. During this sermon, he revealed the extent of his knowledge about what awaited him in Jerusalem.

“And now behold I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God and now behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more” (Acts 20:22-25)

Paul understood that challenges and trials awaited him in Jerusalem, yet with equal certainty, he knew that God wanted him to go to Jerusalem anyway. His response to the situation was; “none of these things move me.” What mattered most to him was finishing the work God had given him to do and part of that work was going to Jerusalem.

Often we think that being a Christian means we get a free pass on trials, especially if we are committed to serving God yet Paul’s life presents a different reality. Life wasn’t easy for Paul. There was no get-out-of-jail-free card for apostles, even the most committed ones. Jerusalem meant imprisonment yet Jerusalem was where God was pointing. Paul didn’t stop to clarify God’s command, he simply went.

Luke records their reception in Jerusalem with these words; “When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. On the following day, Paul went in with us to James and all the elders were present”

During this meeting, Paul first presented to the leadership the financial contributions made by the gentile believers for the work in Jerusalem. The offering exceeded the expectations of the leaders and represented significant sacrificial giving on the part of the gentile believers on behalf of their Jewish brethren in Jerusalem.

Then Paul gave a full report of his work among the gentiles. The report was met with mixed feelings. There were many among the leadership in Jerusalem who either resented Paul’s methods in reaching the gentiles or who were prejudiced against them. They felt he didn’t honor Jewish tradition and ceremonial law as he should. Instead of rejoicing at the work that God had accomplished through Paul the leaders in Jerusalem focused on the trouble Paul had stirred up among the Jewish diaspora in the various cities he had visited.

Reports had come to the Jews in Jerusalem that Paul was a troublemaker. These reports gave the leaders pause and prompted a suggestion; “You see brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law and have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs” (Acts 21:20-21)

Instead of affirming Paul’s work and defending him against false allegations the leaders in Jerusalem were eager to make peace between the church and the synagogue in Jerusalem. It was a thin line to tread. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem knew that blatant non-conformity to the Jewish ceremonial law exposed the church to persecution. If Christians were hauled before the Sanhedrin and accused of being breakers of the mosaic law they would receive swift and unforgiving punishment.

Additionally, there were many Jewish Christians who still believed that the ceremonial law was binding. They felt that by making small concessions with regard to the law they could perhaps deflect the prejudice of other Jews and win them to the gospel. None of these attitudes were wise but the situation was layered and complex.

In an attempt to appease the angry Jews the leaders of the Jerusalem church suggested a compromise; “Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow, take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what has been told about you but that you yourself also live in observance of the law” (Acts 21:23-24)

It was a compromise that Paul was willing to make for the sake of the gospel. Paul understood the nuances of the situation. He knew that in order to be truly effective in the field he needed the support of the church at Jerusalem and he was eager to preserve harmony in order to make sure the gospel thrived.

But the suggestion by the church leaders also held a double standard, one which they themselves exposed when they said “But as for the Gentiles who have believed we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from that which has been strangled and from sexual immorality” (Acts 21:25)

In other words, while the leaders in Jerusalem were trying to hold Paul accountable to the standard of the Mosaic law they were willing to stand by the previous decision of the Jerusalem council which released Gentile converts from the obligations of that law. So which was it to be? Was the law of Moses a standard that Christians needed to adhere to or not? Clearly, what they were trying to imply here was that so long as the context called for it the law of Moses needed to be upheld but how was that consistent? Scripture points us to consistent Christian conduct regardless of context, nuance, or variables.

Paul’s willingness to compromise within this particular context and circumstance while guided by good intentions begs a whole host of questions; regardless of his good intentions was Paul’s course of action sanctioned by God? Is it right to compromise Biblical truth and personal conviction in order to keep the peace? Are concessions that compromise biblical truth or biblical principles a necessary part of harmony within the church? Can such concessions truly bring about harmony? Or do they cause more confusion? Should Paul have stood his ground instead of folding to pressure so easily?

Paul’s concession came with a heavy price, one that neither Paul nor the church should have had to pay. While Paul was in the temple going through the rituals associated with his vow he was recognized by some of the Jews who had persecuted him in Asia. Enraged that Paul should be in the temple and filled with hatred and bigotry they “stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out “men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law of this place” (Acts 21:27-28)

They accused Paul of bringing a gentile into the temple, mistakenly supposing that he had brought Trophiumus, an Ephesian disciple who had accompanied him to Jerusalem, into the temple precincts. A riot broke out and Paul was caught in the heart of a frenzied mob high on bloodlust.

The Romans intervened and, assuming that Paul was some sort of criminal had him arrested and chained. When he was brought to the barracks the tribune, Claudius Lysias tried to figure out who he was. Was he an Egyptian? One of the men who had stirred up a revolt and led four thousand assassins into the wilderness? Paul calmly identified himself and asked to address the raging Jewish mob. Claudius Lysias granted his request and the mob listened to Paul in silence until he told them about his conversion experience, specifically the commission given to him by Jesus to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. When he shared this the mob whipped themselves into a frenzy and shouted “Away with such a fellow from the earth for he should not be allowed to live”

Hoping to prevent another riot, Claudia Lysias commanded that Paul be brought back to the barracks and examined by flogging. When he had been stretched out in preparation for the punishment Paul turned to one of the centurions standing watch and asked “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” His question sent the centurion to the tribune with a question of his own “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman Citizen.” The flogging was halted and Paul was given a reprieve. The next day the tribune called in the chief priests and elders and asked them to examine Paul. The trial ended in mayhem and Claudias Lysias had to withdraw Paul for fear that he would be torn apart limb from limb.

