The Jewish princess well understood the sacred character of that law which she had so shamelessly transgressed, but her prejudice against the Man of Calvary steeled her heart against the word of life. But Felix had never before listened to the truth, and as the Spirit of God sent conviction to his soul, he became deeply agitated. Conscience, now aroused, made her voice heard, and Felix felt that Paul's words were true. Memory went back over the guilty past. With terrible distinctness there came up before him the secrets of his early life of profligacy and bloodshed, and the black record of his later years. He saw himself licentious, cruel, rapacious. Never before had the truth been thus brought home to his 426 heart. Never before had his soul been so filled with terror. The thought that all the secrets of his career of crime were open before the eye of God, and that he must be judged according to his deeds, caused him to tremble with dread.

Den jødiske fyrstinde forstod godt, hvor hellig den lov var, som hun så skamløst overtrådte, men hendes fordom mod manden fra Golgata forhærdede hendes hjerte mod livets ord. Men Feliks havde aldrig før lyttet til sandheden og da Guds Ånd ville overbevise hans sjæl, blev han dybt bevæget. Samvittigheden, der nu var vakt, lod sin røst høre og Feliks forstod, at Paulus talte sandhed. I erindringen genoplevede han sin syndige fortid. Han så med frygtelig tydelighed hemmeligheder fra sit lastefulde og grusomme ungdomsliv og de senere års mørke oplevelser. Han så, at han var vellystig, grusom og grisk. Aldrig før havde sandheden ramt hans hjerte på den måde. Aldrig før var hans sjæl blevet så grebet af rædsel. Tanken om, at alle hemmeligheder ved hans forbryderiske løbebane var synlige for Guds øje og at han skulle dømmes efter sine gerninger fik ham til at skælve af rædsel.