... Luke further goes on to mention in detail the Roman Governors Felix and Festus. Luke gives much attention to Paul's trial under Felix, with all dates and names confirmed by other sources to prove their validity. This evidence leads to the conclusion that Felix was indeed an extremely powerful man, and having been an ex-slave shines light on his ability to rise through the ranks out of obscurity. Also, that Felix was indeed a corrupt leader can be seen from where it states that Felix "was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe."5 Festus on the other hand is incompetent and always deferring Paul's trial as he does not feel confident enough to deliver a verdict himself. This agrees with the majority of historical opinion that Festus was inept and was on the whole a poor leader.
Judging by the accuracy with which Luke writes about these key city officials, it can be assumed that the majority of what he is saying is true and valid. These details are confirmed in many other sources and verify the reliability of Acts. The book provides a sharp insight into the characteristics of
5. Acts 24:26
these figures and the decisions they made that influenced Paul's life. Bruce a renowned historian on the subject concludes,
"The student of Roman history is aware of the bewildering variety in the titles held by these men, and he cannot fail to be struck by the confident accuracy with which Luke uses them." ...