Later, alone in his cell and exhausted by the events of the past few days, perhaps Paul questioned his choices; had he done the right thing? Was visiting Jerusalem a mistake? Had his desire to be in harmony with the church leaders resulted in this unmitigated disaster? Perhaps darkness pressed in on him. Perhaps he was tempted to break down in weeping and prayer.

Amid the darkness God reached out to Paul with words of encouragement and hope; “the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘take courage for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome” (Acts 23:11)

While God was encouraging his faithful servant, Paul’s enemies were plotting to kill him. “When it was day the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy” (Acts 23:12-13)

Paul’s nephew got wind of the plot and managed to warn both Paul and the tribune in time. Not wasting a moment, the tribune had Paul transferred to Felix, the governor of Judea under Roman guard. By way of introduction, Claudius Lysias sent Felix a note explaining the situation and asking Felix to take charge of the matter.

Paul was brought down to Caesarea and put into the custody of Felix who placed him in Herod’s praetorium pending trial. Five days after Paul arrived in Caesarea the high priests and some of the elders came down to lay their case before the governor. They brought with them a man named Tertullus, an excelled orator and most likely lawyer whom they had retained to present their case. While Tertullus began his opening argument with a thick layer of flattery and lies, Paul countered the accusations against himself with truth and simplicity. Felix understood, perhaps better than he let on, the issues at stake. He understood Christianity and that Paul was not guilty of anything he had been accused of. But Felix was also a product of the Roman machine. Accolades mattered, keeping his job mattered, and in the delicate balance between power and pandering to the masses he discerned a need to keep the Jewish leaders happy to retain his authority. Cowed by pressure, Felix didn’t hand down the justice Paul needed. Instead, convicted by his defense before the Jewish leaders Felix, accompanied by his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish “sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he reasoned about righteousness, 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”

Paul didn’t sugarcoat the gospel. He told Felix what he needed to hear. Felix was convicted of his sins but he didn’t want to face them, nor did he want to accept what Jesus had to offer. In an attempt to silence his conscience, he sent Paul away but fear kept him from releasing him altogether. Felix didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble with the Jews, nor did he want to let Paul slip away without some sort of financial benefit. He was hoping Paul would slip him a bribe but Paul had neither the inclination nor the funds to grease Felix’s palm. All of these factors conspired to keep Paul in prison for the next two years. Felix kept him comfortable and summoned him from time to time but neither man got what he wanted; Felix didn’t experience Jesus and Paul didn’t cough up any money.

Ultimately Felix was forced to leave his position and Festus succeeded him as governor. When Festus arrived in the province the Jewish leaders wanted him to send Paul down to Jerusalem for a trial. Their plan was to ambush him and kill him en route. Festus declined and asked the Jews to send men to Caesarea instead.

Paul was forced to face yet another trial without a satisfactory resolution and he appealed to the highest court in the land; “But Paul said, ‘I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal. Where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well…I appeal to Caeser” (Acts 25:10-11)

While Paul was waiting to be sent to Rome, King Agrippa and his wife Bernice visited Judea and were hosted by Festus who laid out the case before Agrippa. After listening to Festus’ narrative Agrippa remarked “I would like to hear the man myself”

Paul was brought in before Agrippa the next day and given leave to speak. He took the opportunity to share his testimony, narrating his conversion and calling saying; “Therefore O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the region of Judea and also to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26:19-20)

The climax of Paul’s speech, as always was the resurrection of the dead, a concept so foreign and illusory that Festus cried out “Paul you are out of your mind; great learning is driving you out of your mind” (Acts 26:24)

Paul then turned to Agrippa and makes an impassioned appeal to which Agrippa responded “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” to which Paul exclaimed “Whether short or long I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:29)

Paul was driven by a need to preach the gospel. Nothing mattered more. Standing before the great men of the Roman Empire he didn’t scheme for his release but grappled for their salvation. He was not ashamed of the gospel though it presented realities too strange and unearthly for the secular Roman mind to grasp. Paul was wholeheartedly committed to Jesus and that commitment made his life matter.

While King Agrippa’s response to Paul is noteworthy and presents an important lesson, perhaps Paul’s actions speak just as loudly. He was a man imprisoned because of the hatred and bigotry of his countrymen. A man who believed in a crucified Nazarene whom he insisted had been raised from the dead three days after his death. Paul believed in the impossible. But he believed it because he had experienced it. Paul believed Jesus had risen from the dead because Jesus had appeared to him and turned his life around. Christianity is not a collection of dead doctrines that invite theological debate. Christianity is a living breathing force that transforms our lives through a direct experience with Jesus Christ. This experience in the life of an individual can change the world. In case you ever doubt that all you need to do is look at Paul.

Paul: Before Felix and Agrippa

Further Reading