Acts 24:1-27

Ananias and his followers knew what they wanted.  They wanted Paul found guilty of sedition and executed.  With that goal in mind, they accused him of stirring up riots, being a sect leader and desecrating the temple.  They made these charges before Felix with the knowledge that Felix was brutal and cruel in stamping out insurrection.

Paul and the church knew what they wanted.  They wanted Felix to declare Paul not guilty and to release him, so then he could continue his missionary work for the church.  Paul made his defense in a reasoned and orderly fashion.  Paul could not be the leader of a rebellion in Judea, he had only returned 12 days before.  He had not returned to cause trouble, but rather he had brought gifts for the poor.  There was no evidence of him being a troublemaker and he had been ceremonially clean when they found him in the temple courts.  The Sanhedrin had tried him and not found him guilty of any crime.  He was a follower of the way, but his belief in the law and the prophets was the same as his accusers.

Felix knew what he wanted.  He wanted this whole mess to go away, but it would not.  Felix knew that Paul was not guilty of any crime against the Roman Empire.  However, if he set Paul free, the chief priest Ananias had the power to cause Felix problems.  If he found Paul guilty, it would make his accusers happy, but Paul was a Roman citizen and could still make an appeal to Caesar.  Felix decided not to decide.  The Jews would wait, still hoping for a guilty verdict, and Paul could not appeal a verdict that Felix had not yet given.

For two years, Paul’s life might have been on pause; it was not.  His earthly freedom was limited, but righteousness is not dependent upon earthly freedom.  Righteousness springs forth from the spiritual freedom we find in Christ.  When we cannot do much, we do everything to please God.