SEV Biblia, Chapter 24:27
Pero al cabo de dos aos recibi Flix por sucesor a Porcio Festo; y queriendo Flix ganar la gracia de los judíos, dej preso a Pablo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 24:27
Verse 27. After two years] That is, from the time that Paul came prisoner to Caesarea. Porcius Festus] This man was put into the government of Judea about A.D. 60, the sixth or seventh year of Nero. In the succeeding chapter we shall see the part that he took in the affairs of St. Paul.
Willing to show the Jews a pleasure] As he had not got the money which he expected, he hoped to be able to prevent the complaints of the Jews against his government, by leaving Paul, in some measure, in their hands. For it was customary for governors, &c., when they left, or were removed from a particular district or province, to do some public, beneficent act, in order to make themselves popular. But Felix gained nothing by this: the Jews pursued him with their complaints against his administration, even to the throne of the emperor. Josephus states the matter thus: "Now when Porcius Festus was sent as successor to Felix, by Nero, the principal of the Jewish inhabitants of Caesarea went up to Rome, to accuse Felix. And he certainly would have been brought to punishment, had not Nero yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Pallas, who was at that time in the highest reputation with the emperor."-Antiq. lib. xx. cap. 9. Thus, like the dog in the fable, by snatching at the shadow, he lost the substance. He hoped for money from the apostle, and got none; he sought to conciliate the friendship of the Jews, and miscarried. Honesty is the best policy: he that fears God need fear nothing else. Justice and truth never deceive their possessor.
1. Envy and malice are indefatigable, and torment themselves in order to torment and ruin others. That a high priest, says pious Quesnel, should ever be induced to leave the holy city, and the functions of religion, to become the accuser of an innocent person; this could be no other than the effect of a terrible dereliction, and the punishment of the abuse of sacred things.
2. Tertullus begins his speech with flattery, against which every judge should have a shut ear; and then he proceeds to calumny and detraction.
These generally succeed each other. He who flatters you, will in course calumniate you for receiving his flattery. When a man is conscious of the uprightness of his cause, he must know that to attempt to support it by any thing but truth tends directly to debase it.
3. The resurrection of the body was the grand object of the genuine Christian's hope; but the ancient Christians only hoped for a blessed resurrection on the ground of reconciliation to God through the death of his Son. In vain is our hope of glory, if we have not got a meetness for it. And who is fit for this state of blessedness, but he whose iniquity is forgiven, whose sin is covered, and whose heart is purified from deceit and guile! 4. We could applaud the lenity shown to St. Paul by Felix, did not his own conduct render his motives for this lenity very suspicious. "To think no evil, where no evil seems," is the duty of a Christian; but to refuse to see it, where it most evidently appears, is an imposition on the understanding itself.
5. Justice, temperance, and a future judgment, the subjects of St. Paul's discourse to Felix and Drusilla, do not concern an iniquitous judge alone; they are subjects which should affect and interest every Christian; subjects which the eye should carefully examine, and which the heart should ever feel. Justice respects our conduct in life, particularly in reference to others: temperance, the state and government of our souls, in reference to God. He who does not exercise himself in these has neither the form nor the power of godliness; and consequently must be overwhelmed with the shower of Divine wrath in the day of God's appearing, Many of those called Christians, have not less reason to tremble at a display of these truths than this heathen.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 27. But after two years , etc.] Not of Felixs government, for he had been judge many years in that nation, but of the apostles confinement at Caesarea: Porcius Festus came in Felixs room ; was made governor of Judea by Nero in his stead; who having had many and loud complaints against him for malpractice, moved him: and so Josephus says, that Festus succeeded Felix in the government of Judea, and calls him as here, Porcius Festus; in the Arabic version he is called Porcinius Festus, and in the Vulgate Latin version Portius Festus, but his name was not Portius, from porta, a gate, but Porcius, a porcis, from hogs; it was common with the Romans to take names from the brute creatures; so Suillius from swine, Caprarius and Caprilius from goats, Bubulcus from oxen, and Ovinius from sheep. The famous Cato was of the family of the Porcii; his name was M.
