FELIX AND THE PHYSICIAN

FELIX

Acts 23:23-24

Felix appears on the inspired page only in connection with his relation to Paul. From other histories we learn certain things about him. He was a freed-man of Antonia. Of him Tacitus said that:

"He exercised the authority of a king with the disposition of a slave, in all manner of cruelty and lust”

His personal character may be gathered from the fact that he had persuaded Drusilla, a Jewish princess, to leave her husband, and become his wife. All we know of his subsequent history is that he was recalled to Rome.

The picture we have in the narrative of Luke is chiefly psychological. It is evident that somehow he had been brought into close contact with the Christian propaganda, and that it had produced certain effects upon him. He passed through a period of unrest and disturbance, which created for him a great spiritual opportunity. What the ultimate issue was we are not told.

The different stages of his experience are clearly marked. We may select the four statements that reveal him.

"Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way."

"Felix . . . sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus."

"Felix was terrified."

"Felix left Paul in bonds."

The statement that he had more exact knowledge concerning the Way is arresting in the expression "the Way." This expression was often made use of by Luke. Saul had letters of authority to act against any that were of "the Way." The damsel at Philippi referred to "the Way" of salvation. Apollos, the eloquent Alexandrian, was instructed "in the Way" of the

Lord. In Ephesus the Jews are reported as having spoken evil of "the Way." In this same city it is said there was no small stir concerning "the Way." Later, Paul in Jerusalem declared there had been a time when he persecuted "the Way." Before Felix Paul declared he had served the God of their fathers, according to "the Way."

Most evidently, therefore, the phrase described the whole Christian movement as to its doctrine and its practice. Perhaps it resulted from the language of the Lord Himself when He had said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Of this Way we are told Felix had more exact knowledge, that is, more than Paul's accusers. It is evident that he based his decision and his action not upon what these accusers said, but upon what he knew. This knowledge resulted in his adjournment of the case, in his kindness to Paul, and in the fact that he sent for him. Thus we see a man of whom Tacitus said that he reigned as a king with the disposition of a slave, a man of whom we know he gave his passions full play, somehow having come into contact with Christianity, and being so impressed by it that he declined to listen to the clamor of the Jews, treated Paul with kindness, and immediately sought a personal interview with him.

That leads us to the second declaration that Felix heard Paul concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. Whatever emerges in the narrative presently, there is no evidence that his sending for Paul was born of any spirit of greed. That motive certainly entered into his dealings with Paul later; but for the moment we see a man who had felt the power and appeal of the Christian "Way," and knowing that he had near him its most illustrious exponent, sent for him to hear about "the faith in Christ Jesus."

All this is sure evidence of a mental activity along the line of enquiry and investigation. Somewhere, as we have said, his path had crossed "the Way." Christianity had touched him, and he was desirous of seeing what more he could discover about it.

We remind ourselves once more of the facts concerning Felix. He was the governor, which reveals his official position. The woman who sat by his side, listening to Paul, reveals the manner of man he was as to moral character; but the deeper fact of his personality, and his consciousness of those deeper facts are seen in his action, in sending for and listening to Paul. There are spiritual and moral facts in every human personality from which none can absolutely escape. They may be ignored, and actually forgotten during certain courses of life, but they will recur, and that without exception, when man is brought into contact with Christ in any way. Thus in sending for Paul it is quite evident that for the moment he was following the gleam, pressing a little nearer to the light, to find out what it really meant for him.

The next plain statement concerning him is that he was terrified. Necessarily that brings us to the question as to what it was that terrified him. Luke tells us that he heard Paul reason concerning "righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come." (Acts 24:25) He had sent for him to hear more of the Way. Paul spoke to him "concerning the faith in Christ Jesus," and he did so by thus reasoning. Paul gave to this man, therefore, a reasoned application of the faith in Christ as it applied to him. This is of such tremendous importance that we are compelled to pause to consider the three matters referred to.

The first was that of righteousness. There is very little need that we linger to define that. If we shorten the word by omitting its central syllable we have rightness; and if we ask what rightness is we may find an answer by omitting the last syllable—right. Right always means a recognition of final standards, and the conforming of action thereto. Holiness is a condition of character. Righteousness is the conduct that springs from holiness. Holiness is what a man is in himself if he be a good man. Righteousness is the activity that springs from that condition. Thus in dealing with the faith that is in Christ Jesus, Paul first dealt with this matter of doing right, and the importance of the standards of life and the sanctions of life, and conduct conformable thereto. Paul declared to Felix therefore in effect that the faith that is in Christ Jesus insists first of all upon the supremacy of righteousness. It is not merely the declaration of a method, but the application of it in actual conduct.

