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Acts 24:25

²⁵And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you."

In Caesarea today, there is a walkway that leads to the area that was once the pools of Herod's palace. On that walkway you can see a square hole in the rock capped with iron bars. Below are dungeons that archaelogists recently discovered. On the wall of one of those cells is etched the name of Paul. The governor Felix knew Paul was innocent. Felix knew about the Christian faith because his wife was a Jewess. Felix was a politician. He didn't want to let Paul go because he needed to stay on the good side of the Jewish leadership. However, if Paul would have offered a large enough bribe, he might have let him go. Paul never made the offer.

Felix was curious about the followers of the Way, whom some were calling Christians. He called for Paul in order to entertain himself with theological debate. Felix had lured his wife, the granddaughter of Herod Agrippa 1, away from the king of Emesa. Paul preached on the three fundamental truths: God is holy and is satisfied with nothing less than righteousness; man has no self-control and will always fall short of God's standard; and a righteous and holy God must judge us for our actions. No wonder Felix was alarmed. His current wife was his third wife, and he had stolen her from another man. In addition, he had ordered the slaughter of a number of Jews.

With all that on his conscience, we have no record of his conversion. As plain and as alarming as the message is, some would rather face the wrath of God for their sins than give up their freedom to live any way they please.

Consider: Luke recorded Paul's example of witnessing to a dignitary. Paul reasoned with Felix about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. In the light of eternity, which of these men is greater, the governor or the prisoner?