Porcius Cato, and came from Tusculum, a place about twelve miles from Rome, where there is a mountain which still retains the name of Porcius; we read also of Porcius Licinius, a Latin poet, whose fragments are still extant; whether this man was of the same family is not certain, it is very likely he might: his surname Festus signifies joyful and cheerful, as one keeping a feast; this was a name common with the Romans, as Rufus Festus, Pompeius Festus, and others: and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound ; he had done many injuries to their persons and properties, he had greatly abused them, and incensed them against him; and now he was sent for to Rome, to answer for his maladministration; wherefore, to gratify the Jews, and to oblige them, in hopes that they would not follow him with charges and accusations, at least would mitigate them, and not bear hard upon him, he leaves Paul bound at Caesarea, when it was in his power to have loosed him, and who he knew was an innocent person: but this piece of policy did him no service, for the persons he had wronged, the chief of the Jews at Caesarea, went to Rome, and accused him to Caesar; and he was sent by his successor thither, to appear before Nero, and answer to the charges exhibited against him; and had it not been for his brother Pallas, who was in great authority at court, he had been severely punished f1207 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 22-27 - The apostle reasoned concerning the nature and obligations of righteousness, temperance, and of a judgment to come; thus showing the oppressive judge and his profligate mistress, their need of repentance forgiveness, and of the grace of the gospel. Justice respects ou conduct in life, particularly in reference to others; temperance, the state and government of our souls, in reference to God. He who does no exercise himself in these, has neither the form nor the power of godliness, and must be overwhelmed with the Divine wrath in the day of God's appearing. A prospect of the judgment to come, is enough to make the stoutest heart to tremble. Felix trembled, but that was all. Man are startled by the word of God, who are not changed by it. Many fea the consequences of sin, yet continue in the love and practice of sin In the affairs of our souls, delays are dangerous. Felix put off thi matter to a more convenient season, but we do not find that the mor convenient season ever came. Behold now is the accepted time; hear the voice of the Lord to-day. He was in haste to turn from hearing the truth. Was any business more urgent than for him to reform his conduct or more important than the salvation of his soul! Sinners often star up like a man roused from his sleep by a loud noise, but soon sin again into their usual drowsiness. Be not deceived by occasiona appearances of religion in ourselves or in others. Above all, let u not trifle with the word of God. Do we expect that as we advance i life our hearts will grow softer, or that the influence of the worl will decline? Are we not at this moment in danger of being lost for ever? Now is the day of salvation; tomorrow may be too late __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
διετιας 1333 N-GSF δε 1161 CONJ πληρωθεισης 4137 5685 V-APP-GSF ελαβεν 2983 5627 V-2AAI-3S διαδοχον 1240 N-ASM ο 3588 T-NSM φηλιξ 5344 N-NSM πορκιον 4201 N-ASM φηστον 5347 N-ASM θελων 2309 5723 V-PAP-NSM τε 5037 PRT χαριτας 5485 N-APF καταθεσθαι 2698 5641 V-2AMN τοις 3588 T-DPM ιουδαιοις 2453 A-DPM ο 3588 T-NSM φηλιξ 5344 N-NSM κατελιπεν 2641 5627 V-2AAI-3S τον 3588 T-ASM παυλον 3972 N-ASM δεδεμενον 1210 5772 V-RPP-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
27. Porcius Festus came into Felix's room (elabe diadocon o Fhlix Porkion Fhston). Rev., better, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. The Greek idiom is, Felix received Porcius Festus as a successor.To shew the Jews a pleasure (caritav kataqesqai toiv Ioudaioiv). Lit., to lay up thanks for himself with the Jews. Rev., correctly, to gain favor with the Jews.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
