Topical Encyclopedia
Background and Historical Context:Marcus Antonius Felix was a Roman procurator of Judea, serving from approximately AD 52 to AD 58. He was appointed by the Emperor Claudius and is known for his role in the New Testament, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles. Felix was a freedman of Antonia Minor, the mother of Emperor Claudius, which facilitated his rise to power despite his humble beginnings. His tenure as procurator was marked by a mix of administrative competence and notorious cruelty, which eventually led to his recall to Rome.
Biblical References:Felix is prominently mentioned in the Book of Acts, where he is depicted as a key figure in the trial of the Apostle Paul. In
Acts 23:24-26, Paul is sent to Felix in Caesarea after a plot against his life is uncovered. Felix's involvement with Paul is further detailed in
Acts 24.
Acts 24:22-27 :In
Acts 24, Paul is brought before Felix to answer charges brought by the Jewish leaders. Felix, having a more accurate knowledge of "the Way" (Christianity), adjourns the proceedings, stating, "When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case" (
Acts 24:22). Felix's familiarity with the Christian faith suggests he had some understanding of the religious dynamics of the region.
Felix's interaction with Paul is marked by a mixture of curiosity and self-interest.
Acts 24:24-25 describes how Felix, along with his Jewish wife Drusilla, listens to Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus. However, when Paul discusses righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix becomes frightened and dismisses him, saying, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time, I will send for you" (
Acts 24:25).
Felix's motivations are further revealed in
Acts 24:26, where it is noted that he hoped Paul would offer him a bribe for his release. Despite frequent conversations with Paul, Felix leaves him imprisoned for two years, seeking to appease the Jewish leaders and maintain political stability.
Acts 24:27 states, "When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison" .
Character and Governance:Felix's rule is characterized by a blend of political acumen and moral corruption. Historical sources, such as the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus, describe Felix as a man who wielded his power with a heavy hand, often resorting to violence to suppress uprisings and dissent. His marriage to Drusilla, a member of the Herodian dynasty, further complicated his relationship with the Jewish population, as it was seen as politically motivated.
Felix's governance was marked by unrest and dissatisfaction among the Jewish populace, contributing to the growing tensions that would eventually lead to the Jewish Revolt in AD 66. His recall to Rome was partly due to complaints about his harsh methods and inability to maintain peace in the region.
Legacy:Felix's legacy in the biblical narrative is one of missed opportunities and moral ambiguity. His interactions with Paul highlight the tension between political expediency and spiritual truth. Despite his exposure to the Gospel, Felix's fear and desire for personal gain ultimately prevent him from embracing the message of salvation. His account serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of prioritizing worldly power over eternal truths.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Felixhappy, prosperous
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Felix(happy), a Roman procurator of Judea appointed by the emperor Claudius in A.D. 53. He ruled the province in a mean, cruel and profligate manner. His period of office was full of troubles and seditions. St. Paul was brought before Felix in Caesarea. He was remanded to prison, and kept there two years in hopes of extorting money from him. (Acts 24:26,27) At the end of that time Porcius Festus [FESTUS, PORCIUS] was appointed to supersede Felix, who, on his return to Rome, was accused by the Jews in Caesarea, and would have suffered the penalty due to his atrocities had not his brother Pallas prevailed with the emperor Nero to spare him. This was probably about A.D. 60. The wife of Felix was Drusilla, daughter of Herod Agrippa I., who was his third wife and whom he persuaded to leave her husband and marry him.
ATS Bible Dictionary
FelixA Roman governor of Judea; originally a slave, but manumitted and promoted by Claudius Caesar, from whom he received the name of Claudius. He is described by the historian Tacitus as cruel, licentious, and base. In Judea he married Drusilla, sister of the younger Agrippa, having enticed her from her second husband Azizus. Paul having been sent by Lysias to Caesarea, then the seat of government, Felix gave him an audience, and was convinced of his innocence. Nevertheless he kept him a prisoner, though with many alleviation's, in hopes that his friends would purchase his liberty by a heavy bribe. Meanwhile his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, desired to hear Paul explain the new religion; and the apostle being summoned before them, discoursed with his usual boldness on justice, chastity, and the final judgment. Felix trembled, but hastily remanded Paul to confinement, and stifled his convictions-a melancholy instance of the power of lust and the danger of delay. Two years after, A. D. 60, he was recalled to Rome; and left Paul in prison, in order to appease the Jews. He was brought to trial, however, for maladministration, found guilty, and barely escaped death through the intercession of his brother Pallas, another royal favorite,Acts 23:26; 24:1-27.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Happy, the Roman procurator of Judea before whom Paul "reasoned" (
Acts 24:25). He appears to have expected a bribe from Paul, and therefore had several interviews with him. The "worthy deeds" referred to in 24:2 was his clearing the country of banditti and impostors.
