Felix Sends Paul Away

Luke tells us in Acts 24:22 that Felix, the governor of Judea, had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way.” Unlike other Roman officials at the time, Felix was well informed about Christianity. His understanding likely came in part from his wife, Drusilla, who as a Jewish woman would probably have been exposed to Christian beliefs because at the time Christianity was viewed as one of several sects within the larger religion of Judaism. Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa I (see Acts 12), had left her first husband to marry Felix and was quite young at the time of Paul’s hearing before Felix, no older than seventeen or eighteen.

In today’s passage, we see that Drusilla joined Felix at least once in interrogating Paul. Remember that Felix did not make a decision in Paul’s case but kept the Apostle in prison (24:22–23). This imprisonment lasted two years (v. 27), and during that time Felix periodically sent for Paul again to question him (vv. 24–26). Felix may have had some curiosity about Paul’s beliefs, but other things also motivated the governor to speak to the Apostle. Luke explains that Felix was hoping Paul would give him some money, a bribe for his release (v. 26). He had heard from Paul himself that the Apostle had brought alms to Jerusalem, so he probably expected Paul to have access to money (v. 17).

In light of Drusilla’s careless disregard of her first marriage and Felix’s seeking a bribe, we are not surprised that Paul spoke on the topics of “righteousness” and “self-control” (v. 25). Indeed, the Apostle gave a full-orbed presentation of the Christian faith and ethic to the governor and his wife, calling Felix and Drusilla to faith in Christ, warning them of final judgment, and exhorting them to pursue righteousness, self-control, and other virtues (vv. 24–25). Sadly, Felix and Drusilla did not respond with faith and repentance, but Felix would send Paul away when the Apostle’s words alarmed him too much. He did not take advantage of the day of salvation but kept putting it off. Matthew Henry offers this caution: “In the affairs of our souls, delays are dangerous; nothing is of more fatal consequence than men’s putting off their conversion from time to time. They will repent, and turn to God, but not yet; the matter is adjourned to some more convenient season, when such a business or affair is compassed, when they are so much older; and then convictions cool and wear off, good purposes prove to no purpose, and they are more hardened than ever in their evil way.”