King Agrippa

Acts 25-26
The new governor of Judea, Porcius Festus, though
not without faults, was a far better, and more honest
man than his predecessor; and with some little
abatement, arising from his wish to ingratiate
himself with the nation newly come under his rule,
his proceedings bore the stamp of
straightforwardness and firmness, which became his
office well, and which it is refreshing to contemplate
after the mean truckling of a Felix.
Three days after his arrival at Caesarea, he paid the
Jews the compliment of going up to Jerusalem. Of
course, his first interview was with the high-priest.
This person was Ishmael, lately appointed to that
office by Agrippa, on whom the emperor had
bestowed the administration of ecclesiastical matters
and preferments. But although there was a new
high-priest, and although two years had elapsed, the
case of Paul had lost none of its importance in the
eyes of the Jewish authorities, and the high-priest
actually brought the matter forward, pressing the
governor to give judgment against Paul. But Festus,
with all his wish to render himself agreeable,
recoiled at the iniquity of this proposition, and
answered with some sternness, in words worthy of
old Rome: “It is not the manner of the Romans to
deliver any man to die, before that he which is
accused have the accusers face to face, and have
license to answer for himself concerning the crime
laid against him.” On this, the high-priest and chief-
priests begged as a favor that the trial might be held
at Jerusalem, secretly purposing, as Luke assures us,
to get him murdered on the way. It does not seem to
us that, as some think, their request amounted to an
application to have him tried at their own tribunal;
for they must have known that in the case of a
Roman citizen, Festus would not consent to this; but
that he should send for him there, and try him
during his present visit at Jerusalem. To this also
Festus objected, that this was scarcely worth while,
as he was about to return immediately to Caesarea;
but he courteously invited such as were interested in
the case to go down with him, and accuse the man
before him. This course was taken; and the very day
after his return, Festus took his seat in judgment,
and ordered Paul to be brought in. The accusation
was the same as before, and the absence of any proof
was equally apparent. Paul, in his defence, was
content to deny the charges altogether: “Neither
against the law of the Jews, neither against the
temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended
anything at all.” The Jews, seeing the failure of their
case, seem to have again pressed for his trial being
removed to Jerusalem, alleging probably that more
effectual evidence could be produced on the spot.
Festus being willing to oblige the Jews as far as he
safely might, then asked the prisoner if he would
consent to go to Jerusalem to be tried there—“Before
me,” he added; to show that he would not even there
have any other judge than at Caesarea, and thus
intimating his willingness to take the trouble of
going to Jerusalem on this business. This put Paul
rather in a dilemma. He could not well object to the
equity of this course; but at the same time, he had
credible information, which he could not
substantiate there, nor, out of regard to his
informant, produce his authority for it, that this
course would be his destruction. There was,
therefore, but one step open to him, and he took it.
This stayed all further proceedings in the case, either
at Caesarea or Jerusalem, by lodging an appeal to
the tribunal of the emperor at Rome. This appeal, he
as a Roman citizen, had a right to make, and no one
could disallow it; and it became the duty of the
magistrate with whom it was lodged, to forward the
appellant without any avoidable delay to the seat of
empire. Accordingly, Festus, after conferring with
his assessors in judgment, said, “Hast thou appealed
unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.” It was,
doubtless, with considerable relief and satisfaction
that the governor saw himself fairly rid of a business,
which was assuming an unpleasant aspect, and by
which he began to be perplexed.
Not long after this King Agrippa, with his sister
Bernice, arrived at Caesarea to pay his compliments
to the new governor. He was the son of Herod-
Agrippa by his excellent wife Cypros. He was at
Rome with Claudius when his father died; and the
emperor, who was fond of him, was minded to
bestow on him all his father’s kingdom, until his
friends pointed out the inexpedience of entrusting so
large a realm to one so young. Eventually, however,
by successive grants from Claudius and from Nero,
he did obtain a large proportion of his father’s
kingdom; and at this time his dominion comprised a
large territory east of the Jordan and Lebanon, with
a part of Galilee. Having been brought up at Rome,
he was strongly attached to the Romans; and in the
troubles which soon arose, he did his best to
maintain or restore peace between them and the
Jews; but finding all his endeavors useless, he joined
his forces to those of the Romans, and took part with
them in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem. After
that sad event he retired to Rome, and lived there to
the age of seventy. Bernice, his sister, whose
personal attractions were scarcely inferior to those of
her sister Drusilla, had been early married to her
uncle Herod, king of Chalcis, and on his death had
become the wife of Polemon, king of Pontus; but at
this time she had left her husband, and returned to
her brother Agrippa, with whom she continued to
live in a manner which caused much public scandal,
and was very little to the credit of either.
