Acts 24:27

But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.

Felix was succeeded ... The occasion of Felix's recall was the outbreak of strife between the Jewish and Gentile elements of Caesarea, in which Felix's intervention with troops led to the slaughter of many Jews (revealing, perhaps, his true feelings against them). Through the intervention of his brother Pallas, he received no punishment beyond that of removal from office, which was taken by Festus.

PORCIUS FESTUS

This man was described by Josephus as wise, just and agreeable. However, nothing is known of his life before his accession to the procuratorship of Judea, in which office he died after about two years. The picture of Festus that emerges in Acts contradicts Josephus, for he is revealed as willing to sacrifice Paul to please the Jews; and he further deliberately exploited Paul the prisoner for the entertainment of Agrippa and Bernice. As G.P. Gould said, "Paul's appeal to Nero is the lasting condemnation of Festus."[39]

The date of this change of procurators is very important in determining New Testament chronology; and the following quotations are offered as shedding some light on it:

The procuratorship of Festus (60-62), as valuable as the specific date would be, is a debated question with opinions varying from A.D. 55-60.[40]

William M. Ramsay, in PAULINE STUDIES, p. 348, has shown that Eusebius' evidence, when rightly understood, points to the year A.D. 59 for the arrival of Festus in Palestine; and some support for this date may be afforded by the sudden change of procuratorial coinage in that year, an event most plausibly attributed to the arrival of a new governor.[41]

Desiring to gain favor with the Jews, left Paul bound ... Dummelow observed that the Bezan text says Felix left Paul bound "for the sake of Drusilla," a not improbable statement.[42]

REMARKS

Concerning this remarkable chapter, some further comments are in order:

<LINES><MONO>

I. Regarding the weapons of malice:

A. Persistent hatred. The animosity against Paul was such that the highest authorities in Judaea traveled many miles, spending much effort and money to prosecute him illegally.

B. Disgusting flattery. The speech of Tertullus is a model of sycophancy and deceit.

C. Gross misrepresentation (Acts 24:5).

D. Appeal to prejudice, "sect of the Nazarenes."

E. Downright falsehood. In no way had Paul profaned the temple.

II. Regarding the defense of innocence:

A. Courtesy (Acts 24:10).

B. Straightforwardness (Acts 24:11-17).

C. Fearless denial (Acts 24:12,13,18).

D. Righteous challenge (Acts 24:19,20).

III. Regarding the two years of Paul's imprisonment.MONO>LINES>

Paul spent two whole years in the old palace of Herod at Caesarea as a prisoner of Felix. How was this time employed by himself, and by Luke? Many have supposed that Paul wrote Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon during this period; and while a lot may be said in favor of such a view, agreement is felt with Dummelow who said, "It seems more probable that all four were written in Rome."[43] "They of Caesar's household" (Philippians 4:22) naturally suggests Rome.

It is the firm belief of this writer that Luke employed himself by careful and extensive interviews and investigations leading to his twofold work, especially Luke's gospel. As Dummelow said, "He probably interviewed Philip the evangelist, James the Lord's brother, and Mary the Virgin."[44] But it is also highly probable, if not indeed certain, that he also interviewed many of the Pharisees in whose homes occurred so many of the events narrated in Luke, such Pharisees having been among the great company of the priests who became Christians (Acts 6:7).

In the matter of Luke's painstaking investigations and interviews of eyewitnesses of the glorious beginnings of Christianity, one may behold the gracious Providence which overruled the injustice suffered by the apostle Paul, providing in that suffering and delay the occasion for the indispensable writings of the beloved physician Luke.

[39] New Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1962), p. 421.

[40] Jack P. Lewis, op. cit., p. 152.

[41] The New Bible Dictionary, op. cit., p. 421.

[42] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 850.

[43] Ibid.

[44] Ibid.