Governor Felix tried Paul right away,
And nothing changed; the Jews failed to convince
The judge of his guilt or that he should pay,
For they could produce no real evidence!
Again, Paul could, and should, have been released,
But Felix was a man greedy for gain;
He held Paul, hoping his palm would be greased,
For two years, afraid the Jews would complain!
Yet Paul continued to spread Jesus’ word
To officials, guards, Jews and Gentiles, too;
He wrote to churches where he had been heard,
Letters which we now read to learn what’s true!
Though in custody, Paul ministered still,
And some in high places followed God’s will!

“Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. … He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs. Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, ‘That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.’ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. 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.” (Acts 24:22-23) (Please read the entire incident in Acts 23:23-Acts 24.)

Again we see God at work in the life of Paul. He had determined that Paul would take the gospel to Rome; had he been freed from prison, Paul may never have found a way of traveling to Rome. If he had managed to get there, he would not have had the opportunity of preaching to the emperor, his household, or leading officials in the city and empire. By remaining in Roman custody, and being a Roman citizen, he had the privilege of “appealing to Ceasar”, which would guarantee him passage to the capital city and appearances at the emperor’s court; we know that wherever Paul appeared, he spoke of the gospel of Jesus. He may not have known God’s plans, and he no doubt chafed at his long and “senseless’ imprisonment; nevertheless, he was able to witness to many high officials and Roman soldiers while in their custody, which may not have been possible had he been a free man. He used these times to write epistles or letters to churches he had established that made them stronger, and these letters have become a large part of the Bible, being read by millions upon millions of Christians through 20 centuries and are in worldwide use today. By having Luke, Timothy, and other friends with him in Ceasarea and Rome, he was able to keep in touch with the Christian churches and held his position as leader of the movement until his death in 64 A. D. God knew exactly what He was doing in keeping Paul in jail.

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans
10:9)