Studies in Acts
Festus lays Paul's case before king Agrippa (Acts 25:13 to 26:32)
Paul had appealed to the emperor, but what should Festus write concerning the case to his majesty? In that awkward situation, he decided to consult king Agrippa, and the Lord used this advice to give Paul an opportunity to testify of him before the ruler and his entourage. For he had called Paul to bring his name before kings as well (Acts 9:15). Therefore, he did not allow him to leave the Jewish land before he had proclaimed the gospel to the Jewish king and the Roman procurator with their noble entourages.
Herod Agrippa II and Bernice visit Festus
Several days after assuming office and after the trial of Paul, two important guests visited Festus. King Herod Agrippa II, who ruled over the neighbouring area, came with his sister, Bernice to make an appearance in Caesarea at the procurator's palace. Drusilla, the wife of the previous governor Felix (24:24), was also his sister. All three of them were descendants from the anti-Christian family of the Herodians.
The Herod Agrippa II about whom Luke is writing was very partial to the Romans. This visit to the new procurator was evidence of that. He called himself the Great King, loyal friend of Caesar and friend of Rome. During the Jewish Revolt (AD 66-70), which he had tried to prevent, he sided with the Romans. He knew Judaism thoroughly (Acts 26:3) and was familiar with the Hebrew Bible (Acts 26:26-27). The emperor had appointed him to be supervisor of the temple and at the same time had granted him the right to appoint and remove the high priest from office.
His sister Bernice was, along with his other sister Drusilla, a woman of extraordinary beauty, but she had a very bad reputation. From her thirteenth to her twentieth year, and upon the command of her father she had married his brother, her uncle. After the latter's death, she lived with her brother, King Agrippa, as husband and wife. This incestuous relationship was talked about with shame as far away as Rome, where he had grown up. To camouflage this scandal, she was married for a brief time to the king of Cilicia, but she soon abandoned him to return to her brother. Around the fall of Jerusalem in 70, she was first the mistress of Emperor Vespasian and then of his son, Emperor Titus. Her hope of becoming queen by virtue of marrying him went up in smoke. Public opinion in Rome early on condemned this liaison with a Jewess so sharply that Titus sent her away.
In the palace of Festus, which their grandfather had built for himself, they had lived and played as children. Now during the many days when they were staying with him, Festus brought up for discussion the case of Paul. What should he write to the emperor about a man who was innocent, but whom he had not declared innocent so as to please the Jews? He wanted to hear what Agrippa thought about this, so he related the situation (vv. 16-21). Note that in his speech to Agrippa, he implied that there was nothing in Paul's behaviour that could have warranted punishment by Roman law. Verse 19 shows that Paul must have mentioned the resurrection (not mentioned by Luke in his report of Paul's defence in 25:8).
During recent years, Agrippa had heard a lot about Paul, and he was presented with a wonderful opportunity to meet the famous spokesman for the Christians. So he said to Festus: "I would like to hear this man myself." Festus had no objection: "Fine. You will hear him tomorrow!" In this way, the Lord provided his apostle a wonderful opportunity to testify before king Agrippa, queen Bernice, and the procurator Felix, in the presence of many highly placed civil and military authorities. For God wanted such highly placed people to be saved as well, and "to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4).
Paul before Agrippa
Once again, what a fascinating scene! The auditorium in the governor's palace in Caesarea, the unfurled banners for Agrippa, the Jewish king of Galilee and other provinces. Alongside him, his sister, princess Bernice. In addition, there was the procurator Festus. High Roman officers decked out in full uniform. All of them had come together to listen to Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ.
Who had called them together? On the surface, it appeared to be the procurator. When Agrippa expressed his desire to hear "this man," Festus honoured that request the following day. He was hoping to gather material from this meeting for the letter in which he would inform his majesty about Paul's appeal to the emperor. But in this book, Luke is narrating the continuing Acts of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, now from heaven. Viewed in this way, Christ was the one who had brought together the entire military and administrative staff of Caesarea. He had called Paul to make known his name (i.e., his words and deeds) in the highest circles as well. For that purpose, Festus was unwittingly the instrument of Jesus. Under the latter's leading, the procurator had made available the auditorium of his palace as a place to have the gospel heard and had summoned all the elite of Caesarea to listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ to be part of Paul's audience.
