Acts Chapter 24, Tertullus, under the law of Christ, Paul's Caregivers, Drusilla, Judgment To Come, afraid emphobos

1. Acts 24
Acts Chapter 24, Tertullus, under
the law of Christ, Paul's
Caregivers, Drusilla, Judgment To
Come, afraid emphobos

3. Paul’s In Some
Turbulent Times

4. •We’re Getting
Close To The End

5. BIBLE IN FIVE
Pastor Dave Kooyers
Valley Bible Fellowship
Box 433
Boonville CA 95415
http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers
www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org
(707) 895-2325
God bless you as you examine His Word,
Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5
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6. Last Time
• Acts 21:27-40
Paul Was Rescued in
Jerusalem from the
Violent Multitude

7. Acts 23:31, Antipatris
• Acts 23:31 So the
soldiers, carrying
out their orders,
took Paul with them
during the night
and brought him as
far as Antipatris
• A rest stop on the
way to Caesarea,
about 40 mi. from
Jerusalem

8. Acts 23:33, Arriving In Caesarea
Acts 23:33 When
the cavalry arrived
in Caesarea, they
delivered the
letter to the
governor and
handed Paul over
to him.

9. Acts 24:1, Tertullus
• Acts 24:1 Five days later the high priest Ananias went
down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a
lawyer named Tertullus [Roman name], and they brought
their charges against Paul before the governor.
• NIV CSB lawyer
• NKJ KJV orator
• NAU NAS NET attorney
• ESV spokesman
• 4489 ῥήτωρ rhetor {hray'-tore}
• Meaning: 1) a speaker, an orator 1a) of a forensic
orator or advocate

10. Acts 24:4, Hear Us Briefly
• Acts 24:4 But in order not to weary you
further, I would request that you be kind
enough to hear us briefly.
• The Visual Bible did a great job here.

11. Acts 24:5-8, NIV, No 7
• Acts 24:5-8 "We have found this man to be a
troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over
the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect 6
and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized
him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to
learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing
against him." NIV
• NIV Note, 24:8 a Some manuscripts him and wanted
to judge him according to our law. [7] But the
commander, Lysias, came and with the use of much
force snatched him from our hands [8] and ordered his
accusers to come before you. By

12. Acts 24:5-8, 3 Charges Against Paul
• The “charges against him”
• #1; …a troublemaker, stirring up riots
• #2; …a ringleader of the Nazarene sect
• #3; …tried to desecrate the temple…
• #1; Political Treason, Criminal (capital crime)
• #2; Religious Heresy, Religious (just
denominations)/possibly Criminal (starting some
rebellious group)
• #3; Temple Desecration, Religious
(uncleanness)/possibly Criminal (vandalism)

13. Acts 24:5-8, Paul’s Defense
• I went up to Jerusalem to worship. (only 12 days, -5 of vs.1)
• 12 "Neither in the temple, nor... causing a riot.
• 13 "Nor can they prove to you the charges...
• 14...the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our
fathers... the Law and ... Prophets;
• 15 having a hope in God...a resurrection...
• 16 ...I ... a blameless conscience both before God and
before men.
• 17...I came to bring alms...and to present offerings;
• 18 ...in the temple... purified, without any crowd or uproar.
• ... Jews (from Asia)... ought to have been present...to make
accusation...
• ...before the Council... I shouted... the resurrection of the
dead I am on trial before you today.'"

14. Herod's Temple, The Second Temple
• NAU Acts 24:12
"Neither in the
temple, nor in
the synagogues,
nor in the city
itself did they
find me carrying
on a discussion
with anyone or
causing a riot.

15. Acts 24:17, Bringing Gifts For The Poor
• Acts 24:17 "After an absence of several years, I
came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for
the poor and to present offerings.
• Dr Toussaint says, “This is the only time in Acts
Paul’s goal of bringing an offering to Jerusalem
from the Gentile churches is mentioned. Luke did
not stress this because it was not a major factor
in his argument. However, it was most important
to Paul as is evidenced by his frequent allusions
to it in his epistles (Rom. 15:25–28; 1 Cor. 16:1–4;
2 Cor. 8:13–14; 9:12–13; Gal. 2:10).”

16. Acts 24:18,
Paul Was Ceremonially Clean
• Acts 24:18 I was ceremonially clean when they
found me in the temple courts doing this…
• Paul kept the Law but was not under the Law…
• NAU Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin
and of death.
• NAU 1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin,
and the power of sin is the law; 57 but thanks be
to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.

17. Not Under The Law, But Law Of Christ
• NAU 1 Corinthians 9:20 To the Jews I became as a
Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are
under the Law, as under the Law though not
being myself under the Law, so that I might win
those who are under the Law;
• NAU 1 Corinthians 9:21 to those who are without
law, as without law, though not being without
the law of God but under the law of Christ, so
that I might win those who are without law.
• Rom. 2:12, 3:19, 1 Co. 9:20-21, Gal. 3:23, 4:4-5, 5:18

18. Acts 24:22, Felix Stalls Off
• NAU Acts 24:22 But Felix, having a more exact
knowledge about the Way, put them off,
saying, "When Lysias the commander comes
down, I will decide your case."
• Rather than anger the Jews with an
unfavorable decision he adjourned the trial,
and stalled till Lysias the commander would
come, or indefinitely (or not).

