36 Paul on Trial Phase Three: Before Agrippa
Notes
Transcript
Today we continue our look in Acts where we find Paul having been imprisoned for over two years, finds himself again on Trial before King Agrippa II. If you remember from last week Paul was again on trial before Festus this time, just two weeks into his term as Governor of the Judea region for Rome. We also saw Paul immediately appeal to Emporer Nero.
That appeal, though resolving an impasse, presented Festus with a fresh difficulty. As governor he was required to send a report along with Paul to Rome, detailing the charges against him. But in Paul’s case, those charges were theological and general in nature. Festus, only two weeks into his term as governor, was unfamiliar with the nuances of Jewish theology. Since he did not understand the charges, he could not write a coherent report explaining them to the emperor. Fortunately, aid arrived in the person of Herod Agrippa.
Today’s drama plays out in five parts: The Consultation, The Circumstances, The Commencement, The Culmination, and the Consequences.
THE CONSULTATION REGARDING PAUL’S TESTIMONY
THE CONSULTATION REGARDING PAUL’S TESTIMONY
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix,
15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.
16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.
17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.
18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.
19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them.
21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
Several days after Paul’s request for an appeal to Caesar, King Herod Agrippa II and his consort Bernice arrived at Caesarea. They had come to pay their respects to the new governor, Festus. On October 11th of last year I provided a list of the Herods in the bible.
Again today I added to the notes sheet a list of the Herods in Chronological order and the biblical events they presided over. Today we see the last in the line of Herods who figured prominently in New Testament history, Agrippa II ruled the northern part of Palestine during the Roman occupation. His father, Agrippa I, was the Herod who killed James, arrested Peter, and met an untimely end, being eaten by worms after failing to give God glory. His great-uncle, Herod Antipas, figured prominently in the gospels as the ruler who executed John the Baptist , sought Jesus’ life, and later tried Him. His great-grandfather was Herod the Great, who ruled at the time of Jesus’ birth and murdered the children of Bethlehem in an effort to kill the newborn King.
Agrippa was not a moral man. In fact his private life was nothing short of scandalous; Bernice was not only his consort but also his sister. (Their sister, Drusilla, was the wife of the former governor, Felix.) Their incestuous relationship was the subject of gossip in Rome (where Agrippa had grown up). There were other men that Berenice was linked to, including Emperor Vespasian and later his son Titus, but she always returned to Agrippa. These two are inseparable in the Acts narrative; she is, as some have suggested, the symbol of Agrippa’s vice.
Although he did not rule Judea, Agrippa had been granted control of the temple treasury and the right to appoint the high priest. The Romans considered him an expert on Jewish affairs, as did Paul (26:3). Agrippa tried to prevent the Jewish revolt, but when it broke out in A.D. 66, he sided with the Romans and thus became a traitor to his people.
The nature of the royal couple’s state visit required their spending many days in Caesarea. That gave Festus opportunity to seek Agrippa’s experience and expert advice. He laid Paul’s case before the king, saying to him, “There is a man left a prisoner by Felix.” Remember, Felix had left Paul in prison to placate the Jewish leaders. Festus then reviewed for Agrippa Paul’s situation: “When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. Festus’s words throw new light on the Jews’ request (25:3). From his perspective, they did not want a fair trial for Paul but a summary judgment of condemnation. Steeped in the proud tradition of Roman justice, Festus properly answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face, and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. Although Paul had already faced his accusers before Felix, Festus wanted to discharge his duty and hear the case himself before rendering a verdict.
Refusing to agree to the Sanhedrin’s demands to have the trial in Jerusalem, Festus decided to hold the hearing in Caesarea. “So when they came together, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal, and ordered the man to be brought” (25:17). After his return to Caesarea, Festus moved swiftly to try the case. To his surprise, “when the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting.” Festus had naturally assumed that charges brought against Paul in a Roman court would involve serious violations of Roman law. Instead, he told Agrippa, “they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” Festus did not understand the issue or its implications and so was not qualified to rule on such matters, which in any case did not belong in a Roman court. The refusal of Gallio, the Roman governor of Achaia, to hear a similar case had established a legal precedent that could have been applied (18:12–16).
Knowing that an obviously intelligent, educated man such as Paul would claim that a dead man had come alive must have especially baffled Festus. Yet it was precisely the issue of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that most clearly set Christianity apart from Judaism and was the cornerstone of the gospel. Festus could not understand the implications of Christ’s resurrection because he was ignorant of His life and ministry, and of Scripture.