Festus opens the meeting (Acts 25:23-27)
In Corinth, Paul had preached in homes, mostly to ordinary people (1 Corinthians 1:26). But here in Caesarea, he was standing in a palace, before a king, a procurator, and the prominent citizens of the city. Presumably most of his listeners were Gentiles. With a great show of royalty, king Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice entered the auditorium, escorted by high officers in full regalia. After everyone had taken their seats at Festus' command, the apostle was led in. As a humble, simply clothed detainee, he was a sharp contrast to the pomp and splendour of his surroundings, but as ambassador of Jesus Christ he was the one who dominated the entire event.
Festus introduces Paul
Before the procurator handed over the leading of the investigation to king Agrippa, he introduced the apostle Paul to the audience (vv. 24-27). He admits that Paul had done nothing deserving death, and hopes to hear something from Agrippa that will enable him to write a sensible letter to the emperor. Literally, Festus called the emperor Sebastos (Latin for "the Augustus," i.e., the one worthy of honour), a term that referred to deification. The word here translated as "his majesty" is Kurios (i.e., Lord). Festus called the emperor kurios, that is: Lord, son of the gods (v. 26). The ancient pagans used the same title for their gods. The New Testament uses it for our Lord Jesus Christ. One hundred years later, Polycarp of Smyrna would be burned at the stake because he refused to deny "Kurios Jesus" by saying "Kurios Caesar."
As someone who knew the Jewish religion (Acts 26:3, 26), perhaps Agrippa could discover culpable facts that had escaped Festus. The case would turn on whether he had separated from the teaching of the Jewish religio licita. If he had gone contrary to that religion, then he would have violated Roman law. On this point, Festus was hoping to be enlightened by the Jewish ruler.
Paul testifies before king Agrippa and the elite of Caesarea that Jesus has risen as the Kurios and Saviour of Jews and Gentiles (Acts 26:1-23)
The gathering did not signify a new trial for Paul. Agrippa had no judicial authority beyond the boundaries of his own kingdom. And Festus' judicial authority over Paul had ended when he appealed to the emperor. The gathering had more the character of a hearing. After Festus had opened the meeting, he turned the floor over to king Agrippa. This Jewish ruler was well-disposed toward Paul. He had mentioned his desire to hear Paul preach (Acts 25:22). So he chose not to interrogate him, but gave the apostle ample opportunity to say what he wanted about his case. Thereby he enabled him to proclaim to this entire noble company that with Jesus' resurrection, the light had dawned for Jews and Gentiles.
Paul's course of life for the third time
Just as before the Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 22:1-21), Paul does not provide an argument, but comes with facts. He told at this point how the Lord had called him en route to Damascus to be an apostle. There Paul had seen Jesus' glory and heard his voice, and in this way became a witness of the resurrected Jesus. This was the incontrovertible redemptive fact he wanted his listeners to know. Luke narrates this event now for the third time, but in a different context and with different accents. In Acts 9, it featured Paul's calling to the apostleship among the Gentiles. In Acts 22, it featured the last public testimony to Israel in the temple. Here in Acts 26, the focus is that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Hope of Israel was fulfilled. Here we will see how Paul is defending himself with his narrative, against "all the accusations of the Jews" (v. 2).
Introduction
For two years the apostle had sat in prison because of the agitation of his enemies. He now seized the opportunity to testify powerfully to king Agrippa and the elite of Caesarea that Jesus is alive and that he is the Kurios and Saviour of Jews and Gentiles. He first declared his joy about being permitted to defend himself before a Jewish ruler who was familiar with the Old Testament, and with all Jewish customs and controversies (between Pharisees and Sadducees).
I am on trial because of the Hope of Israel
The Jews were aware of his childhood and study under Gamaliel and his life as a Pharisee. In other words, King Agrippa had before him no enemy of Judaism at all, as Paul's opponents had been claiming, but a full-blooded, orthodox Jew, in ancestry, training, and religious zeal. Paul had not broken any Jewish or Roman laws. He was on trial for the hope of the peaceable kingdom of the Messiah. In that kingdom all Jews (except the Sadducees) expected the resurrection of the dead, as Agrippa knew. The twelve tribes looked with great longing for the fulfillment of that promise ("what God had promised our fathers"). For that purpose, they serve God tirelessly. Paul was only proclaiming 'the hope of Israel'! (Acts 28:20).