19. Acts 24:23, Paul Had Caregivers
• Acts 24:23 He ordered the centurion to keep
Paul under guard but to give him some
freedom and permit his friends to take care of
his needs.
• NAU Acts 27:3 The next day we put in at Sidon;
and Julius treated Paul with consideration and
allowed him to go to his friends and receive
care.

20. Drusilla, Bible Exposition Commentary
• Acts 24:24 Several days later Felix came with his
wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess….
• “It must have been the curiosity of his wife,
Drusilla, that prompted Felix to give Paul another
hearing. She wanted to hear Paul; for, after all,
her family had been involved with "the Way" on
several occasions. Her great-grandfather tried to
kill Jesus in Bethlehem (Matt 2); her great-uncle
killed John the Baptist and mocked Jesus (Luke
23:6-12); and Acts 12:1-2 tells of her father killing
the Apostle James.”

21. Acts 24:24-25, Paul Spoke About
• Acts 24:24-25….He sent for Paul and listened to him as he
spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul discoursed on
righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come,
Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may
leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
• Paul’s gospel presentation=; #1, faith in Christ Jesus,
#2,righteousness, #3, self-control and , #4, the judgment to
come
• “Dr. Luke has given us only the three points of Paul's
sermon to this infamous couple: righteousness, self-control;
and the judgment to come. But what an outline!
Paul gave them three compelling reasons why they should
repent and believe on Jesus Christ.” Bible Exposition
Commentary

22. Acts 24:25, Paul Spoke About The
Judgment To Come
• Acts 24:25…Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control
and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid …
• Paul’s speaking about #2,righteousness, #3, self-control
and , #4, the judgment to come hit home because…
• Fausset’s says, “1010 Drusilla, The fair but loose
daughter of Herod Agrippa I and Cypros (Acts 12);
sister of Herod Agrippa II; married to Azizus, king of
Emesa, on his becoming a Jew; seduced by Felix,
procurator of Judea… By Felix she had a son, Agrippa,
who perished with his mother in the Vesuvian
eruption, under Titus.” “

23. Acts 24:25, Paul Spoke About The
Judgment To Come
• Fausset’s says, “Tacitus writes of Felix, "he exercised
the authority of a king with the disposition of a slave in
all cruelty and lust." ... winking at robbery and violence
and enriching themselves with bribes...he thought he
could do what he liked with impunity. ...Felix crushed
the Jewish zealots under the name of "robbers," and
crucified hundreds. He put down false Messiahs and
the followers of an Egyptian magician...and riots, but
he once employed the zealot assassins (Sicarii) to
murder the high priest Jonathan. "By unseasonable
remedies he only aggravated" the evils of Judaea...”

24. The Bible Exposition Commentary
• “The second point in Paul's sermon dealt with self-control:
we must do something about today's
temptations. Man can control almost everything but
himself. Here were Felix and Drusilla, prime illustrations
of lack of self-control. She divorced her husband to
become Felixs' third wife, and though a Jewess, she lived
as though God had never given the Ten Commandments
at Sinai. Felix was an unscrupulous official who did not
hesitate to lie, or even to murder, in order to get rid of his
enemies and promote himself. Self-control was something
neither of them knew much about.
• Paul's third point was the clincher. "judgment to come."
We must do something about tomorrow's Judgment.
Perhaps Paul told Felix and Drusilla what he told the
Greek philosophers:

25. The Bible Exposition Commentary
• God has "appointed a day, in which He will judge the
world in righteousness" by the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts
17:31). Jesus Christ is either your Saviour or your
Judge. How do we know that Jesus Christ is the Judge?
"He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him
from the dead" (Acts 17:31, NKJV). Once again, the
Resurrection!
• "Felix trembled" (Acts 24:25), which literally means,
"Felix became terrified." Roman leaders prided
themselves in their ability to be stoical and restrain
their emotions under all circumstances, but a
conviction from God gripped Felix's heart, and he could
not hide it Paul had diagnosed the case and offered the
remedy. It was up to Felix to receive it.”

26. Acts 24:25, Felix Was Afraid
• Acts 24:25 …Felix was afraid and said, "That's
enough for now! You may leave….
• <1719> ἔμφοβος emphobos
• Meaning: terrible, in fear (used of godly fear)
• Usage: frightened(2), much alarmed(1),
terrified(2).

27. Acts 24:27, 2 Years In The Slammer
• Acts 24:27 When two years had passed, Felix was
succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted
to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.
• Thanks!
• Some think this is when Luke, Paul, and the Holy Spirit
wrote the book of Acts. Looks most probable to me.
They’re on their way to Rome and that required a
written defense.
• The Thomas Nelson Study Bible on page 1868, says,
“After two years, another riot broke out in Caesarea.
Felix crushed it with such force that he was removed as
governor around A.D. 60."