Perplexed, and being at a loss how to investigate such matters, Festus had asked Paul whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. Paul, of course, refused. As a Roman citizen, Paul had the right to be tried before the emperor’s representative in a Roman court. And since the Jews had presented to Festus no evidence of wrongdoing on Paul’s part, why bother with another hearing before them?
Having no other recourse, Paul appealed his case to Caesar’s court. Festus explained to Agrippa that “when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be held until I send him to Caesar.” Festus’s words put the blame for the present dilemma on Paul; the implication is that had the apostle been willing to go to Jerusalem, the matter could have been settled. Yet it was Festus’s obvious desire to do the Jews a favor that forced Paul’s appeal. Had the governor done what justice demanded and released the obviously innocent apostle, no appeal would have been necessary. In God’s providence, Paul was kept in Roman custody as a protection against being assassinated.
The term Emperor is an adjective, Sebastos, and literally means “the revered or worshiped one.” It is the Greek equivalent of the Latin title Augustus, which was commonly applied to the emperor. Because of Paul’s appeal, Festus was duty-bound to order him to be kept in custody until he could send him to Caesar. Festus needed Agrippa’s help to come up with a valid charge against Paul for his report to the emperor.
No doubt flattered by the appeal to his expertise—and curious—Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” The imperfect tense of boulomai (I would like) suggests Agrippa had been wanting to hear Paul for a long time. He undoubtedly knew of Paul and looked forward to hearing the leading spokesman for Christianity in person. “Tomorrow,” Festus assured him, “you shall hear him.”
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
This scene is one of the most riveting in the New Testament. On the next day, the day after Festus’s consultation with Agrippa about Paul, Agrippa came, together with Bernice, amid great pomp and entered the auditorium. Phantasia (pomp) appears only here in the New Testament and denotes a grand, showy pageant. Festus turned Paul’s hearing into an occasion to honor Agrippa. Accordingly, Agrippa and Bernice were accompanied by the commanders (the five tribunes commanding the five cohorts stationed at Caesarea) and the prominent men of the city.
The spectacle must have been breathtaking. Agrippa would have been decked out in all the trappings of royalty, including a purple robe, golden crown, rings, and perhaps a scepter. Bernice, though not technically Agrippa’s queen, would have been similarly attired. The five tribunes would have been wearing their full-dress uniforms, the prominent men of the city wearing their finest clothes. An immaculately dressed honor guard of soldiers undoubtedly escorted the dignitaries into the auditorium.
When everyone was seated, Festus gave the command, and Paul was brought in. The contrast could not have been more striking. Into the midst of the assembly hall, crowded with the most important people in Caesarea, walked a Jew who has been described as short, bald, and physically unimposing
10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.”
Murmurs of surprise must have greeted his appearance; many in the crowd probably found it hard to believe that this seemingly unimpressive man was the cause of so much controversy. But appearances can be deceiving. History has judged Paul to be one of the most noble and powerful men who ever lived—and the crowd to be a collection of pompous fools.
The stage was set, and Festus opened the proceedings by introducing Paul:
24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.
He then honestly admitted his problem. Look at verses 25 and 26
Festus had heard the Jews’ accusations against Paul and concluded that he had committed nothing worthy of death. Thus again, this Roman official affirmed Paul’s innocence. But Paul, for the reasons noted earlier, had appealed to the Emperor, and Festus had decided to send him. The governor then got to the crux of his dilemma, admitting in verses 26 and 27
26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write.
27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
Festus did not understand the religious issues at stake. He hoped that the results of this investigation would provide him with something coherent to write in his official report. It was obviously absurd (if not dangerous) to send a prisoner to Caesar for trial and not indicate the charges against him. The emperor would not look favorably on a provincial governor who so wasted his court’s time.
Paul was probably not legally bound to attend the inquiry. He had already appealed his case to the emperor, thus taking it out of Festus’s jurisdiction. But Paul would not think of passing up an opportunity to preach the gospel in such an important setting. Here is still another example of his courageous commitment to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in every circumstance. The vehicle for his gospel proclamation was to be the powerful, dramatic testimony of his conversion on the road to Damascus.
THE COMMENCEMENT OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
THE COMMENCEMENT OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
Agrippa took charge of the proceedings, and, since there were no accusers or accusations Paul could speak for himself. Taking his cue, Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense. Because Agrippa was the key figure, Paul addressed his remarks to him, beginning with the courteous statement
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
That was not flattery; Paul believed that Agrippa, because of his Roman orientation, was not likely to be sympathetic to the Sanhedrin. And his Jewish background made him an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews, so that he could grasp the issues. To Paul, then, Agrippa was both objective and knowledgeable—perhaps a prime candidate for conversion.
