Acts 24 - Follower of the Way

Acts 24 - The trial saga continues... :)

1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?

In verse 15, Paul states a deeply held belief that was apparently around even before Jesus, that there will be a resurrection for both the righteous and the wicked. Jesus alluded to this as well by saying that the wicked "will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matt. 25:45-46, NIV) I didn't realize this was a belief for the Jews apart from Jesus. But the hope Paul talks about is that his righteousness is certain through Christ, and eternal life is his destination.

2. How does this relate to any other Scripture I know?

When Paul called himself a follower of the Way, I had to stop and think about this. I had heard that this is one of the "names" the early Christians were given. Maybe it's a name they gave themselves. At first I thought maybe it meant a certain way of life, but then I noticed that the "W" in "Way" was capitalized. I then thought of John 14:6 when Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the father except through me." This was an answer to one of the disciple's question, "How will we know the way to where you are going?" Jesus answer was basically, "You already know the Way." In Acts, Paul seems to be identifying himself as a follower of the "Way", or Jesus.

3. What does this mean for my life?

In verses 24-27 we found out that Felix kept Paul as a prisoner for 2 YEARS! He called for Paul often to discuss "faith," but he was secretly hoping Paul would offer him a bribe. Being that Paul was there for two years, I'm assuming that Paul never offered a bribe. To me, that is impressive. That is a two year test of Paul's character, integrity, and obedience to God's laws, and he passed with flying colors. This little side note of the story caught my attention and inspired me to continue with great fervor to live a life of integrity before God and others.

4. What questions do I have about this verse?

I'm sure I could find this out with some reading and research, but here is my question. What was the authority structure of the Roman world, and how did that fit with the Jews leadership? Like what was King Herod? What was Pontius Pilate? What was Ananias? What was Felix? What was Festus? What was King Agrippa? And how did they all relate to each other and to Caesar? The answer probably wouldn't change any meaning of the story, but would just help it make more sense as to why they went to certain people.

God's blessings.

In Christ,
Dan