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Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's Word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ. Back to the Bible for the way of life. Welcome to this period of Bible study. Thank you for taking the time to study with us and to consider God's Word together. Indeed, our concern is to go back to the Bible for it all, every word, every step in the name of Christ. Back to the Bible for the way of life. We are thankful for this opportunity and for the means by which we have to come to you. We are thankful for the technology that allows us to be able to come into your home or on your ride or wherever it is that you are listening to us. And we hope that the things that we have to say are faithful to God's word, that they glorify and that they honor him, and that they are clear and understandable. And if we say anything that you find to be in error, or if you think that we say anything that's unclear, then we would be happy for you to reach out to us and to make that known. You can visit us at our website, backtothebiblepodcast.com and at our website you can find information about the program. You can find links to our old episodes all the way back. For the last couple of years that we've been doing this as a podcast, you can contact us and ask any question that you would like to ask, whether it's about a particular topic that we have covered or maybe you have interest in us covering a different topic. And you can also find extras that we've made available, trying to make other resources available to you, like books and class workbooks and things like that. And also there are archived lessons, lessons from my grandfather when this was just a radio program and he left behind several cassette tapes of his preaching. And so we've been able to duplicate some of those and put them on the website. And so we would be happy for you to check us out@backtothebiblepodcast.com There may be other questions that you have. Perhaps you would like to have personal Bible study. Maybe you're looking for a congregation nearby that you can meet with that is committed to going back to the Bible. We would like to help you with that, and we want you to be encouraged to reach out to us and we will not have our feelings hurt if you think that you disagree with what we're saying. So be it. We want to address that as well and as quickly as we can. Today, I want to continue in our study of The Book of Acts, I believe, over the next few weeks. This is December 14th of 2025. We're going to be making our way through the rest of the Book of Acts with the quickness and with the efficiency that we can. And today we're going to start in Acts, chapter 24, looking about at verse nine, but we'll pick up just a little bit. Pick. Picking up at verse 10, perhaps, and we'll review just a little bit as we go. So In Acts chapter 21, the apostle Paul comes back to Jerusalem. And there's several things that he has in mind as he's doing so, but particularly among them, he is bringing the gift that he has been gathering back to the brethren. Now, we don't read a lot about that gift in the Book of Acts. Some. That's why the men are traveling with him. He will talk to Felix about bringing alms to his nation and several things. But he comes back to Jerusalem. And the brethren there in Jerusalem tell Paul that there are some of the Jewish Christians who have questions about what Paul is instructing people to do as he's preaching. I think that they are not bitter. I don't believe that they are, you know, that they haven't defended Paul. I think it's simply a matter of them trying to make some clarification and let Paul make some clarification. And so they ask him to go. There are some men who have taken a vow. They ask him to go and make some sacrifices for and with them. He does so in order to clarify to the Jewish Christians that he is in fact on board with the law of Moses, that he does walk orderly, that he doesn't teach the Jews to get rid of their habits. And yet what happens is there are Jews from Asia, and this is referencing Asia Minor, who see Paul going in and out of the Temple. And they believe later, when they see Trophimus, an Ephesian, with them, they believe that Paul has taken him in there with them. So they accuse him of blasphemy, of heresy, and of taking the temple, taking this Gentile into the temple, which was forbidden. And so they are about to kill him. Well, the Roman army there, keeping watch, comes down and rescues Paul out of the middle of the chaos. And so in chapter 22, Paul will have an opportunity to give a defense to the crowd, to explain what has happened. Now, Paul basically says that he understands where they are because he was once there. He was once committed to the same ideas and principles that they were committed to. And in fact, he would say that he's still committed to the law and to Moses, but he has gone to the one to whom Moses was pointing. He has moved and is following Jesus Christ. Now, it is all well and good up until the moment that he says that the Lord told him that the Jewish people would not listen and that he needed to go to the Gentiles. Well, at the end of chapter 28, they say this kind of man should not even live if he's going to talk about going and preaching to the Gentiles, if he's going to say, we won't listen, but the Gentiles will. That is a real problem to that crowd. So we come to chapter 23. The Roman commander, who is trying to figure out what's going on, takes Paul to the Sanhedrin, which is