All the Jews in the auditorium knew that because he was proclaiming Jesus' resurrection from the dead (25:19), this peaceable kingdom was drawing near and "the hope of Israel" was being fulfilled! "Why do you [plural] think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?" This was a rhetorical question, which he was addressing to his entire audience. Did no Jew in the auditorium know that God had raised someone from the dead three times? (the son of the widow in Zarephath and the son of the Shunamite (1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:35; and the dead man buried 2 Kings 13:21). Why then could he not have raised Jesus of Nazareth? This was a question that made a deep impression on the Gentiles who were present.
Jesus and his church fiercely opposed
Paul, however, did not feel that he was superior to this unbelief about Jesus' resurrection. He acknowledged honestly that for a time he too had sinned against that truth, and how blind he had been at that point. The report of his persecution of Christians is more expansive here than in 9:1 and 22:4-5. He thought he was doing a holy service to God when he fiercely opposed the name [i.e., the words and deeds] of Jesus of Nazareth. He did this with full authorization. First in Jerusalem. With the permission of the high priests, he locked up in prison many saints [that is what Paul purposely calls them now]. And when the court was considering a death sentence, he always voted in favour. He travelled to various synagogues and foreign cities to try to force the believers to deny their faith in Jesus.
Until the resurrected Jesus appeared to me
At this point, the entire audience was wondering how such a fierce opponent had been changed into a confessor of Jesus' resurrection and messiahship. This reversal was not the fruit of Scripture study, for at that point he was still reading Scripture with tinted glasses. Jesus of Nazareth himself had intervened! (As discussed in 9:3-8 and 22:6-11).
He told them what happened en route to Damascus. Paul could not have testified of Jesus' resurrection with any more enthusiasm and power. King Herod Agrippa, his sister Bernice, the procurator Festus, and all the other authorities in their entourage were now hearing the truth about Jesus of Nazareth. And from the lips of a man who had heard Jesus' voice and had fallen to the ground blinded at seeing Jesus' heavenly radiance. That he had initially hated Jesus so fiercely made his testimony even more credible.
The commission he gave me
Next, Paul tells what Jesus had assigned him to do via Ananias (9:10-16; 22:12-15). "When I lay there on the ground, crushed, and blinded by his appearing, he called to me, 'Rise and stand on your feet!'" Like a slave before his master, ready to carry out his commission, Paul had to "stand" submissively before Jesus. This was also how the Lord had addressed Ezekiel when he called him to be a prophet: "Son of man, stand on your feet! I am sending you to the Israelites. You shall speak my words to them" (Ezekiel 2:1, 3, 7). Thus, Paul was standing in the same line as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the other prophets! Just as they had been sent by the Lord, so too was Paul. "For," he continued, "I have appeared to you to appoint you to be my servant and witness of everything that you have seen and will see about me" (cf. 18:9; 22:17-18; 23:11; Galatians 1:12). This was how he was called to be an apostle and placed on the same line with the other apostles.
In short, from this first part of Paul's defence, Agrippa and the other listeners learned three powerful facts. First, that the crucified Jesus of Nazareth had risen from the dead. Second, that Paul had received heavenly glory from God. Third, that Jesus had turned his persecutor into his preacher.
This testimony cut the ground out beneath all denial of Jesus' resurrection and messiahship. With his resurrection the Hope of Israel (vv. 6-7) began to be fulfilled. He had risen as "the first fruits of those who have fallen sleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20).
First to the Jew, but also to the Greek
To testify concerning this, Jesus had sent Paul not only to the Jews, but especially to the Gentiles. This was a dangerous commission! Therefore, already when he had called Paul, Jesus had prepared him and assured him of severe opposition: "I will protect you against the opposition of the Gentiles, but especially against that of your own people." How many assaults upon Paul's life had the Lord not neutralized since then? Paul had to proclaim the Messiah everywhere. The eyes of all must be opened to the fact that they were subject to the power of Satan, were dwelling in the kingdom of darkness, sin, lies, and death. But as the Servant of the Lord, Jesus is the Light of the world (Isaiah 42:6-7; John 8:12; 9:5; cf. Ephesians. 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9). Through his resurrection he has brought imperishable life to light. Whoever believes in him and turns from Satan to God receives the forgiveness of sins and together with all the saints inherits eternal life (Colossians. 1:12; 1 Peter 1:4). Paul was pleased to preach this.