24:27 {But when two years were fulfilled} (dietias de plerwqeises). Genitive absolute first aorist passive of plerow, common verb to fill full. dietia, late word in LXX and Philo, common in the papyri, in N.T. only here and #Ac 28:30. Compound of dia, two (duo, dis) and etos, year. So Paul lingered on in prison in Caesarea, waiting for the second hearing under Felix which never came. Caesarea now became the compulsory headquarters of Paul for two years. With all his travels Paul spent several years each at Tarsus, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, though not as a prisoner unless that was true part of the time at Ephesus for which there is some evidence though not of a convincing kind. We do not know that Luke remained in Caesarea all this time. In all probability he came and went with frequent visits with Philip the Evangelist. It was probably during this period that Luke secured the material for his Gospel and wrote part or all of it before going to Rome. He had ample opportunity to examine the eyewitnesses who heard Jesus and the first attempts at writing including the Gospel of Mark (#Lu 1:1-4). {Was succeeded by} (elaben diadocon). Literally, "received as successor." diadocos is an old word from diadecomai, to receive in succession (dia, duo, two) and occurs here alone in the N.T. Deissmann (_Bible Studies_, p. 115) gives papyri examples where hoi diadocoi means "higher officials at the court of the Ptolemies," probably "deputies," a usage growing out of the "successors" of Alexander the Great (Moulton and Milligan's _Vocabulary_), though here the original notion of "successor" occurs (cf. Josephus, _Ant_. XX. 8, 9). Luke does not tell why Felix "received" a successor. The explanation is that during these two years the Jews and the Gentiles had an open fight in the market-place in Caesarea. Felix put the soldiers on the mob and many Jews were killed. The Jews made formal complaint to the Emperor with the result that Felix was recalled and Porcius Festus sent in his stead. {Porcius Festus} (porkion feston). We know very little about this man. He is usually considered a worthier man than Felix, but Paul fared no better at his hands and he exhibits the same insincerity and eagerness to please the Jews. Josephus (_Ant_. XX. 8, 9) says that "Porcius Festus was sent as a successor to Felix." The precise year when this change occurred is not clear. Albinus succeeded Festus by A.D. 62, so that it is probable that Festus came A.D. 58 (or 59). Death cut short his career in a couple of years though he did more than Felix to rid the country of robbers and _sicarii_. Some scholars argue for an earlier date for the recall of Felix. Nero became Emperor Oct. 13, A.D. 54. Poppaea, his Jewish mistress and finally wife, may have had something to do with the recall of Felix at the request of the Jews. {Desiring to gain favor with the Jews} (qelwn te carita kataqesqai tois ioudaiois). Reason for his conduct. Note second aorist (ingressive) middle infinitive kataqesqai from katatiqemi, old verb to place down, to make a deposit, to deposit a favor with, to do something to win favor. Only here and #25:9 in N.T., though in some MSS. in #Mr 15:46. It is a banking figure. {Left Paul in bonds} (katelipe ton paulon dedemenon). Effective aorist active indicative of kataleipw, to leave behind. Paul "in bonds" (dedemenon, perfect passive participle of dew, to bind) was the "deposit" (kataqesqai) for their favor. Codex Bezae adds that Felix left Paul in custody "because of Drusilla" (dia drousillan). She disliked Paul as much as Herodias did John the Baptist. So Pilate surrendered to the Jews about the death of Jesus when they threatened to report him to Caesar. Some critics would date the third group of Paul's Epistles (Philippians, Philemon, Colossians, Ephesians) to the imprisonment here in Caesarea, some even to one in Ephesus. But the arguments for either of these two views are more specious than convincing. Furneaux would even put #2Ti 4:9-22 here in spite of the flat contradiction with #Ac 21:29 about Trophimus being in Jerusalem instead of Miletus (#2Ti 4:20), a "mistake" which he attributes to Luke! That sort of criticism can prove anything.
