Articles
Person Of The Week: Felix
Some people are famous for their good character, and others are, well, infamous. Felix was the Roman governor of Judea during the time of Paul’s imprisonment in Caesarea. The Roman historian, Tacitus, describes Felix as “a master of cruelty and lust who exercised the powers of a king in the spirit of a slave.”
It is thought that Felix finagled his governorship in part by causing difficulties for his predecessor, Cumanus. Felix wooed his Jewish wife, Drusilla, away from her husband, Aziz of Emesa, who was of the royal class. She was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I and was Felix’ third wife.
So before this political opportunist, this unprincipled, ambitious scoundrel, the apostle Paul appears. And rather than plead for his release, Paul “reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come” (Acts 24:25). If anyone needed to hear those words of warning and exhortation, it was Felix. And what was Felix’s reaction? “Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’”
The words of God via His humble servant/prisoner found their mark. It would be interesting to know Felix’s reflections on Paul’s words later in his life, but such is not recorded. More importantly, are we taking advantage of the words we hear day by day that can change our lives?