He proclaimed this to king Agrippa and his sister Bernice, of the Herodian family, and like so many Jews, lost sheep of the house of Israel. At the same time, he proclaimed to Festus and the other Gentiles that they, just like the Jews, needed Messiah Jesus as Saviour. Otherwise, they would remain blind, under the power of Satan, the arch-deceiver. But if they turned from the darkness to the light, and place their trust in Jesus of Nazareth, they too would become citizens of the kingdom of God and heirs of eternal life. For that, they did not need to begin living like Jews, but only believe in God and his Messiah. Because of all this, the Jews had almost murdered him. As a prisoner, he was now standing under Roman protection, but in this he saw God's helping hand.
In that context, had he come into conflict with official Judaism as a religio licita, as the Jews had argued in the trial before Governor Festus? No, this accusation also lacked any basis. In his proclamation of Messiah Jesus, Paul had never deviated from what Moses and the Prophets had prophesied about Jesus (Luke 24:27). Jesus was crucified and had died—about this Jews and Christians agreed. But with these events, had Scripture been fulfilled? Did the Messiah have to suffer and die? Had he risen from the dead, as Paul testified? For this reason, he was being fiercely opposed and persecuted by the Jews. Nevertheless, he had Moses and the prophets entirely on his side!
All the Jewish accusations against Paul were in fact being directed against Holy Scripture! The Mosaic sacrificial ministry had indeed required the death of the Saviour (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 10:1-18). The Prophets had predicted his suffering and death, but at the same time proclaimed that he would rise once and for all from the dead as the Firstborn (Psalm 2:7; 16:9-10; 110:1; 118:17, 22-23; Luke 24:44-47; 1 Corinthians 15:20; Colossians 1:18). It was to be proclaimed to Jews and Gentiles that with his death and resurrection the light of God's all-embracing salvation had dawned over all nations. Great news for the Gentiles in the auditorium! With their entrance into God's people, the Prophets also came to be fulfilled (cf. Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3).
Paul was citing the prophecies literally, as was his custom. Thereby he was placing them before the unavoidable choice: "Either you reject the prophecies of Moses and the Prophets about the Messiah, but then you remain in the darkness. Or you accept that in Messiah Jesus they are fulfilled, and then you enter into the light."
Agrippa and Festus reject Paul's testimony (Acts 26:24-29)
To this point, Paul had directed his remarks to king Agrippa. For Festus had given the leadership of this hearing to him and he in turn had given the floor to Paul (v. 1). Suddenly a great consternation arose in the auditorium. While Paul was defending himself and proclaiming the gospel to all who were present, Festus loudly interrupted him. He had been so hopeful that he would be able to obtain from Paul's speech arguments that he could put in his letter to Emperor Nero (25:27), but now that prisoner was once again talking exclusively about Jesus, who, according to the Jews, was dead, but who, according to Paul, had risen. Apparently, the procurator had never read the Greek Old Testament. He evidently found it absurd that he as a Roman should have to discern the truth from a Jewish book. Everything that Paul had proclaimed about Jesus as the Light of the world, through whom Jews and Gentiles could obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life, was foolishness to Festus (cf. 25:19).
To oppose the powerful effect of this preaching and to excuse his own unbelief, he suddenly shouted aloud in the middle of Paul's speech: "Paul, you are crazy and you're not making any sense. All that learning has made you crazy." (This was how unbelief mocked the apostles on Pentecost Day: "They are drunk!"). Festus of course did not believe what he was shouting, for he wouldn't be sending a lunatic as an appellant to meet the emperor. Paul reacted with dignity and respect to this outburst. He recognized in this Roman official the natural man who is inclined to identify what comes from God's Spirit as being foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14). Paul responded with class and self-control: "Most excellent Festus, I am not crazy, nor am I speaking lunacy. On the contrary, what I say is true and testifies to a sound mind. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical fact that can be checked with many witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). But I am now speaking especially to King Agrippa, and as a Jew he knows very well what this is about. Therefore, I could talk about these things freely with him. This was not done in a corner."
