Acts 24: Paul was good to Felix

Paul was taken to Ceasarea by commandant Claudius Lysias. There, he stood before Ananias and the procurator/governor Felix. Both Ananias and Felix were evil men. Felix was a slave who conquered a very high position. He was married to three queens, but in particular, Drusilla. Drusilla was married to king of Emesa but left his husband to marry Felix. Josephus hints that Felix hired the assassins of the High Priest Jonathan because Jonathan kept lecturing him on how to govern better. It is interesting how Paul addresses to Felix:

10 And when the governor had nodded for him to speak, Paul responded: “Knowing that for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defense, (...)

Paul was very respectful to Felix, but Felix even knowing that Paul had done nothing wrong kept him in prison, expecting some bribe from him.

We read:

24-26 A few days later Felix and his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish, sent for Paul and listened to him talk about a life of believing in Jesus Christ. As Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and his people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming Judgment, Felix felt things getting a little too close for comfort and dismissed him. “That’s enough for today. I’ll call you back when it’s convenient.” At the same time he was secretly hoping that Paul would offer him a substantial bribe. These conversations were repeated frequently.

Thus, Paul didn't judge Felix as a bad man , however, he talked about how important is to have a right relation with God and this implies in a change of life. Felix stopped Paul because he was not interested in a relationship with God. That is: Paul didn't presuppose that Felix wasn't an elect of God. Despite Felix's character, Paul was good to Felix.

Acts 23: Paul in the Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin is the council composed by the chief priest, and the leaders of Pharisees and Sadducees. At that time, the chief priest was Ananias. At Jesus time, the chief priest was Caiaphas, son in law of Annas (and not Ananias). Ananias was a violent, greedy and a volatile person that was assassinated by Jewish Zealots in 66.

1-3 Paul surveyed the members of the council with a steady gaze, and then said his piece: “Friends, I’ve lived with a clear conscience before God all my life, up to this very moment.” That set the Chief Priest Ananias off. He ordered his aides to slap Paul in the face. Paul shot back, “God will slap you down! What a fake you are! You sit there and judge me by the Law and then break the Law by ordering me slapped around!”

Thus, it is bizarre how the good man (Paul) was being judged by the bad man (Ananias). It reminds the judgement of Jesus.

6 Paul, knowing some of the council was made up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided to exploit their antagonism: “Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It’s because of my Pharisee convictions—the hope and resurrection of the dead—that I’ve been hauled into this court.”

This statement caused a great confusion in the Sanhedrin because the Sadducees didn´t  believe in resurrection. Paul was taken out alive from the Sanhedrin by the Romans. The nephew of Paul (from his sister) heard a conversation where 40 Jews vowed to not eat until they kill Paul. Who were these Jews? Probably they ware Zealots. The Zealots couldn't think of gentiles (not as converted Jews), being accepted by the Lord. For them, Paul was betraying Israel.

Acts 22: Paul's discourse

The crowd in Jerusalem (near the temple) thought that Paul was some kind of helenist guy, that didn´t care about the Lord or the people of Israel. The proof to it was that they thought that Paul was leading some gentiles inside the inner courts of the temple (which would profane the temple). The crowd wanted to kill him, but when Paul was being rescued by the Roman commander in the stairs of of the Fortress of Antonia, he asked the commander to speak some words to the crowd (who was against him). 
His purpose was to explain that his acts were not against the Lord but by the opposite: his acts were in obedience to the Lord.
He began to talk in Aramaic, not in Greek. He began saying about his high level Jewish degrees (education, obedience to the tradition, etc.). In a way, he was far superior in Jewish tradition than the normal crowd. He explained that Jesus (who was crucified and cursed by the Lord) was indeed resurrected and alive.
We read:
21 And He/Jesus said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a man from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!”

Why the sentence in 21 made the crowd so angry? 
They always say the Gentiles as the uncleans while they were the chosen people of the Lord. It seemed very offensive to them that the Messiah would accept the Gentiles as his people.
And here I am: a gentile in 2026, that belongs to the Messiah, chosen by the Messiah.

Acts 21: Paul cared about the Jews to the point of risk his own life

Paul loved the gentiles and saw the Spirit changing their hearts. Paul also loved the Jews in the Jerusalem church and cared about what they were thinking. Some Jews were suspicious of Paul: wouldn't he be teaching the gentiles that the Mosaic law is useless? Paul had decided to go to Jerusalem and bring a great donation from the gentiles to them. However, the daughters of Philip, the Evangelist and Agabus were predicting that he would be captured there, so they were advising him not to go to Jerusalem. He said:

13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

So he went there. He wanted to show that he was not against the Mosaic Law, but that backfired and he was captured.
People are very difficult to change opinion. I am reluctant to say things that are against others opinion. In doing so, I live in a comfortable world where I really don't interact very much to other people. Paul was different. He wanted to unite Jews and gentiles in the people of the Lord and he was not afraid to risk his life to get on it. Paul loved and was loved.

Acts 20: Paul's farewell

Nero became Caesar in 54 AD. Paul was in Ephesus and stayed there for three years. Acts 20 happens around 58 AD when the "peaceful years" of Nero’s reign were starting to fray. Paul was in his 3rd mission trip. He was heading Jerusalem but wanted to say goodbye to his friends of Ephesus. He went to Miletus, a city next to Ephesus and called his friends and church leaders from Ephesus to meet him there. It was the last time they were seeing each other because Paul would face a persecution and finally die in Rome for the gospel. There he said:

25-27 “And so this is good-bye. You’re not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God’s inaugurated kingdom. I’ve done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God’s will for you.

28 “Now it’s up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people —God’s people they are— to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for.

The Church is like a chain of love: Jesus, Peter, Paul, leaders in Ephesus, the congregation, etc. In his farewell, Paul asks them to take of the Ephesus congregation because God himself thought they were worth dying for. I must always remember that God himself thought I were worth dying for, despite being a sinner.

Acts 19: Who is great in Ephesus?

Ephesus was a great city with the great temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the world. In his third mission trip, Paul taught first in a synagogue but he was not welcomed; so he decided to teach daily in the School of Tyrannus to gentiles. The Lord opened the eyes of the city to the point that Demetrius goddess sales plummeted. For him, the gospel preached by Paul was destroying the city, was destroying the great Artemis, but who was great in Ephesus? Certainly, Jesus, although not using strength. That is why Paul had to flee from Ephesus.

Acts 18: Paul was afraid in Corinth.

 Corinth was worse than Las Vegas:
AI: Corinth was the "Sin City" of the ancient world. It was a place of extreme wealth, intense idol worship (the Temple of Aphrodite had 1,000 ritual prostitutes), and litigious, aggressive people. It was an intimidating environment for a small group of tent makers.
Paul came from Athens, where he was mocked by the intellectual elite.
Paul had been already experienced persecution in many cities.

9 And the Lord said to Paul by a vision at night, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 And he settled there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Imagine the joy to listen from Jesus: "I am with you". Besides, Jesus told him there were many Christians in Corinth. Paul was certainly not alone.
Jesus kept Paul on the way, strengthening him.