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MostNobleFelixOr,thePoweroftheFlatterer

Acts

24:3

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Bible>Sermons>Acts24:3
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MostNobleFelixOr,
thePowerofthe
Flatterer

R.Tuck
Acts24:3
Weacceptitalways,andinallplaces,mostnobleFelix,withallthankfulness.

Felixwasnotnobleatall.Tacitussaysofhimthat"inthepracticeofallkindsof
lust,crime,andcruelty,heexercisedthepowerofakingwiththetemperofa
slave."Tertullushadanendtogain,andadoptedflatteryasameans.Hewasa
hiredpleader,andselectedforthesakeofhisglibeloquence.Hecouldtalkwell.
MenofhisclasswerefoundinmostoftheprovincialtownsoftheRomanempire,
Theywerenecessarybecausethelocallawyerswouldnotbesufficientlyfamiliar
withtheproceedingsattheRomancourts,orwiththeminutedetailsofRoman
law.Tertullushad"learnedthetrickofhisclass,andbeganwithpropitiatingthe
judgebyflattery."CanonFarrarsays,"Tertulluswasevidentlyapracticed
speaker,andSt.Lukehasfaithfullypreservedanoutlineofhisvoluble
plausibility.Speakingwithpolitecomplaisance,asthoughhewerehimselfaJew,
hebeganbyafulsomecomplimenttoFelix,whichservedastheusualcaptatio
benevolentiae.AlludingtotheearlyexertionsofFelixagainstthebanditti,andthe
recentsuppressionoftheEgyptianfalseMessiah,hebegantoassurehis
excellency,withtrulylegalrotundityofverbiage,ofthequiteuniversaland
uninterruptedgratitudeoftheJewsforthepeacewhichhehadsecuredtothem,
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andforthemanyreformswhichhadbeeninitiatedbyhisprudentialwisdom."The
subjectsuggestedforourconsiderationisthisWhatarethelimitsofpraise?
Howfarmaywegoinconciliatingothersbywordsofapprovaland
congratulation?Atonceitmaybeansweredthatnopraisemaygobeyondthe
truthorbeoutofharmonywiththetruth.Butinpracticallifewehaveto
rememberthatdifferentpersonshavedifferentestimatesofpersonalcharacter.
1.Someareincompetenttoformsoundjudgment,andsuchpersonsgivepraise
thatissimplyunsuitable,butisnotspokenwithanypurposeofflattering.
2.Othersareprejudiced,andcanonlyseetheevilsidesofaman'scharacter
andactions.Theirestimatesarewhollyunworthy.
3.Othersarejustasblindtotheevilandasprejudicedtothegood,andtheir
estimates,thoughseeminglyflattering,arereallyonlyexaggeratedand
untrustworthytheylackcriticism,butarenotinsincere.
4.Yetotherspraisewithsomeobjectwhichdoesnotappeartheyhaveanendto
gain,andthepraiseisregardedsimplyasameanstowardsobtainingtheend.
Thesearetheflatterers,andtheircharacteristicisinsincerity.Thefollowingpoints
maybeillustratedconcerningthepoweroftheflatterer:
I.HISMOTIVES.Alwayssomepersonalendisinview.Usuallytheflatterer
seekstogetsomethingthatisnotinitselfright.Itisanagencytousewhena
man'scaseisbad.Ifamanlacksarguments,hewillflatterthejudge.Hemeans
tothrowhimoffhisguard,andtogethimintoafavorablemindbypraises.
II.HISAIDSINTHEPERSONFLATTERED.Thereisinusall,eveninthebest
ofmen,aselflovethatmakespraisepleasant.Iftheflatteryiskeptwellinhand
andskillfullydisguised,evennoblenatures,evenhumblenatures,maybe
swayedbyit.Iftheflatteryistooopenandintense,goodmenareputontheir
guardandresenttheinsult.
III.THEMORALMISCHIEFOFHISWORK.Showtheinjurythatisdonetothe
flattererhimself,whoisconfirmedinhisinsinceritywhenhefindsflattery
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succeed.Amanmaygetintosuchahabitofflatteringthathewilllosethepower
torecognizethetruth,andcometobelieveinhisownexaggerations.Showthe
injurythatisdonetothepersonflattered,whomaybeledtoformanundue
estimateofhimself,andsobeplacedinpositionsofextrememoralperilwhenthe
houroftemptationcomes.Ifitiswrongforustothinkofourselvesabovethat
whichweoughttothink,itmustbewhollywrongforanyonetoflatterussothat
ourselfopinionisundulyraised.Felixwasreallypushedalittlenearertohisfall
by.thisflatteryofTertullus.ForScriptureteachingsconcerningflattery,see
Psalm36:2Psalm78:36Proverbs2:16Proverbs20:19Proverbs26:28
Proverbs29:5,etc.Presstheapostoliccounsel,"Speakeverymantruthwithhis
neighbor:forwearemembersoneofanother"(Ephesians4:25).R.T.

ThePulpitCommentary,ElectronicDatabase.
Copyright2001,2003,2005,2006,2010byBiblesoft,Inc.
Allrightsreserved.Usedbypermission.BibleSoft.com

ParallelVerses
KJV:Weacceptitalways,andinallplaces,mostnobleFelix,withall
thankfulness.
WEB:weacceptitinallwaysandinallplaces,mostexcellentFelix,withall
thankfulness.

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TheParable
Blueprint

LearningtoLive
inSpiritual
Victory

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