The middle man

OPINION

Felix was alarmed and said, "Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you." Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind." And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?"

-- Acts 24:25, 26:24, 26:28, ESV

In the book of Acts, we read of men who are on fire for the Lord -- men like Peter, John, Stephen and Paul. We have also read of men who coldly oppose the Gospel, people like Pharisees, the Sadducees, certain Jews from the synagogues, and Demetrius the silversmith. We might be tempted to think that, when it comes to the Gospel, everyone is either hot or cold. But the vast majority of people live in a different, more moderate climate.

Most people come to a forest with two roads and take the one most traveled. They don't overtly hate the Gospel, the church, or Christians. But they do not embrace the Gospel and love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, either. They would not kill a Christian, but they wouldn't die to self and follow Christ, either. They are settled down, comfortable, happy to be just a middle man.

We meet three such men in the concluding chapters of the book of Acts: Felix, Festus and Agrippa. One resided in the middle because it would have been too costly to reach higher or stoop lower. One enjoyed the middle ground because as far as he was concerned it was the only ground, for it was too unreasonable to think otherwise. And the last loved the middle even though he knew there was a higher place, yet it seemed impossible to ascend to it.

Felix did not want to hurt Paul, but neither did he want to trust Christ. He was satisfied in the middle, for higher ground would have cost too much to attain. It would have cost him friends and hindered his financial gain. Like the rich young ruler, he loved his popularity and possessions more than principle. So he lived his life in the middle, rejected the Gospel, returned to Rome, and died.

Festus, like Felix, had power over Paul. He was governor for two years. He considered the Apostle harmless and helpless, and lifted his hand to neither harm him or help him. When he heard the Gospel, however, he mocked it and made fun of Paul. Christianity was unreasonable, even downright uneducated. Only simpletons and superstitious people could embrace it. A true Roman of his day, Festus trusted in reason and education, not religion, certainly not resurrection. He would do nothing radical like persecute Christians or commit to Christ. He lived and died in the middle.

King Agrippa II thought of himself high class, but the middle ground is where he lived, too. He would not lift up his hand to kill Paul, but neither would he die to self and live for Christ. Agrippa is an enigma (note various translations of Acts 26:28). We really do not know how close he was to faith in Jesus, we only know he got stuck in the middle. He was Jew. For him, that was enough. Religion does not reign on the edges. It dominates the middle ground.

We know where these three men lived, in the middle. We know where most of the people of the world live, even members of many churches. They don't hate Jesus or true Christians, they just do not want to follow one and join the others. They would not hurt the cause of Christ, but they do not love it and live it, either. The middle is their ground.

What does Jesus say? "Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters" (Matthew 12:30). And, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).

Chuck DeVane is the pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church. Call him at 501-525-8339 or email [email protected].

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