As we move forward in Acts, we now see Paul truly on trial for the very first time. He has stood before the Jewish ruling council, but now he’s before a Roman ruler. The Roman commander in Jerusalem didn’t really know what to do with Paul so he sent him over Caesarea to Felix the Governor along with a letter describing what had transpired that put the Commander in the best possible light. 

What I want to do with this passage is really understand the heart of the reason he is on trial. He wasn’t on trial for civil infractions, he was on trial for religious infractions. Now, some of the charges are just flat out lies. They accused him of stirring up riots and profaning the Temple which just wasn’t true. This is why Paul says in Verses 11, 12, and 13,  11 You can verify that zit is not more than twelve days since I awent up bto worship in Jerusalem, 12 and cthey did not find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or in the city. 13 dNeither can they prove to you what they now bring up against me. - Acts 24:11-13. 

But, we see the core reason Paul is on trial in the next part of his defense. 14 But this I confess to you, that according to ethe Way, which they call fa sect, gI worship hthe God of our fathers, believing everything ilaid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, 15 jhaving ka hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be la resurrection mof both the just and the unjust. - Acts 24:14,15 Do you see it? Paul is affirming that he does worship the God of his fathers and he does believe everything that is written down in the law and the prophets. This is the core disagreement. The Jews did not understand how Paul could possibly worship Jesus and still be a Jew who values God, the law, and the prophets.

To understand the continuity of Paul’s teachings and the Old Testament is at the heart of this passage and the heart of the Christian faith. Attempts today are made to detach ourselves from the Old Testament, but that is to make the same mistake these Jews did in the opposite direction. So, I want to ask the question: Why are these Jews so threatened by Paul? And I want to answer this question by using Paul’s own writings in Romans 10 to see what was wrong in their head and what was wrong in their heart. 

1. What was wrong in their head

What was wrong in their head is that they didn’t cognitively understand the relationship between the law and the gospel. Remember, the Jews in the last two chapters have been claiming that Paul was teaching everyone everywhere against the law, the people, and the temple. They couldn’t see how Paul’s gospel was actually in line with all those things and they misunderstood Paul to be abandoning the law altogether. Paul wasn’t saying the law is bad, Paul taught that the law is good. The law is good because it restrains evil, the law is good because it mirrors the character of God, and the law is good because it shows us our need for salvation. But, it does not provide a way for our salvation. And this is the main misunderstanding. The Jews thought they could be saved by the law. 

And even though we live in a totally different context, we can fall into the same trap as the Jewish leaders. The more conservative part of our culture is going to have categories for a moral law, for sin, and for evil, but they will use them as a way of separating those people from us. There becomes this line of demarcation between bad people and good people not realizing that that very law condemns the conservatives as well. And a sign that we might be falling into that trap is that we will have an increasingly self-righteous posture and even hatred for those who don’t live up to the moral standard that we do. They feel loved by God because of their ‘good works’ not realizing that they are condemned by their very works. 

And you actually see a similar thing in the more progressive part of our culture. People who feel loved by God not because of their good works, but because of their trueness to self or their expressive individualism. They have basically just created their own law that mirror’s their character to justify what they want to do and this group will also grow in a self-righteous posture and even hate people who challenge their way of life with any kind of absolute moral laws. Both groups feel loved, but not evil. 

But, then you have people who feel evil…maybe because of things they’ve done, maybe because of very hard families of origin, or maybe because of depression. They feel condemned and can’t imagine being loved. 

In each case, they don’t see the connection between the absolute, eternal moral law and the gospel. In Romans ten, Paul says, 4 For eChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. - Rom 10:4 Paul is not saying that the law is gone. He’s saying that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes. Christ is not the end of the law, he’s the end of the law as a way of trying to attain our righteousness. Jesus is describing the only world view where we understand that we are both evil and loved. That is at the heart of the cognitive dissonance of unbelief. 

How is it that we are both evil and loved? Think about Matthew 7 when Jesus said, “You who are evil give good gifts to your children. How much more then will the Father give good gifts to you?” Do you hear what Jesus is saying? You are at the same time loved and evil. How is this possible? It’s because God loves us so much that he took on the requirements of the law himself. Jesus’ perfect life fulfilled all the requirements of the law that we all fail at. Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty we deserve for our sin as he took on the wrath of God in our place as he died. We who put our faith in Jesus are now seen every bit as righteous as he is and freed from the curse of the law because he has taken the curse on himself. This is why Paul said to the Romans, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. - Rom 8:1 

We are evil and loved. This is the conclusion that Paul came to. We can’t fix our law and sin problem, but Jesus does. Martin Luther said, “The law is a hammer that crushes the self-righteousness of human beings. It shows them their sin, so by the recognition of their sin, they may be humbled, frightened and worn down and so may long for grace, which they find in Christ. The law is our school master to bring us to Christ.” 