As we will see later, the primary goal of Paul’s testimony was not to exonerate himself, but to convert Agrippa. The apostle therefore did not hesitate to beg Agrippa to listen to him patiently. Paul saw himself as an ambassador, representing Jesus Christ to the world, begging people to be reconciled to God. That was the goal of his ministry, as he wrote to the Corinthians:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Now I want to be clear here, Paul understood his calling from the very first. In Damascus, shortly after his conversion, Ananias told him,
14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth;
15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
No matter what his circumstances were, Paul always saw himself as an ambassador for Jesus Christ. Writing from prison in Rome, he could still call himself “an ambassador in chains.” Paul cared nothing for his own life; he cared only that Jesus Christ be exalted.
Paul’s testimony before Agrippa contains two main themes: Jesus Christ’s resurrection proves Him to be the Messiah, and Paul’s transformed life proves the reality of Christ’s resurrection. He masterfully weaves the saving gospel through this first-person account.
A Changed Life
A Changed Life
To show how startling and complete the divine transformation of his life was, Paul began his testimony by describing his life before his conversion. He reminded Agrippa that
4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews.
5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee.
Paul was well known to the Jewish authorities; he had been educated in Jerusalem and later he became the chief persecutor of the Christian faith. The Jewish leaders thus had known about him for a long time. Further, if they were willing to testify to it, they knew that Paul had lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of their religion. The Jewish historian Josephus in his writing on the War of the Jews described the Pharisees as “a certain sect of the Jews that appear more religious than others, and seem to interpret the laws more accurately.” When Paul wanted to describe his zeal for the law, it was enough for him to say, “As to the Law, a Pharisee” (Phil. 3:5). Paul stressed that point to show how remarkable his conversion to the Christian faith was. He had been as zealous and committed as any Jew of his day and was an unlikely prospect for such a conversion.
Resurrection as Proof
Resurrection as Proof
As he had in his trial before Felix, Paul affirmed his commitment to the teaching of the Old Testament. He declared to Agrippa,
6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,
7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!
This zealous, orthodox Jew was at that moment standing trial for believing in the hope of the promise made by God to the Jewish fathers. That hope was the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom and, specifically, the resurrection connected with His coming. It was that promise that was made by God throughout the Old Testament: Messiah would come to take away sin and establish His kingdom of righteousness. And it was that very promise to which the twelve tribes of Israel hoped to attain as they earnestly served God night and day. Yet, incredibly, it was for proclaiming that very hope fulfilled in Jesus Christ that Paul was being accused by these apostate Jews.
The incongruity of his being condemned for believing what the Jewish people had always believed caused Paul to exclaim,
8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
By raising Jesus from the dead, God validated the Old Testament promise of resurrection, at the same time demonstrating that Jesus was Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.
But it was just this point that Agrippa, along with many other Jews, was not willing to concede. Most Jews accepted the general concept of resurrection. What they did not accept was that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and was their Messiah. When confronted with the undeniable fact of His resurrection, the Jewish leaders had concocted the story that the disciples stole His body. They even bribed the Roman guards to confirm their lie. So while Agrippa no doubt accepted the general Jewish belief in resurrection, he, like the other leaders and the nation, did not accept the resurrection of Christ or His messiahship.
9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.
Paul understood that perfectly, having once believed the same way himself. He had once thought that he had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what he did in Jerusalem. Not only did he proceed to lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also, he notes, referring to incidents like the murder of Stephen (7:58), “when they were put to death I cast my vote against them.” The Greek phrase translated I cast my vote literally reads “I threw my pebble.” The reference is to the ancient custom of recording votes—a black pebble for conviction and a white one for acquittal. Paul’s reference to voting against Christians may indicate he had once been a member of the Sanhedrin.
11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul also punished Christians often in all the synagogues, attempting by torture to force them to blaspheme. If he could not kill them, he at least wanted to force them to recant. Viewing Christians as dangerous and blasphemous heretics caused Paul to be furiously enraged at them. Not content to cleanse Jerusalem of Christians, he kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.
It was while thus engaged that the event took place which transformed his life (and marked a major turning point in history). Paul was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests to arrest any Christians he might find there.
12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me.
Suddenly, at midday, he reports, he saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter even than the brilliant Middle Eastern sun, shining all around him and those who were journeying with him.
14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
After Paul and his fellow persecutors had all fallen to the ground, he heard the voice of the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus Christ saying to him in the Hebrew dialect (Aramaic), “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” To fight God, as Saul was doing, was to fight a losing battle. It was as stupid as an ox kicking against the goads (sharpened rods used to herd cattle).