the highest Jewish court, and tells Paul to give a defense of himself. And this is the commander's way of trying to figure out what's going on. Well, initially, Paul has this bad interaction with the high priest. And maybe we have questions about. About what exactly is happening there. But Paul, seeing that there's a division within the Sanhedrin, simply says that his trial is about the resurrection of the dead. Now, the Pharisees believed in the future and eternal resurrection. The Sadducees did not believe in such. They didn't believe in angels. They didn't believe in the resurrection. There were other supernatural elements that the Sadducees rejected. And so this breaks out into a division in the Sanhedrin Council. And there are even some of the Pharisees who say, well, maybe we've judged him too quickly. Maybe he really did hear a voice. Maybe he really did hear a word from heaven. Now the Lord encourages Paul and tells him he needs to be courageous because God has plans for him, that he will be his witness, even all the way to Rome. Now Paul learns that there is going to be a plot to kill him through his nephew. And so he sends the nephew to the commander. The commander, hearing of that, goes ahead and sends Paul with a force of troops all the way up to Caesarea. Now, we think of Jerusalem as the main city, maybe even the capital of Palestine or of Israel. But at the time, it was Caesarea. That was the major Roman city. That was their capital. It was on the coast. It's called Caesarea Maritima. And it was the place, for example, where Herod would rule from. And it is in this case, the place where Felix will hear from Paul. So we come to chapter 24, and we looked last time briefly at the idea that the defense. Well, excuse me, the prosecution of the Jewish people comes to Felix and kind of butters him up and accuses Paul of several things. First, first of all, they call him a real pest in verse five and say that he stirs up dissension, that he's a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, and that he even tries to desecrate the temple and judge him according to the law. Now Paul in verse 10 will begin his defense. And I think we ought to listen how he defends himself. Verse 10. He. He says that he is thankful to be able to make his case before Felix because of how long Felix has been a judge of the nation. Now he tells Felix it was not more than 12 days ago that he went up to Jerusalem to worship. Now you think about that. He's been in Felix's holding in his prison and waiting for the trial for five days. And then he was in Claudius Lysias the Jewish. I mean, excuse me, the Roman commander for a couple of days before that. And what he's saying is, I have not had time to be in Jerusalem to even cause such a riot. And he says, when I went there, I was not engaging in. In any argument, in any discussion that would cause a riot. Now he's saying they're going to say things that they can't prove. But they call, and he calls it the way. He says they call the way a sect. And indeed it is by that sect that I serve the living God. He does not deny that he is a part of. Of that. But what he does deny is that that way is in contrast with the way that they are. Maybe I should say it like this. They believe that they stand for the law and that Paul stands against it. And Paul says that the way that I'm committed to I do serve. He says, verse 14. The God of our fathers believing everything that is in accordance with the law and that is written in the prophets, having a hope in God for which these men are waiting, that there shall be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. So Paul says, I am part of the way. I am part of this sect, but I am part of it. In view of the fact that this is the fulfillment of what the law and the prophets had pointed to, I am not departing from the law, not departing from the prophets. I am proclaiming the very thing that the law and the prophets are pointing to, hoping, just like these men are. And specifically he would be talking about the Pharisees in that group, just like these men are Hoping, waiting, anticipating the resurrection. Now he says, in view of this, I do my best to maintain always a conscience without fault, both before God and men. Now notice what he says in verse 17. After several years I came to bring alms to my nation and offerings in which they found me having been purified in the temple without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia who ought to have been present before you and to make accusation if they should have anything against me. What Paul is saying here is that these witnesses who have made this accusation, they are not even there to be tested or give their testimony. He says, verse 20. Or else let these men themselves tell what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the Sanhedrin, other than this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them for the resurrection of the dead, I'm on trial before you today. Now, Paul is making the case that the division that is coming, the accusations that are coming, the challenges that are coming to him are not based on what he has done, but they are based on what he has said. And in this case, he said, all I said was, is that I stand here before you because of the resurrection. That's what I'm being judged for. That's why I am in this courtroom. Now, Felix, notice verse 22 had a more accurate knowledge about the Way. Now, I don't know to what extent Felix knew about the Way, but Luke says that he knew enough that he was able to