Agrippa had not been long at Caesarea before Festus
mentioned the case of Paul to him, as a matter in
which his guest was likely to feel some interest. His
recital of what had taken place included his opinion,
that nothing of the kind he had been led to expect
had appeared at the trial, and all that transpired had
been “certain questions about their own
superstition,” and, as he scoffingly remarked, “about
one dead Jesus, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” He
clearly did not believe Paul in the right as to this; but
he as clearly did not see that he was judicially
punishable for a crotchet so absurd!
Agrippa was so far interested in this account as to
conceive a desire to hear Paul for himself.
Accordingly, the next day a high court was held, at
which Festus and his two guests appeared in state,
attended by their great officers and military
commanders.
Paul having been produced, Festus made a brief
address, constituting the court one of inquiry—
stating that this person, having appealed unto
Caesar, must be sent to Rome; and that he wished,
by the help of Agrippa, to ascertain with what
offence he might be charged, in the dispatch it would
be needful to send to the emperor. Agrippa then
signified to the prisoner that he was at liberty to
speak for himself; and the apostle, after his manner,
stretched forth his hand and spoke. He began by
expressing his satisfaction at having to vindicate
himself before one so well versed as Agrippa in “all
customs and questions which are among the Jews.”
He then proceeded nearly as in the speech from the
stairs at Jerusalem. He described his manner of
bringing up in the strictness of Judaism. He dwelt
with particularizing emphasis upon his persecution
of the believers in Jesus; and related the great
incident of his life—the vision on the way to
Damascus, which resulted in his conversion. He then
received from Jesus himself a commission to preach
to the Gentiles the great truths of which he had been
convinced. He had acted in obedience to the
commission thus given, from that day to this; and he
had by this alone awakened the hostility of the Jews,
who thirsted for his blood, although he had taught
“none other things than those which the prophets
and Moses did say should come: That Christ should
suffer, and that He should be the first that should
rise from the dead, and should show light unto the
people and to the Gentiles.” All this seemed to Festus
the effect of an excited imagination, increased,
perhaps, by over-study; for it is likely that Paul had
employed himself much in his confinement upon
such “books and parchments,” as he desired to
solace his later detention at Rome, Note: 2Ti_4:13.
and with which his friends could easily provide him.
He, therefore, broke out, in a loud bantering voice,
with—“Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning
doth make thee mad.” The apostle’s calmly-
impressive answer was—“I am not mad, most noble
Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and
soberness.” His mode of reasoning had, however,
been adapted to the apprehension not of Festus, but
of Agrippa—a Jew, believing in the Scriptures, and
not without some such acquaintance with the belief
of the Christians as could be gained from his outer
point of view. On him, he perceived that he had
made some impression; and he, therefore, appealed
to him, and to his consciousness that he had not
misrepresented the teaching of the prophets. “The
king knoweth of these things, before whom also I
speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these
things are hidden from him; for this thing was not
done in a corner.” “King Agrippa,” he said, with
startling abruptness of personal appeal, “Believest
thou the prophets?” and he answered his own
question—“I know that thou believest!” This was
virtually an appeal to Agrippa, whether the views he
had set forth were not conformable to what the
prophets taught. The king was moved by that appeal,
and in the excitement of the moment, frankly
avowed—“Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian.” On which Paul, lifting up his chained
hands, with deep emotion and passionate longing for
the salvation of souls, exclaimed: “I would to God
that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day,
were not only almost, but altogether such as I am—
except these bonds!” This was a master-stroke of
true eloquence, that the finest orators of Greece or
Rome never equaled. The effect was electrical.
Agrippa started from his seat, and broke up the
court, by departing with the governor and Bernice,
as if afraid that he should commit himself further
were he to listen any longer.
On talking together afterwards, Festus and Agrippa
agreed that Paul had really done nothing worthy of
death, or even of confinement; and the latter added
that he might have been liberated had not his appeal
to Caesar rendered it necessary that he should be
sent to Rome. Had Paul then made a mistake in
lodging that appeal? No; for this destination was not
only in accordance with his own purpose, but, as he
knew, with the Lord’s will.