Stunned, blinded, and terrified, Saul answers
15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
The reply “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,” rocked him to the core of his being. The One Saul had hated and despised as a blasphemer and a false teacher threatening the sacredness of Judaism was indeed who He had claimed to be—Israel’s Messiah. A murmur of surprised disbelief must have gone through the people in the crowd as Paul related Jesus’ words. They believed Jesus to be dead and that His zealous disciples had stolen His body to fake His resurrection. How then could Paul claim to have spoken with Him?
Paul further explains that Jesus appeared to him for a specific purpose:
16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you,
to appoint him a minister and a witness not only to the things which he had seen, but also to the things in which Jesus would appear to him. Knowing Paul would face fierce opposition as he preached the One he had persecuted, the Lord promised to be faithful in delivering him from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles. Look at verse 17
17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
It was the Gentiles to whom the Lord was sending Paul. As a side note the word Apostle means the sent one is derived from the greek word apostellō which means to send. This was Paul’s commissioning as an apostle. An apostle had to have been an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ, and Paul was.
As an apostle, Paul was called to proclaim the good news of salvation from judgment through the work of Jesus Christ. That life-giving message would first open people’s eyes. Jesus characterized unbelievers as blind, led by blind leaders, of whom 2 Corinthians 4:4
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, Jesus taught, by
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me;
10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer;
11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Genuine conviction will result in transformation of life, as those convicted turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God. The Bible teaches that unbelievers live in spiritual darkness. Paul described them as
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Scripture frequently uses light as a metaphor for salvation. Because of that, salvation can be described as being called “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9), and believers can be described as sharers “in the inheritance of the saints in light,” who have been “delivered … from the domain of darkness, and transferred … to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:12–13).
The blessed result of salvation is forgiveness of sins. In Romans 4:7–8, Paul wrote,
7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Later in that same epistle, he described the complete forgiveness believers experience by asking rhetorically,
33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
The apostle John said simply,
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
A final gospel blessing Paul mentions is that believers receive an inheritance among those who have been sanctified. Peter described that inheritance as one that is “imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). That inheritance is the riches of eternal heaven.
The clear teaching of Scripture is that this salvation comes to a person only by faith in Jesus Christ apart from any human works. Writing to the Ephesians, Paul stated that truth clearly and succinctly when he wrote,
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Paul’s dramatic testimony provides powerful evidence for Christ’s resurrection, especially because he had formerly been such a hostile and violent opponent of the Christian faith. Paul was not seeking to discover whether or not Jesus was the Messiah; he had already decided He was not. Nor had he been persuaded by talking with Christians. Paul did not talk to Christians—he arrested them and sought their imprisonment and execution. Only the direct, miraculous, supernatural intervention of the risen, living Jesus Himself turned Paul from persecutor of Christians to apostle of Jesus Christ.
THE CULMINATION OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
THE CULMINATION OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
The call to the ministry, like the call to salvation, is a sovereign act of God that demands and incorporates human response. Consequently, Paul did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision he had received of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Obedience is the sine qua non (or essential condition) of the Christian life. It accompanies true salvation, acknowledges God’s authority, is an expression of trust in God, and is the proof of believers’ love for Him.
Paul expressed his obedience by declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. That sentence summarizes Paul’s ministry, which began in Damascus, spread to Jerusalem, from which it influenced Judea, then finally extended even to the Gentiles. Everywhere he preached, his message was the same: people should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. Metanoia (repentance) involves a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. Paul’s use of epistrephō (turn), which frequently describes sinners turning to God, reinforces that meaning. Those who truly repent and turn to God will perform deeds appropriate to repentance.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
It was for this reason, because of Paul’s faithful preaching of the gospel, that some Jews seized him in the temple and tried to put him to death. That set all the events in motion that had led to this very moment of encounter with Agrippa. They were especially irate that he proclaimed the spiritual equality of Jews and Gentiles. But Paul obtained help from God, who had recently delivered him from two plots against his life and who had helped him throughout his ministry. Because of God’s help, Paul could declare to Agrippa, “I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place.” By placing himself in the line of Moses and the other Old Testament writers, Paul again stressed that Christianity is not heretical but the fulfillment of Scripture. The Old Testament predicted “that the Christ was to suffer and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead, He should be the first (prōtos; first in preeminence, not chronology) to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass:
23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Paul’s testimony may be summarized as follows. He was a devout, zealous Jew—even to the extreme of persecuting Christians, whom he believed perverted Judaism. Jesus Christ, whose appearance to Paul proves His resurrection, sovereignly changed his life and called him both to salvation and to the ministry. Paul thereafter preached the gospel of grace to the Gentiles, thus placing them on a spiritual par with the Jews. Because of that, some jealous Jews tried to kill him, and that is why he stood before Agrippa that day.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
THE CONSEQUENCES OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY
Festus had listened with growing bewilderment as Paul continued speaking in his own defense. Paul was obviously a learned and brilliant man, so how could he believe what he was saying was really true?
