Albert Barnes Commentary 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." — Acts 24:27 (ASV)

But after two years. Paul was unjustly detained during all this time. Felix’s hope seems to have been to wear out Paul’s patience and induce him to purchase his freedom.

Came into Felix’s room. That is, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix as governor.

And Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure (Acts 25:9). He was desirous of pleasing them, even at the expense of justice. This shows the principle on which he acted.

Left Paul bound. Felix left him in custody, under the charge of his successor. His object in this was to conciliate the Jews; that is, to secure their favor and to prevent them, if possible, from accusing him for the evils of his administration before the emperor.

The account Luke gives here coincides remarkably with that which Josephus has given. Josephus says that Porcius Festus was sent by Nero as successor to Felix. He does not indeed mention Paul, or say that Felix sought to conciliate the favor of the Jews, but he gives such an account as to make Luke’s statement perfectly consistent with Felix’s character while in office.

Josephus informs us that Felix was unpopular, and that there was reason to apprehend that the Jews would accuse him before the emperor. Therefore, the statement in Acts, that Felix would be willing to show the Jews a favor, is in perfect keeping with his character and circumstances. This is one of those undesigned coincidences which show that the author of Acts was fully acquainted with the circumstances of the time and that his history is true.

The account in Josephus is: "When Porcine Festus was sent as successor to Felix by Nero, the principal inhabitants of Caesarea went up to Rome to accuse Felix; and he would certainly have been brought to punishment, unless Nero had yielded to the importunate solicitations of his brother Pallas, who was at that time held in the greatest honor by him" (Josephus, Antiquities, Book 20, Chapter 8, Section 9).

Felix’s plan, therefore, in suppressing the enmity of the Jews and conciliating their favor by injustice to Paul, did not succeed. It is one of those instances, so numerous in the world, where a person gains nothing by wickedness. He sought money from Paul by iniquity, and failed; he sought by injustice to obtain the favor of the Jews, and failed in that also. The inference from the whole transaction is that "honesty is the best policy," and that a person in any office should pursue a course of firm, constant, and undeviating integrity.