At the end of a two years' term, Porcius Festus was appointed in the room of Felix (A.D. 60), who proceeded to Rome, and was there accused of cruelty and malversation of office by the Jews of Caesarea. The accusation was rendered nugatory by the influence of his brother Pallas with Nero. (seeJosephus, Ant. xx. 8, 9.)
Drusilla, the daughter of Herod Agrippa, having been induced by Felix to desert her husband, the king of Emesa, became his adulterous companion. She was seated beside him when Paul "reasoned" before the judge. When Felix gave place to Festus, being "willing to do the Jews a pleasure," he left Paul bound.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
FELIX; ANTONIUSfe'-liks, an-to'-ni-us (Phelix, from Latin felix, "happy"): A Roman procurator of Judea, appointed in succession to Cumanus by the emperor Claudius. The event which led to the introduction of Felix into the narrative of Acts was the riot at Jerusalem (Acts 21:27). There Paul, being attacked at the instigation of the Asiatic Jews for alleged false teaching and profanation of the temple, was rescued with difficulty by Lysias the chief captain. But Lysias, finding that Paul was a Roman citizen, and that therefore the secret plots against the life of his captive might entail serious consequences upon himself, and finding also that Paul was charged on religious rather than on political grounds, sent him on to Felix at Caesarea for trial (Acts 21:31-23:34). On his arrival, Paul was presented to Felix and was then detained for five days in the judgment hall of Herod, till his accusers should also reach Caesarea (Acts 23:33-35). The trial was begun, but after hearing the evidence of Tertullus (see TERTULLUS) and the speech of Paul in his own defense, Felix deferred judgment (Acts 24:1-22). The excuse he gave for delay was the non-appearance of Lysias, but his real reason was in order to obtain bribes for the release of Paul. He therefore treated his prisoner at first with leniency, and pretended along with Drusilla to take interest in his teaching. But these attempts to induce Paul to purchase his freedom failed ignominiously; Paul sought favor of neither Felix nor Drusilla, and made the frequent interviews which he had with them an opportunity for preaching to them concerning righteousness and temperance and the final judgment. The case dragged on for two years till Felix, upon his retirement, "desiring to gain favor with the Jews. left Paul in bonds" (Acts 24:27). According to the Bezan text, the continued imprisonment of Paul was due to the desire of Felix to please Drusilla.
Felix was the brother of Pallas, who was the infamous favorite of Claudius, and who, according to Tacitus (Annals xiii. 14), fell into disgrace in 55 A.D. Tacitus implies that Felix was joint procurator of Judea, along with Cumanus, before being appointed to the sole command, but Josephus is silent as to this. Both Tacitus and Josephus refer to his succeeding Cumanus, Josephus stating that it was at the instigation of Jonathan the high priest. There is some doubt as to the chronology of Felix' tenure of office. Harnack and Blass, following Eusebius and Jerome, place his accession in 51 A.D., and the imprisonment of Paul in 54-56 A.D.; but most modern commentators incline to the dates 52 A.D. and 56-58 A.D. These latter interpret the statement of Paul, "Thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation" (Acts 24:10), as referring to some judicial office, not necessarily that of co-procurator (see Tacitus), previously held by Felix in the time of Cumanus, and argue that this earlier connection of Felix with Judea supplied a reason for the advocacy by Jonathan of Felix' claims to the procuratorship on the deposition of Gumanus. The testimony of Acts as to the evil character of Felix is fully corroborated by the writings of Josephus (BJ, II, xiii). Although he suppressed the robbers and murderers who infested Judea, and among them the "Egyptian" to whom Lysias refers (Acts 21:38), yet "he himself was more hurtful than them all." When occasion offered, he did not hesitate to employ the sicarii (see ASSASSINS) for his own ends. Trading upon the influence of his brother at court, his cruelty and rapacity knew no bounds, and during his rule revolts became continuous, and marked a distinct stage in that seditious movement which culminated in the outbreak of 70 A.D. (so Schurer). His leaving Paul in bonds was but a final instance of one who sacrificed duty and justice for the sake of his Own unscrupulous selfishness. For more detailed information as to dates, etc., compare Knowling (Expos Greek Test., II, 477).