Then he reasoned with him concerning temperance, and we are halted again by this word. Much modern use of the word temperance entirely misses the mark as to its value in this connection; and it is of the utmost importance that we understand it.

There are four Greek words which are suggestive. The word sophron referred to a man who was master of his passions. The word egkrates referred to a man who, fighting and struggling, was nevertheless gaining mastery over his passions. The word akrates described a man who was losing the mastery over his passions. The fourth akolastos was used of a man who had lost the mastery over his passions. The word that is used in describing the reasoning of Paul is a verb derived from the second of these words. Not sophron which refers to one who has mastered his passions. It is very significant that Paul did not use that word. He did not reason of him as to the necessity of a man being perfectly master of his passions. The word he used referred to the necessity for a conflict in order to gain mastery over the passions. Thus he reasoned with him first of righteousness as the standard of human conduct, and secondly of temperance, that activity of personality necessary to achieve mastery over the passions of life.

I cannot ponder this without feeling that there was a touch of tender solicitude in the reasoning of Paul. Righteousness, yes, there must be, and no lowering of that standard, no accommodation. The faith that is in Christ Jesus never makes any compromise at that point. It recognizes, however, the conflict that is necessary, and reminds us that there shall be that temperance which is the effort to gain the mastery over passion. Thus the faith that is in Christ Jesus declares to a man that however far he may have gone wrong, however paralyzed his powers may be, however he may have wrecked or weakened his own will, he may enter upon a new struggle, and so gain the mastery of his passions.

And once more, he reasoned concerning "judgment to come." Thus Paul reminded Felix that the final fact in every human life is not reached in the passing moment, but lies over the borderline, in the beyond. In effect, he said to him, Life is not to be measured by the present, but by the future. Every human life must pass out to the place of judgment where there will be the finding of the true verdict, and the passing of the true sentence; and, moreover, the carrying out of that sentence by the action of inexorable law. Paul said to Felix in effect, what you do today as governor, what you do in your private habits of life are coming up soon for review. You will have ultimately to report to a higher Throne than that of Caesar. Thus the faith that is in Christ Jesus declares to every human life that the ultimate meaning of life is to be found beyond the span of earthly probation. There is a judgment to come.

He reasoned with Felix of righteousness, and that reasoning touched all his activity in his official position as governor. He reasoned with him of temperance, and that touched all his personal habits of life. He reasoned with him of judgment, and this reasoning placed his official responsibility and his personal life in the light of a final Tribunal from which there can be no appeal.

Thus he "was terrified." He was terrified by the truth, the light, the larger outlook on life. For a moment this man, who had reigned as king, with the disposition of a slave, whose despotic and cruel rule brought him at this point to Rome to report for judgment; this man who had given himself up so completely to the passions of his life, saw everything in the clear light of the faith that is in Christ Jesus. That faith, thus interpreted, tore the veil from his eyes, and he was terrified.

That was the hour of opportunity. His terror was the touch of God's infinite grace upon his soul. It was God's gentleness giving him an opportunity of a new way of life.

The last statement sounds almost commonplace. "He left Paul in bonds." Looking back we find that his first act was that of postponement. He said to Paul:

"Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me."

He made the wrong answer to terror. That was the vital mistake. That postponement led him to the admission of other motives. Two years passed. It is evident that the terror faded, and the suggestion arose that possibly he might make some material gain out of Paul. Luke tells us that "he sent for him the oftener." I think it is impossible to read this without seeing that the terror was passing until he allowed greed to gain the upper hand. Then, also, as he was being recalled, he desired to please the Jews, and so left Paul in bonds. That is the end of the account as Luke tells it.

In the presence of this account one wonders whether there is any need to point the moral, or adorn the account. It may be best, however, to gather up some of the things which this account seems to teach.

First, we have a revelation of the influence of the Way, that is, of the action of Christ as the great Physician in the presence of the human soul. Secondly, necessarily, we have a revelation of human responsibility in the presence of Christ.

