Today’s passage: Acts 24:1-27
Helpful thoughts:
- Tertullus’ basic request was for Felix to give Paul to the Jews so they could judge Paul according to their own law.
- Paul’s appeal was that the Jews were in truth only after Paul because he believed Jesus rose from the dead. He mentioned “The Way” and the resurrection, and Felix knew exactly what he was talking about (Verse 22).
- Felix’s understanding of the situation resulted in a few things:
- He would not allow harm to come to Paul by releasing him back to the Jews.
- He desired to learn more about Christianity, so he asked Paul to teach him.
- He desired money, so he talked to Paul in order to drop the hint…
Questions to consider:
- Why did Felix keep Paul in jail for two years? What did he want? What motivated Felix to keep Paul in jail as he was leaving office? Who all “benefited” from Paul being held and why?
- What was Paul happy to do as long as God had him there in jail? Did his ministry end?
- If Paul remained in jail, why was he there? If Paul was free, why was he free? Where did Paul’s purpose and contentment come from (Philippians 4:4-13)?