And that is what the Jews did not understand. They thought the law was their path to righteousness and salvation and it created a self-righteous posture and even hatred toward Paul. So much so that they would travel all the way to Caesarea to see him condemned. But what we need to see (and this is going to be very important at the end of the passage) is that it wasn’t just the Jews in Paul’s time that missed this, they had missed it for thousands of years. 

They had had all the access to the gospel that they needed. In Roman’s ten, Paul uses Deuteronomy 30 to say that their salvation was not somewhere far off, but at their fingertips the whole time! In Deuteronomy 30, Moses is saying don’t come to me asking for someone to go across the ocean to get you the word, it’s right here. It has been made near to you. You don’t have to go up to heaven or down to the abyss, God has brought it near you. Simply listen and obey. It’s in your mouth and heart. Paul is saying the exact same thing in Romans ten. It’s so near to you! Christ has done it and brought it so near. All you have to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. 

Not only did the Israelites have access to the gospel in Paul’s day, they had access to the message of salvation through faith alone for thousands of years. This is why the Gospel of Mark begins by saying  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, athe Son of God.1 2 bAs it is written in Isaiah the prophet, - Mark 1:1 And he quotes Isaiah 57:14. He’s literally talking about the good news. Not accomplishing the law. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, owho brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” - Is 52:7 They have had more access to the gospel than anyone else. And not only is Isaiah talking about their access to the gospel, you can see that they were supposed to use their access to the good news to bring others in! So, not only did they neglect what they were supposed to do by bringing it to the world, they failed to even embrace it at home. 

This is what takes us to the most famous part of Romans ten. I’m summarizing here, but Paul uses the Old Testament to ask these questions. How will these Israelites believe if they haven’t heard? How will they hear if someone doesn’t preach? How will someone preach if they aren’t sent? We know that faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. What if they just didn’t hear it? And Paul’s argument is THAT THEY DID HEAR IT!

This is how I imagine it. Most of you have been around kids once they get to a certain age and you say something and they don’t respond. Maybe they are watching TV or playing the PS5. You’re telling them to go do something and they totally hear it, but they act like they don’t. They might claim they didn’t hear you, but they 100% did! I remember so well when Turner was about seven and we were at the pool and it was time to go and he acted like he didn’t hear me saying it was time to go. Every time I would call his name he would go underwater and act like he didn’t hear me. But I knew he did!

I think this is analogous to the argument Paul made. And this is why Paul says in verse 18, ‘But have they not heard? Indeed they have! And he quotes Psalm 19: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. His point is that they have indeed heard. So, while you can use Romans ten for Missions Month, this is not the way Paul is using it. He’s talking about Israel and her disobedience. He’s continuing to vindicate God and his dealings with Israel. 

God’s people are not an ethnic group who obey the law. God’s people are a spiritual group who are saved by Jesus. And Romans 9-11 tells us that has always been the case. This is why these Jewish leaders could not understand that there is now no distinction between Jew and Gentile. This is why they were so angry about Paul fraternizing with the gentiles. Because they didn’t understand the relationship between the law and the gospel. They didn’t understand that they themselves were condemned by the law, but that Jesus fulfills the law for all who put their faith in him. 

So, once we believe, does the law go away? No! If the law is an extension or reflection of God’s character, which never changes, then neither does the law. So, the law no longer condemns us, but becomes a compass to lead us into deeper joy and satisfaction in God. The unbelieving Jews heard this with their ears, but never understood this in their minds. But, there is an even deeper problem. 

1. What was wrong in their heart. 

The deeper problem wasn't that they didn’t hear the gospel and understand it, it was that they heard it and hated it. Romans 10:19: 19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, c“I will dmake you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a efoolish nation I will make you angry.” - Rom 10:19 He’s not only saying that they have understood, but that Moses prophesied that this would happen! In verse 21, Paul says But of Israel he says (he being Isaiah) All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. - Rom 10:21 They heard the gospel, but they hated it. There is no excuse for the rejection of the gospel on the part of Israel. People have been sent, they have preached, the people heard, they understood for generations, and they said, “No.” 

Paul says in Romans that the people of God are not the physical descendants of Abraham, but the spiritual descendants. Those who share Abraham’s faith. And faith is not a head issue, but a heart issue. People often say that they will give their heart to what they accept with their mind, but it’s actually the opposite. The heart isn’t just about what we feel, it’s about what we commit to. It’s about what we hope in. And it is our heart that informs how we think, feel, and act. Thomas Cranmer said, “What the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies.” 