28. Acts 24:27, Felix Succeeded By Porcius
• Acts 24:27…Felix was succeeded by Porcius
Festus…
• The Ryrie Study Bible on page 1378, says, “…
Festus was Felix’s successor. The change came
ca. A.D. 58. a Roman magistrate could decide
when a case would be called; often the delays
were long, as here.”

29. As We Study The Book Of Acts Let Us…

30. Keep Looking For The
Blessed Hope

31. Acts 22:6, 8, 10, 18, 21, 18:9, 9:4-16, 1:4-8, 23:11, Does
God still speak?
• Does God still speak?
• http://www.blogos.org/gotquestions/God-still-speak.php
•
By S. Michael Houdmann, Got Questions Ministries
"God told me to tell you…" "I have a word from the Lord for you." "I am a prophet of God." "I know what the Bible says, but God spoke to me and…"
The above sayings are increasingly common these days. Sadly, most people who say them do not understand how dangerous they are. Claiming direct revelation from God is essentially
putting yourself in a place of equal authority with the Word of God. If God speaks, it is always going to be 100% inerrant, authoritative, true, holy, and perfect. If God truly told you to tell
me something, I better listen or I am in direct rebellion against God.
The problem with this idea that God is directly speaking to people, and through people, today, is the fact that the messages attributed to Him are anything but inerrant, authoritative, and
true. They are almost always a jumbled mess of confusion, inconsistencies, and outright contradictions of the Word of God. Far too often, "God told me…" is in reality, "I think…and I think
God would agree with me…therefore, I am going to tell you that God told me…"
In response to this, many argue that God no longer speaks outside of His Word. Period. Never. The Bible is the complete and sufficient Word of God that gives us everything we need to
be saved and walk with God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12). Therefore, there is no need for any further revelation from God. God does not speak. Rather, God has spoken.
This is the viewpoint I was taught in Bible College and Seminary. This is still the viewpoint that I strongly lean towards. Admittedly, it is a very comforting position. It means I can ignore all
the claimed messages from God. It frees me from having to use biblically informed discernment in separating truth from error in supposed messages from God. The problem for me is – I
do not see solid biblical evidence on which to claim God NEVER speaks today.
Interestingly, even those who hold the "God never speaks" position seem to allow for exceptions to the rule. For example, stories of people in closed countries having dreams/visions that
result in them coming to faith in Christ seem to be accepted, even rejoiced over. Accounts of people in third world countries being told to go to such and such a place at such and such a
time to speak with God's messenger, only to bump into a missionary at the exact place and time, are accepted as amazing miracles of God. The justification for the exception is usually
something along the lines of, "Well, God only does stuff like that in places where they don't have access to the Bible."
Hmm. Where does the Bible say that God works differently based on whether a person has access to the Bible? And, the fact that the United States has tens of millions more Bibles than
Yemen does not mean the average American is significantly more biblically literate than the average Yemeni. One could argue that with the massive amount of false doctrine being
propagated in the United States that the United States is more in need of corrective direct revelation from God than most third world countries. I just don't see a solid biblical or
reasonable basis for the "God only does stuff like that over there" argument.
So, where does that leave us? To be honest, I am not completely sure.
I firmly believe that the Bible is the perfect and complete Word of God. It contains everything we need to know to follow God's will for our lives. While it does not give specific
instructions related to the personal situations and decisions we face, it does provide all the wisdom we need to be able to make right judgments in those situations and decisions.
With that in mind, I do not see any reason for God to "supplement" His Word with additional revelation. But, at the same time, there is nothing in the Bible that indicates
God NEVER speaks today. I do not know the mind of God, and therefore I do not claim to know every reason why God might say something to someone (Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:34).
What I do know is this: if God were to speak today, what He said would be in perfect agreement with His Word. God does not contradict Himself. God does not change His mind. Compare
any supposed message from God with God's Word, and if the message in any way is in contradiction or disharmony with God's Word, reject the message. If you think God has spoken to
you, but are unsure about it, ask Him for confirmation (Judges 6:36-40; 1 Samuel 3:1-10). Seek wise counsel from men and women of God whom you respect and trust (Proverbs
11:14; 15:22).
Above all, understand that God speaking is a miracle, not a normal. Even in the Bible, God speaking directly to people, whether through an audible voice or a "still small voice" is rare. We
would all benefit from spending far more time on what God has said instead of on what God might be saying.

32. Acts 25:13, Agrippa and Bernice
• Acts 25:13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice
arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.
• Bernice was the oldest daughter of King Agrippa I. (Acts
12:20). Widowed from her first husband, she married
her uncle, Herod the king of Chalcis. She widowed from
him in A.D. 40 A.D.. Then we now find her living… [with
King]…Agrippa II.
• IVP Bible Background Commentary says, “ When
Agrippa I died (12:23), his son, Agrippa II (here), was
only seventeen; his daughters were Berenice (sixteen),
Mariamne (ten) and Drusilla (six). Agrippa II ruled a
small part of Palestine and worked with the Roman
administration. ..”