Did he really think that Jesus of Nazareth, a man executed under one of Festus’s predecessors as governor, Pilate, was alive and had spoken to him? Finally, Paul’s explicit declaration of Christ’s resurrection was too much for Festus’s rational sensibilities. Interrupting Paul’s speech, he blurted out in a loud voice,
24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”
Every intelligent Roman knew that dead men do not come back to life and talk to people; therefore, Paul’s mental musings must have caused him to lose touch with reality.
It is not surprising that Paul was accused of being insane; so was Jesus. The reason for the accusations against both is found in
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
But Paul was definitely not out of his mind. On the contrary, he spoke words of sober truth, from a sound mind, with total control of his senses.
Paul took advantage of Festus’s interruption to focus on Agrippa, first speaking of him in the third person, then addressing him directly. Continuing to address Festus, Paul said,
25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.
26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.
Paul called Agrippa as a witness to his sanity, since the Jews believed in resurrection, and the matters of which the apostle spoke (the death of Jesus, and the claim of the Christians that He rose from the dead) were common knowledge in Palestine. By remaining silent, Agrippa confirmed the truth of what Paul said.
Then Paul boldly confronted Agrippa directly. Look at verse 27 with me:
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
The implication was that if he did, he would have to concede that Jesus was the Messiah. Agrippa was stuck in a quandary. Admitting his belief in the prophets was tantamount to acknowledging Jesus as Messiah. That would make him look foolish before his Roman friends and outrage his Jewish subjects. Yet a Jewish king could hardly disavow the revered prophets of his people. Consequently, he avoided the question and mockingly replied to Paul,
28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”
The phrase is better translated as a question: “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?” Look at Paul's response, I love this
29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”
No matter how long it took, it was Paul’s heartfelt desire that all who heard him would come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. The scene is again one of startling incongruity. A lowly prisoner in chains tells the gathered political and military leaders and other important figures that he wishes they could be like him. Their fading, fleeting treasure was here on earth; Paul knew the truth of
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
With these words by Paul, the inquiry ended. Look at verses 30-31
30 Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them.
31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.”
Agrippa the king arose, along with the governor and the Bernice, and those advisers who were sitting with them. After they had drawn aside, they began talking to one another about Paul’s case. Whatever their view of Paul’s sanity, they all agreed that he was not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment, yet they lacked the courage to release him. Agrippa summed up the view of all when he said to Festus,
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
The question arises as to why Paul could not be released, since both Festus and Agrippa had found him innocent of wrongdoing. Noted expert on Roman law A. N. Sherwin-White explains:
When Agrippa remarked: “this man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar,” this does not mean that in strict law the governor could not pronounce an acquittal after the act of appeal. It is not a question of law, but of the relations between the emperor and his subordinates, and of that element of non-constitutional power which the Romans called auctoritas, “prestige,” on which the supremacy of the Princeps so largely depended. No sensible man with hopes of promotion would dream of short-circuiting the appeal to Caesar unless he had specific authority to do so.
Once again, Paul had been found innocent of any wrongdoing. He had boldly proclaimed the gospel to some of the most important people in Palestine. Now, after two years of waiting, it was time for the Lord’s promise to Paul to be fulfilled:
11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
What we see from today’s passage is Paul exhibiting sincere evangelism. His desire even in this circumstance was for everyone listening to come to Christ. Can we make the same claim? The people we meet in our daily lives, do we have a sincere desire to see them come to Christ? I have to be honest here, this was a convicting message for me. I meet lots of people and my first thought is usually not about them becoming a Christian. And I would venture to say that I am not alone in this. I want it to be my desire that this becomes my attitude. Let’s pray.
Father, we know what is right because the word tells us and we know that it is right for us to be faithful to the message you’ve committed to us. God help us to be satisfied with faithfulness and not to be oriented toward results. Lord, we know that you desire that people come to you, men, women and children. We know that there should be a result in the sense that there should be lives affected by our testimony. But may the priority be that we are living to Your glory and that we are obedient to Your word. And may we have the joy of letting You bring about the results that You desire. God make us to be faithful and may it be said of Othello First Baptist Church that we left our imprint on the world because we led some to Jesus Christ. More were added to the hallelujah chorus to praise our blessed Lord now and for eternity. We pray in His wonderful name. Amen.