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The book of Acts

Paul’s Trial by Agrippa II

Chapter 26

At the end of chapter 25 we read that the governor Festus, King Agrippa II, his sister Berenice, military chiefs and prominent men of the capital Caesarea, came with great pomp in the auditorium of the city and, after they were accommodated, Festus ordered Paul to be brought over.

Festus made an introduction stating that Paul was there because the whole assembly of the Jews he had petitioned him calling for Paul’s death. Festus had found no fault in him, but as Paul then appealed to Caesar, he would send him. After this interrogation, it was necessary for him to write to his lord concerning the charges against him, but he had nothing certain to write about. For this reason, he now brought him before Agrippa so that he might have something to write, as it was unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.

Agrippa now took the chair and said to Paul that he was now permitted to speak for himself. In the absence of specific charges, the defence only could be against the clamour of the Jews in general calling for his death.

Paul stretched out his hand, not asking for silence, but it was a dramatic gesture of a speaker, doing justice to the solemn atmosphere in which he found himself. In his hand were the chains of a prisoner, to which he referred at the end of his speech.

This is the longest defence speech made by Paul found in the Bible. In it there is no word of reproach against his enemies, nor does he show any resentment. However, Paul used this great opportunity to give his testimony of Jesus Christ to this distinguished audience, even before kings (see 9:15), similar to what he gave to the Jews in Jerusalem, on the steps of the fortress (Chapter 22).

Like the orator Tertullus (24: 2) Paul began his speech with words pleasing to the king, expressing his satisfaction in being allowed to personally defend himself from the accusations of the Jews before him, for he was versed in the customs and questions of the Jews, and called for its patience to hear what he had to say. All true, no adulation.

Paul started out his apology stating what his religious instruction had been: from his youth he had been a Pharisee, in beliefs and practice, this being the strictest sect of the Jews. All Jews knew him from the start, they knew that what he said was the truth and they could testify to it if they wanted.

The crime of which he was accused, he said, was simply that of having trusted in the promise made by God to his ancestors of the Old Testament, and of reaching its fulfilment, which had been the fervent hope of all the twelve tribes of Israel when serving God night and day.

(What he said about the twelve tribes being present at his time, puts an end to the theory that some of the ten tribes of Israel taken into captivity by the Assyrians had disappeared.)

The Jews (and the king) would understand that, of various covenants that God made with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and with kings David and Solomon, the promise stood out of sending the Messiah for deliverance of the nation of Israel, blessing for all people, and the introduction of an eternal kingdom.

The patriarchs died without seeing its fulfilment, but God always keeps His promises, they will soon have to rise one day to be present and enjoy them. The Pharisees understood this way, but the Sadducees, among which were the majority of the priests and the Sanhedrin, denied that it was possible. These were the enemies of Paul, and thus their hatred for Paul was explained.

Paul then asked, "Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?" In his rhetoric, Paul was preparing the whole audience (you) for the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of the Gospel.

Returning to his personal experience, Paul confessed that he had judged that he had a duty to fight the name of "Jesus of Nazareth", which motivated him to run a wide and persistent campaign against His disciples, with the permission of the chief priests. He had shut up many of the "saints" (note the use of that word here) in prisons in Jerusalem, voting against them (in the sanhedrim?) when they were killed (this happened with the deacon Stephen - chapter 7:60).

(It should be noted here that for a person to belong to the sanhedrim it was necessary for him to be married. In that case, Paul would have been a widower and not a bachelor when he wrote 1 Corinthians 7:7).

When Paul said, "compelled them to blaspheme", it is understood that this was his purpose, not necessarily achieving his goal. Paul persecuted the saints even to foreign cities, and this he did when going to Damascus, as reported below.This account of what he heard from the Lord contains more details than are found in chapter 9:22 of this book, and seems to include what the Lord said later through Ananias.

According to historians, the phrase “It is hard for you to kick against the goads" was a common saying in Latin and Greek, and the idea is of an unmanageable ox which kicks against the goad of iron of the farmer. Paul had resisted the voice of his conscience, or even the Holy Spirit, and fought against God.

Paul asked, "Who are You, Lord?" and received the reply, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" followed by the order to rise and a summary of the mission that befell to him. We find in this mission, in general terms, what it comes to be a Christian, namely:

1. Who has his eyes opened – he discovered that God exists, and through the Bible came to know His revelation in Jesus Christ.
2. Who came out of darkness into light - after seeing that the way he was going was leading him to condemnation for his sins and eternal condemnation, he turned back and took another Way, which is the Truth and the Life.
3. Who left the power of Satan, to submit to the power of God – he was born again and received a new spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome evil.
4. Those whose sins have been redeemed - through their faith in the redemptive work of Christ: on the cross, He took upon Himself the punishment for the guilt of the sins of those who trust in Him.
5. He has an inheritance in heaven - as a child of God he has an inheritance from Him, who is the owner of the universe. He will receive glory, "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which god has prepared for those who love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9).
6. He has been sanctified - through his faith in Christ, he was separated to join the people of God, and to live for God (Romans 14:9).

Paul then said that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but soon proclaimed what he had personally seen and heard, from "Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance "

He clarified, finally, that it was because of this that the Jews arrested him in the temple and tried to kill him. God helped him, and after that he continued to give his testimony to all, and adding nothing to what had already been predicted by the prophets and Moses, ie, that the Messiah must suffer and be the first who, rising from the dead should proclaim light both to Jews and Gentiles (these were the two things that caused the hatred of the Jews: the resurrection and the preaching of salvation to the Gentiles).

Festo's reaction was disbelief, saying in a loud voice to Paul that he was insane, delusional "because of much learning" - no doubt referring to the Scriptures where the prophecies were.

Paul denied that he was delirious, and appealed to Agrippa who knew them, asking him if he believed them. Agrippa found himself in a difficult situation because if he said he did, he would have to accept everything that Paul said, and if he said did not, he would lose authority in his position over the temple. He skipped a straight answer, exclaiming that Paul almost persuaded him to become a Christian.

All those present agreed that Paul had done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment, and Agrippa said to Festus that he might be released if he had not appealed to Caesar.

 

R David Jones

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself:
2 "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,
3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4 "My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know.
5 They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.
7 To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
9 "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.
11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 "While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me.
14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
15 So I said, 'Who are You, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.
17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'
19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.
21 For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
22 Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—
23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

 

 

 

 

24 Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!"
25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.
26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe."
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
29 And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."
30 When he had said these things, the king stood up, as well as the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them;
31 and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, "This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains."
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."