understand perhaps what Paul was saying in all of this. And because he has this more excellent knowledge of the Way, he tells Paul that they're going to wait till Claudius Lysias has come so that they can hear his word, so they can decide the case. Now here's the thing. They already knew what Claudius Lysias has to say. Isn't that true? Claudius Lysias had written that letter to Felix about Paul as he was bringing him to Caesarea, as he sent that military force to make sure and conduct him safely to Caesarea. And I think that we would have Claudius Lysias testimony in that, that would show Paul was not in the wrong in all of this. Well, we come down to verse 23. He gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some rest, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him. So he is under arrest, but this is not a cruel punishment. Of course we would say it's unjust that he's being punished, held under arrest based on these charges. But as far as the treatment of him. He is not trying to make efforts to make this miserable for Paul. So in verse 24, some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and summoned Paul, who heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. I want to key in right here, look at verse 25. But as he was discussing righteousness, self control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and answered, go away for the present, and when I find time, I will call you. At the same time, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul. Therefore he also used to summon for him, quite often conversed with him. But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. Now, I want you to note this. When Paul has opportunity to speak to Felix, and these do not particularly look like courtroom scenes. These are discussions between Paul and Felix. When Paul has those discussions with him, notice the material that he uses. Notice the topics that he covers. He says he talks about righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come. Now, if we know anything from ancient world history, if the sources that tell us about this are true, Felix was not a good man, Drusilla was not a good woman. They were wicked people, ungodly, immoral, unrighteousness. They lacked self control and they were not ready for the judgment that was coming. And I want you to note here that Paul could have done several things. Paul could have pushed for policy changes. Paul could have, and I think this is the thing that we would be inclined to think that he would do. He could have continued to push for his own innocence and simply tried to get out of jail. But I want you to notice that Paul does not use this as an opportunity to free himself. He uses this as an opportunity to teach Felix about righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come. Now, I want to say something about that. I want you to key in there. I don't know if I will ever have an opportunity to talk to anybody in a high level of power, but let's say you got to sit down across the table from President Trump, or maybe you get to sit down across the table from whoever the next president is, or you think about who we've had as presidents, President Biden or President Obama, you get a chance to sit down across the table from them. Now, I know that the temptation is to say, well, I need to tell them about this particular law or this policy or this regulation or this bill that's going to come before them. That's what I need to talk to them about. But would we have the courage to sit down from across those men and rather than using that as an opportunity to push our personal political agenda, would we have the courage to present to them a message of righteousness, temperance and the judgment to come? Now, I do believe that if one believes in the gospel and one is committed to righteousness, temperance and the judgment to come, then their policies would change for sure. But I think that the aim is much deeper than that, isn't it? The aim of that is to call people to repentance, to live under God's right standard, to get self control, to get a hold of themselves and to make preparation for the coming of judgment. I want us to have the courage that when the time comes, when we have opportunity to speak to those who are in places of power or position or authority, whether that's in our local government or in our national government or whatever the case may be, I hope that I would have the courage not to make my own case or to try to benefit my own position or try to elevate my own status, but rather that I would use that as an opportunity to proclaim righteousness, temperance and the judgment to come. Now, Felix's response is significant as well. Felix says, go away for the present time, and when I find a more convenient season, I will summon you. Now, we don't know about this, but I would say that the evidence suggests that Felix never found a more convenient season. Certainly the scriptures never talk about him finding that more convenient situation, that more convenient season, in order for him to render obedience to the Gospel. But Paul had mentioned, and I think this is where this issue comes from, Paul had mentioned that he had returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to his nation. And I want you to note there that Felix keeps having conversations with him, hoping the text says, hoping that he would have access to those funds. Felix asks him. He doesn't ask him directly. I don't. I guess I'm not sure here. But he wants to be given money by Paul. I take that