Acts 24:22 Meaning and Explanation
“And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Felix, already well informed about the way, adjourns the hearing, saying he will rule when the commander Lysias comes down.
What Does Acts 24:22 Mean?
Felix was no stranger to the new movement; years of governing Judea — and a Jewish wife (verse 24) — had given him 'more perfect knowledge of that way' than the prosecution may have expected. He can see the charges are hollow, yet instead of acquitting, he adjourns, naming Lysias's arrival as the condition for a verdict. Luke records no such arrival, and no verdict ever comes.
The deferral is a portrait of a soul as much as a docket: Felix knows enough to decide, and decides not to decide. Knowledge about the way is not the same as walking in it. The adjournment that protected his politics will become the pattern that consumes his conscience (verses 25-26). Truth heard and shelved does not keep: 'To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts' (Hebrews 3:15).
Acts 24:22 in the Original Language
hodos (ὁδός), 'way' -- a road or path; the faith is here named as something to be walked, not merely discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 24:22
What does Acts 24:22 mean?
Felix, already well informed about the way, adjourns the hearing, saying he will rule when the commander Lysias comes down.