Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.
Acts 24:23
As persecutions go, Paul was in an amazing opportunity. Taken to Caesarea for Roman judgment at the court of Felix the governor, Paul was protected from his enemies who had sworn together to kill him, regardless of Rome’s decision in his case.
Paul now had direct contact and personal ministry to the governor of Judea who detained the apostle for two years. Felix regularly listened to Paul’s teaching, secretly holding out for a bribe in order to release him with a “not guilty” verdict. But Paul stayed true to the gospel and to his personal integrity. He stayed faithful to the Lord, trusted for deliverance, and patiently kept preaching the gospel to Felix even though it kept him detained.
The gospel must be preached with integrity. It isn’t for the gain of the preacher! Paying the bribe would have been an easy way to make the “problem” go away. But Paul modeled faithfulness, and God kept him safe. Plus God had prepared a bigger audience yet to come. Eventually Rome would be the city of destination and Caesar himself would hear from Paul. Integrity took Paul further, with more influence, than cheating shortcuts ever would!
No comments:
Post a Comment