to be. Felix wants to receive a bribe from Paul in order to let him out of this imprisonment. Now two years pass. Felix does not do anything to get Paul out of this situation. He allows him to stay in and even as a favor to the Jews. Now, I want you to think about this. He's leaving office, he's being removed and he's being replaced by Festus. And after two years, he just leaves Paul in prison and makes him stay under arrest, even under Festus's regime. That is Coming in now. Chapter 25 is going to tell us about Festus. So, Festus, let's read through several verses here. In fact, we can read all the way from chapter 25, beginning at verse 1. And we'll go all the way through verse 12. Festus then, having arrived in the province after three days, went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul. And. And they were pleading with him, requesting a favor against Paul. That he might have him brought to Jerusalem while they sent an ambush to kill him on the way. Felix, excuse me. Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea. And that he himself was about to leave shortly. Therefore, he said, let the influential men among you go down there with me. And if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him. And after he had not spent more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. And on the next day, he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. And after Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove. While Paul said in his own defense, I have committed no sin, either against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar. But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and to be tried before me on these matters? But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. But if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar. Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, you have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar. You will go now. Here's what's happening. Festus takes office, and of course, he is in charge of. Of maintaining control of the Jewish nation. Now, the Romans do not have to give in or do what the Jews want. But the Romans do not want to have to deal with the conflicts that come from a nation that is in riot or an uproar or having a crisis. So Festus is going to make efforts to do things that please the Jews. And in order to avoid any challenges to his power. And so he goes up to Caesarea. He listens to Paul. It's clear that Paul hasn't done anything wrong. He says, I haven't done anything. In contrast to the law, he hasn't done anything against the Jews. He hasn't done anything against the temple. He didn't do anything against Caesar. In other words, there was no reason for him to. To be still in prison. No reason for him to be still on trial. No reason for him to not be free. Well, Festus, he doesn't listen. Festus says, well, why don't you just come to Jerusalem and why don't you make your defense there? I'll be there, and you can make your defense before me there. Now, Paul knows about the ambush and notice they still have that ambush set. Now, I want you to remember that back in chapter 22 when they. He's taken 22 and 23, they make a commitment. This is the end of 23. They make a commitment that they won't eat until they've killed Paul. These guys are getting hungry after two years, don't you think? And so they want Paul to be brought down there. They're going to set an ambush. They're going to kill him. Now, Festus is not aware of all of that. He doesn't see all of that. But Paul does. And Paul says, I'm right where I need to be tried. I need to be tried before Caesar. If. If you don't think that I've done something wrong. He's saying, I have done nothing wrong. You know that. So if I've not done anything wrong, then why would I go back to Jerusalem? I'm standing before the judge I need to stand before in the place I need to stand before him. Now, I want you to notice what Paul says. If I've done wrong, I'm not afraid to suffer the punishment for my wrongdoing. If I've done something worthy of death, then put me to death. But he says, if these things aren't true, then you don't need to hand me over to them because I haven't done anything against them. So he says, I appeal to Caesar. Now, I take it to be that Paul is saying, as a Roman citizen, you don't need to put me before the Jewish nation. I have the right, I have the privilege of standing before Caesar's councils as a person who has that right of Roman citizenship. Now, is Paul saying that he wants to go directly to Caesar? I think that's the way most have taken it. It may be that Paul is saying here that he appeals to the Roman courts, that he doesn't have to go to Jerusalem, but Festus takes it to be here that if you've appealed to Caesar, then to Caesar you will go. That is established for Festus. And we'll see, especially in chapters 25 and 26, that there is a necessity of approaching that idea there. And Festus is having to figure out what he's going to send Paul to Caesar with charges about. Well, next time when we study together, we're going to look at verses 13 and following of Acts 25, and there in chapter 25, and then in chapter 26, we will see Paul give his defense before Agrippa, and then Paul will be sent to Rome, and we'll make our way through that on our next opportunity to study together. Until then, we bid you a pleasant good day. Back to the Bible. Let it be our plea. God's word alone, our authority, every word, every step in the name of Christ, Back to the Bible for the way of life.