Let’s go back to the law for a minute. When I was doing campus ministry years ago, we set up a survey in a dorm and asked the question, how are you saved? And do you know what one of the top answers was? By obeying the Ten Commandments. If that is where our hope is then all of us will fail miserably? All of us have stolen something, all of us have lied, all of us have coveted, all of us have hated another human, and all of us have not honored our parents. But worse, to break any of these commandments, you must first break the first commandment: You shall have no other god before me. To break any of the commandments is to first have something in our heart ahead of God. This is why the problem isn’t just a head issue, but a heart issue. 

The Jewish leaders thought that they had to obey the law to be worthy, loved, and satisfied. Their hearts wanted to earn God’s favor. Their hearts desired to be their own savior and that informed their minds. That is why they needed to see Paul condemned. They had worked so hard to feel like they were their own saviors and that had built up so much pride and self-righteousness and their pride and Paul’s spiritual humility could not coexist. Paul’s freedom in Christ had to be condemned for their self-righteousness to flourish. 

The main implication in Romans ten and in Acts 24 is that there are chilling eternal consequences for hearing and understanding the gospel, but not confessing it with our mouths or believing it in our hearts. This is essentially what the Jews had been doing for thousands of years. Peter had even more chilling words for them. 20 For if, aafter they have escaped the defilements of the world bthrough the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,they are again entangled in them and overcome, cthe last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For dit would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from ethe holy commandment delivered to them. - 2 Peter 2:20,21 I don’t know exactly how this plays out in the afterlife, but it is clear that while there is eternal condemnation for any who do not believe, it is worse for those who have heard and rejected and I don’t want that to be true of any of you. 

This takes us back to Acts. The Jews make their case, but it turns out that Felix was very familiar with The Way (what Christians were called early on) and that his wife, Drusilla was herself a Jew. Drusilla is a fascinating person to me. She seems to be very interested in Paul’s message. There is no legal reason for her to be in this proceeding other than her own interest. We read that for two years, Paul was held by Felix and he and Drusilla would often bring him out to ask questions about the gospel. But, we have no indication that they ever believed. So you have the Jewish leaders who hated the message and you have Drusilla who was curious about the message, but neither of them believed which put them in the same spiritual category. 

According to the Jewish historian, Josephus, Drusilla and her son were at a very nice dinner for important Roman people in a city called Pompeii. She was at that dinner when Mount Vesuvius blew and killed them all. All the gospel curiosity in the world did not help her. Her spiritual fate would be the same as those who brought the charges against Paul. 

If you are here today and you have heard the gospel, but not believed it, you will stand before God the same way these Israelites and Drusilla did. But, the difference between them and you is that you still have time. You can put your faith in Jesus today. I’m here to talk if you want, as are any of our pastors or leaders. You can talk to your parents. You can fill out a connect card. But I want you to hear me say that this is the most important decision you can ever make and the door to making that decision will not stay open forever. All of us will die and on that day… the door closes. 

A sign of our salvation is a renewed love of the law and that is exactly what Paul is claiming at his trial. Think about a romantic relationship. What is the culminating moment of most romantic relationships? Getting married. Publicly declaring your love and devotion to each other as long as you live. Well, what if on the honeymoon, your new spouse decided they didn’t need to say anything nice to you, they didn’t need to show physical affection, and they didn’t need to spend time with you? That would feel odd. What if the spouse said, “Look, we’re married now. It’s official. I don’t need to do all those things anymore because we’re married.” That would be really misunderstanding what it means to be married. Now that you are married, it’s not that you have to do those things, but you get to do them all in the one relationship where you are both known and accepted. And not only do you get to show your love everyday, you find enjoyment in it. 

That’s a picture of the relationship we are in with God. The only true relationship where we are fully known and fully accepted and it is going to last for all of eternity. We don’t have to follow the moral law to be accepted. We are accepted and following the moral law helps us to grow in our relationship with God. If we know that the basis of our relationship is the gospel and not our works, then we are freed up to enjoy the law.

The Jewish leaders hated this. Drusilla was curious, but never embraced this. But Paul understood in his mind and believed in his heart and that is why he said, in spite of all his failings, that he lived with a good conscience. He knew that all were going to be resurrected, both the just and unjust. For the unjust, that is those who have chosen to be judged on their merits, the just penalty would make Pompeii look like a nice day in the park. But, for the just, that is, those who have chosen to be judged on the merits of Christ, we will receive rewards and joy that make a nice day in the park look like Pompeii. We will live forever without sin, without shame, without pain, and with our Savior, Jesus for all of eternity.