The account of Felix shows how Christ arrests the soul, and, recalls it to the consideration of forgotten things. All the facts of life, whether official or personal, are placed in the light of spiritual and moral verities. Christ always says to man that his life cannot be ultimately, and therefore is not now, wholly conditioned by the things of daily calling and personal habits, by the immediate. There are such things as righteousness, a struggle for the mastery of passion, and judgment to come. Christ ever arrests the soul, compels it to put known things in the light of forgotten things. That is His first appeal. He says to man that if he be exercising his authority officially in a wrong way, if he is allowing his passions to hold merrymaking, he must not forget that his action does not destroy essential and eternal things. Thus Christ arrests the soul. He does more than make the soul conscious of these things, He reasons with it concerning them. In doing so He always presents Himself as at once the Pattern of righteousness, and the Power, when He is submitted to, for its realization.

Moreover, He reasons with man concerning getting the victory over his passions. In doing so it is well to remember that He Himself could never be described as egkrates, a Man gaining mastery over His passions. He was forever sophron, One Who had complete mastery over them. But He always presents Himself to every other man as Savior that is One Who is mighty to deliver and to help in the struggle to obtain such mastery on the part of others.

Moreover, finally, without any qualification, Christ insists upon the fact of the judgment to come. He declares to His own followers that they must all appear before His judgment seat. In that connection we remind ourselves that the statement came from the inspired pen of the apostle:

"We must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ."

The reference there was to the Bema, where all Christians are to appear that they:

"May receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

The principle is of wider application, and applies to all men. This is revealed in the pictorial beauty of the declaration in the Apocalypse:

"I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from Whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works." This is indeed the ultimate judgment, and it is to be noted that before that great white throne men will be judged by the things written in the books. Those whose names are in the book will have appeared before the Bema or judgment-seat of Christ. There are two judgments 1000 years apart according to scripture.

The account reveals the fact, moreover, that Christ not only arrests, not only reasons, He terrifies. No man can possibly come face to face with Christ without a sense of terror. If righteousness is interpreted by Him, then we are conscious of our lack. It is quite true that the first effect produced may be that of attraction, because of His winsomeness. When, however, we press nearer to Him, while the consciousness of winsomeness will not depart, we stand in the presence of a light that reveals the darkness of our own character. The only man for whom we need entertain fear is the man who is not afraid in the presence of Christ.

Finally, He not only arrests, reasons, and terrifies, but by that very process He opens the way of escape. In this sense also the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. There is, indeed, a matchless beauty in the prophecy of Hosea where, in declaring the method of God to apostate Israel, he said:

"I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness . . . And I will give her her vineyards from thence."

The significance is obvious. Fruitfulness gained in the wilderness of desolation; and then the prophet added:

"And the valley of Achor for a door of hope."

Achor means troubling, and when God deals with a soul, troubling is the opening of the door of hope. It was when Felix was terrified that that door swung open before him. If he then had yielded to that new sense of fear, he might indeed have begun to hope.

Thus the narrative necessarily reveals the responsibility which Christ creates for the soul of man. He knows as the great Physician, arrests, and reasons, terrifies, and so opens the door of hope, and shows the way of escape. As He does so, our responsi­bilities are clearly revealed, and illustrated in the case of Felix. He is first seen upon right lines. He stopped, he waited to consider, and he investigated. All this is exactly what Christ demands that the soul shall do.

Then the negative revelation of the account is graphic. We see Felix proceeding upon wrong lines. In the presence of the terror he postponed decision. That is always a perilous action.

The word of the Gospel with which we have long been familiar is indeed significant, "Now is the day of salvation." God has given man no promise for tomorrow. All the revel­ation of the activity of Christ, and all human experience points to the fact revealed in the account of Felix, that if we postpone until tomorrow, the danger is that terror will weaken, and opportunity pass. Some day we shall see the things on the earthly plane from the heavenly heights. Great spiritual tragedies are forever taking place, which cannot be reported by the press of earth. A man trembles in the white light of the glories and the power of Christ because he becomes conscious of his own failure. If he then will answer his terror and yield himself to Christ, he can be delivered, he can be healed. Men tell me that procrastination is the thief of time. It is, but it is also the burglar of eternity. As to the account of Felix we repeat that we do not know the ultimate issue. History says that Drusilla and the son of Felix were swept out by the fires that destroyed Pompeii. This we know that if ever the moment came when he returned to Christ and yielded to the early terror, then he, too, was received.