It is not often that we think of evangelism in the context of Roman governor Felix. Felix was the Roman governor that Paul stood before in judgment (Acts 24). History does not speak too well of Felix; neither do the Scriptures attest to him any moral virtue. So, how does evangelism fit in the context of Felix? Let us understand the context in which we find Felix. As we said, Felix was the governor (procurator) over

Judea. He was appointed to that position by

Rome. It was in

Caesarea that Felix’s judgment seat was to be found. Paul was standing before Felix because he was falsely accused of profaning the

Temple of the Jews. While Paul defended himself ably,

Rome found the surest way to peace was appeasement of the Jews. If they let Paul go, knowing he was guilty of no capital crime, the Jews were sure to react and react violently. Nevertheless, the Roman tribune (the army commander who arrested Paul before he went to Felix) sent Paul to a higher court than his and asked for Felix to render a verdict. Felix never rendered an official verdict. He kept Paul in prison for two years to keep the Jews quiet. During this period of time, Felix asked for Paul and spoke with him about that which “bound” him. The Scriptures says that Felix was troubled by that which Paul said (preached). However, there was enough interest that Felix called him back occasionally (Acts 24:26). Paul was evangelizing.First, this episode gives us ideas about what we should be doing. Sometimes we wonder the best way to handle opportunities presented to us. If we look at what Paul said to the governor, I think we’ll have some guidance. Note what we should preach to the lost– Jesus and him crucified. Paul said in Acts 24:21 that he stood before

Rome because of the resurrection of Jesus. To speak of the resurrection of our Lord is to speak of “Jesus and Him crucified.” This means that we state the facts of His life and how those of His day felt threatened and killed Him. But it is more than just this; Jesus had a message of hope and that message was a pointed one. In their threatened status they determined the only way to effectively handle Him was to destroy Him. This they did, or so they thought.
Second, we learn from the account of Felix what to expect in response. One of the great frustrations of preaching the Gospel is the response people give to the message. All children of God are to preach the Gospel. Many become “shell-shocked” because they are refused by those they speak to. This refusal comes in varying degrees. For some it is an intense refusal, and for others, less so. Felix told Paul to “go away.” That is rather short and to the point. Paul had no choice but to obey the order/command. But it was not left at just that. It was not, “Go away and come back no more.” But it was “Go away for now and when I have a convenient time, I’ll call for you then.”

This is how most people respond to the message of God. They can see the value of it, and they would like to embrace it, but there is something that stops them. What is it? There is a simpler answer than that which I am about to offer, but what I want to consider is directly connected to the simple answer. First, people think they have more time. There is “time enough” to obey at a later date. We get up each day, work, turn in for the evening, and start the cycle all over again. We have done this so much that we think it will occur again tomorrow. Second, people will often say to themselves, “Look. I am not that bad.” This justifies the delay to change. There is a part of them that recognizes the need to change, but there is another part of them that just does not want to.

Both these reasons are built upon the simple response of “I just do not want to obey. God, I love you, but not that much!” The Scriptures teach that there is a way that seems right to man, but ends up in death (Proverbs 14:12). We can learn much from the interaction between Felix and Paul. What Felix did is what people do today.

Source:  Ron Thomas