What does Acts 24:25 mean?
Governor Felix may have questioned his life choices, thanks to recent events. One day, seventy horsemen arrived with a single prisoner: a Jew named Paul who was having difficulty with the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. The army tribune, Lysias, explained in a letter that the Jewish leaders seem to think he's committed an egregious crime, but all Lysias can determine is some conflict with the doctrine of their religion. When the Sanhedrin joined a murder plot against Paul, Lysias determined Felix would be better equipped to deal with the situation (Acts 23:23–35).The trial reveals the accuracy of Lysias's judgment, but Felix doesn't want to let go of Paul. He doesn't want to irritate the Sanhedrin and risk a riot or, worse, a rebellion. But he also thinks Paul might eventually tire of his house arrest and offer him a bribe (Acts 24:26–27).
Unfortunately for Felix, he has underestimated Paul's willingness to suffer any inconvenience for the opportunity to talk about Jesus (Colossians 1:24). For the next two years, Felix calls Paul in, hoping for money, and instead gets an earful about morality. Felix had stolen his wife Drusilla, Herod Agrippa I's daughter, from another when she was sixteen. And he is so tyrannical that the infamously brutal Emperor Nero calls him back to Rome to give an account of his cruelty. Like Herod Antipas with John the Baptist, Felix is intrigued by Paul's words, but, like Herod Antipas, he is not tempted to do anything about them (Mark 6:17–20).
After two years, Felix returns to Rome and Festus takes his place. Festus meets with the Sanhedrin before he even hears of Paul and is equally disinclined to release him, forcing Paul to appeal his case to Caesar (Acts 25:1–12). Even so, Festus doesn't act until King Agrippa II tells him he must (Acts 26:31–32).