C. M. Kerr
Greek
5344. Phelix -- "fortunate,"Felix, a governor of Judea... 5343, 5344. Phelix. 5345 . "fortunate,"
Felix, a governor of Judea. Part of
Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: Phelix Phonetic Spelling: (fay'-lix
...Library
The Octavius of MinuciusFelix
The Octavius of MinuciusFelix. <. The Octavius of MinuciusFelix
MinuciusFelix. Translated by the Rev. Robert Ernest...
Paul BeforeFelix
... THE ACTS CHAP. XIII TO END PAUL BEFOREFELIX. 'Then Paul, after that the
governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch...
Felix Before Paul
... THE ACTS CHAP. XIII TO ENDFELIX BEFORE PAUL....Felix and his brother had been favourite
slaves of the Emperor, and so had won great power at court....
Paul andFelix
... SERMON XII."PAUL ANDFELIX. Acts 24:25. And... Let us take this latter question
first. About what did St. Paul reason beforeFelix? About...
Felix is Made Procurator of Judea; as Also Concerning Agrippa...
... From Fadus The Procurator To Florus. CHAPTER 7.Felix Is Made Procurator Of
Judea; As Also Concerning Agrippa, Junior And His Sisters....
Paul BeforeFelix.
... PAUL BEFOREFELIX.... He sent him under a strong guard toFelix the governor of Judea,
who resided in Cesarea, and gave orders to his accusers to follow him....
Paul's Sermon BeforeFelix
... Paul's Sermon BeforeFelix. A Sermon (No.171). Delivered on Sabbath Morning, January
10, 1858, by the. REV. CH SPURGEON. at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens...
Epistle xvi. FromFelix Bishop of Messana to St. Gregory.
... Epistle XVI. FromFelix Bishop of Messana to St. Gregory. FromFelix
Bishop of Messana [243] to St. Gregory. To the most...
The ElderFelix of Migirpa Said: "I Think that Every one Coming...
... Book VI. Chapter 9. " 13. The elderFelix of Migirpa said: "I think that every one
coming from? "13.... To whatFelix of Migirpa said we answer as follows....
Epistle Lxxix. The Answer ofFelix, Jader, Polianus, and the Rest...
... Epistle LXXIX. The Answer ofFelix, Jader, Polianus, and the Rest of the Martyrs,
to Cyprian.... IFelix wrote this; I Jader subscribed it; I Polianus read it....
Thesaurus
Felix (11 Occurrences)... At the end of a two years' term, Porcius Festus was appointed in the room of
Felix (AD 60), who proceeded to Rome, and was there accused of cruelty and
...Antonius
... Standard Bible EncyclopediaFELIX; ANTONIUS.... The event which led to the introduction
ofFelix into the narrative of Acts was the riot at Jerusalem (Acts 21:27)....
Drusilla (1 Occurrence)
...Felix, the Roman procurator of Judea, induced her to leave her husband,
Azizus, the king of Emesa, and become his wife. She was...
Tertullus (2 Occurrences)
... A modification of "Tertius;" a Roman advocate, whom the Jews employed to state their
case against Paul in the presence ofFelix (Acts 24:1-9). The charges he...
Porcius (1 Occurrence)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Festus, Porcius. The successor ofFelix (AD 60)
as procurator of Judea (Acts 24:27). A few weeks after...
Festus (14 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Festus, Porcius. The successor ofFelix (AD 60)
as procurator of Judea (Acts 24:27). A few weeks after...
Lysias (3 Occurrences)
... The chief captain (chiliarch) who commanded the Roman troops in Jerusalem, and sent
Paul under guard to the procuratorFelix at Caesarea (Acts 21:31-38; 22:24...
Procurator
... But Claudius appointed a freedman, AntoniusFelix, brother of the famous minister
of finance, Pallas, as procurator of Judea (Suetonius, Claudius xxviii...
Bonds (46 Occurrences)
... Acts 24:27 But when two years were fulfilled,Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,
and desiring to gain favor with the Jews,Felix left Paul in bonds....
Noble (61 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Acts 23:26 Claudius Lysias,
to the most noble ruler,Felix, peace be with you. (BBE YLT)....
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