Paul’s Message to Felix

(Acts 24:24-27)

 Luke did not record the body of Paul’s message to Felix, in detail, but he did record the three points of Paul’s  mes­sage—“righteousness, self-control, and the judg­ment to come”—and, by considering wat God’s word reveals on these three sub­jects, we can pretty much know what he said on this occasion.

HE “REASONED” WITH FELIX

This word “primarily denotes ‘to ponder, resolve in one’s mind’ … then ‘to converse, dispute, discuss, discourse with’; most fre­quently, ‘to reason or dispute with’” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, p. 172; see Dis­course). Many do not want to reason when it comes to religion; they just want their reli­gious authority figure—preacher, pastor or priest—to tell them what they are to be­lieve and practice. However, the Bible says, “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord (Isaiah 1:18).

HE REASONED ABOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS

Righteousness is “the character or quality of being right or just; it was formerly spelled ‘rightwiseness,’ which clearly expresses the meaning.” (Vine’s, p. 535)

My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are right­eousness. (Psalm 119:172)

But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. (Acts 10:35)

In preaching righteousness to alien sinners, Paul surely mentioned the conditions of for­giveness. (See Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16)

HE REASONED ABOUT SELF-CONTROL

“The various powers bestowed by God upon man are capable of abuse; the right use demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God; in Acts 24:25 [it] follows ‘righteousness,’ which represents God’s claims, self-control being man’s response thereto” (Vine’s, p. 620; see Temperance). These “various powers” include the intel­lectual, emotional, ethical and volitional functions of which man is capable, and which are ideally “under the controlling power of the will.” It is possible, however, for this “controlling power” to be usurped by such things as drugs, love of money, family pressure, peer pressure, hab­its and the tongue. If, there­fore, we are to maintain self-control, we must strengthen the “power of the will,” which re­quires “all diligence” (2 Peter 1:5).

A Christian must con­trol self in all things.

 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. (1 Cor. 9:24-25)

This illustration helps us to see that the power of the will is strengthened by sheer determination. Each athlete knows that only one person (or team) can win a particular event. When Paul says, “Run in such a way that you may obtain it,” he is implying that we ought to live our lives as if only one child of God were going to make it to heaven. Would this not result in a great deal more determination on the part of all? Would we not be more likely to keep drug use to a minimum (1 Tim. 5:23); keep emotions and drives in check (Eph. 4:26; James 1:19-20; Matt. 5:27-28); maintain the proper attitude toward money and its uses (1 Tim. 6:10,17-19); put God first in our lives, even before family and friends (Matt. 10:28,32-39); re­place harmful habits with harmless or even pro­ductive ones (1 Cor. 16:15), and bridle our tongues (James 1:26), etc?

Self-control is vital for entering heaven.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to vir­tue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to persever­ance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.… For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and elec­tion sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the ev­erlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-11)

HE REASONED ABOUT THE JUDGMENT TO COME

“[T]he sentence pronounced, a verdict, a condemnation, the decision result­ing from an investigation” (Vine’s, p. 119; see Con­demn, Condemnation). This is the final end of those who have never been made righteous or who—having been made righteous—never develop suffi­cient self-control to remain righteous.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:9-10)

…. the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment (2 Peter 2:9).

When Felix heard Paul’s message he was affected, but he delayed obedience. He was moved with fear, but was not moved to the point of desiring to be made righteous. He wanted to wait for a more convenient sea­son, but there is no evidence that such ever came. The Bible warns, “Behold, now is the accepted time; be­hold now is the day of sal­vation” (2 Cor. 6:2). &

Wheat and Wine

By Sam Stinson

"He made him ride on the high places of the land, and he ate the produce of the field, and he suckled him with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. Curds from the herd, and milk from the flock, with fat of lambs, rams of Ba­shan and goats, with the very finest of the wheat-- and you drank foaming wine made from the blood of the grape." (Deut. 32:13-14, ESV)

"He set him upon high land: that he might eat the fruits of the fields, that he might suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the hardest stone, Butter of the herd, and milk of the sheep with the fat of lambs, and of the rams of the breed of Basan: and goats with the marrow of wheat, and might drink the purest blood of the grape." (Deut. 32:13-14, DRB)

Bread and wine were always associated with blessings of God given to men in the scriptures as well as expressing thankful­ness to God for providing for our needs. Consider the context: Moses is tell­ing Israel in his song how Israel rebelled, despite re­ceiving the blessings of God. That blessing included the finest of wheat and the best of wine made from the blood (juice) of the grape. Blood is the juice of a man, but juice is the blood of the grape. This is parallel to the blessings Christians receive because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We are forgiven, blessed, because his body was broken. We are forgiven, blessed, be­cause his blood was shed. Again, Yahweh God has provided for our needs. Fruit of the vine is indeed wine, but not all wine is fer­mented. It is entirely expedient to use the juice of grapes in communion. The wine we drink in communion is made from the purest blood of the grape. &