Jesus' death and resurrection occurred in the capital city of Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin and Governor Pilate were intimately involved. That Jesus' apostles had performed many powerful miracles there and had established large Christian churches—surely Agrippa had heard about these things. Along with the fact that Christian churches existed also in Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch, Asia Minor, Macedonia, Achaia, yes, even in Rome. Christianity was en route to becoming a world religion.
At that point, turning once again toward the king, Paul asked him: "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?" Was the ruler shocked by this question, and did he hesitate to answer? Well then, Paul would answer for him: "I know that you believe!" Including their prophecies about the Messiah.
However, agreeing that he believed the prophecies could make him appear ridiculous in the eyes of the Gentiles. But as a Jewish ruler and protector of the temple, he could deny this even less. He understood well that the next question would be: "Do you believe that the prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus the Nazarene?"
Presumably somewhat haughtily, Agrippa answered: "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Just as Felix and so many others before and after them, the king was trying to avoid and postpone the choice for or against Christ with a flippant comment. But Jesus said: "Whoever is not with me is against me" (Luke 11:23). You choose either the narrow path or the broad path; the third path, which is what Agrippa was looking for, does not exist (Matthew 7:13).
The apostle continued with a quick-witted and final appeal to Agrippa's heart: "I would pray God that sooner or later that not only you, but all who are now listening to me, become just as I am, except for my imprisonment" (literally, except for these chains, but as a Roman citizen he need not have worn these during this hearing [cf. 22:29]). In this reply (v.29), Paul did not use the word "Christian," but the entire audience knew that it was his heart's desire that all those present, from the lowest ranking soldier to the procurator and the king, would become disciples of Jesus Christ, saved by faith in him, from the power of Satan, acquitted of the guilt of sin, and heirs of eternal life.
Did Paul bear witness in vain?
Festus had loudly declared him crazy, and Agrippa had finished with him for the time being. But the question is whether the seed of the gospel had been scattered on rocks or landed among thorns. "My word . . . shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11). Who knows whether some listeners, according to Paul's prayer, "sooner or later" accepted the Lord Jesus as the Light of the world.
Paul declared innocent of the Jewish indictment (Acts 26:30-32)
With this, Paul had defended himself against the Jewish accusations. Agrippa rejected Paul's summons to faith in Christ Jesus, but what was his response to Paul's defence? The hearing had been called at his request. When Paul began posing penetrating questions, however, he brought an abrupt end to the hearing. He stood up and left the hall, followed by the procurator, princess Bernice, and all the notable attendees, army officers and advisors who had been in attendance. With that, the king also ended the proclamation of the gospel to him and his entourage. But he could not declare that the Jewish accusations against Paul were legitimate. To that extent, he remained positive toward the apostle. Familiar as he was with the books of Moses and the Prophets, he had understood that the apostle had not separated from the Jewish religio licita. Festus could put to good use this expert judgement on the part of a Jew.
After both had gone out to deliberate, the men appeared to agree: Paul's speech was so void of revolutionary agitation and so full of Jesus' messiahship that he constituted no danger whatsoever for the security of the Roman state. They were unanimous: that man is doing nothing worthy of death or of imprisonment. The proconsul Gallio, the rulers Lysias and Festus, in short, every court that could have condemned Paul, had reached the same conclusion. Theophilus, the high Roman official for whom Luke was primarily writing, must have read this again with satisfaction. Christians were not dangers to the state. When in later years, the Romans persecuted the Christians, Luke's narrative continued to bring to mind the benevolent attitude that the Roman government had initially adopted toward Christians.
Agrippa made one more comment to Festus: "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." In this way, Festus continued to face the question, after this consultation was concluded, about what he should write to Emperor Nero concerning Paul. No one knows how he resolved this dilemma.
Questions:
How did the Romans, who had not received the commandments in the Torah, know that incest was wrong?
Christianity was not a new religion – but the culmination and fulfilment of the religion of the Old Testament. How is this evident in Paul's testimony?
- Alida Sewell
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