Bible Reading: Acts 25,26
We are studying the Book of Acts. If you want to study it, refer to the related post section.
Paul spent two long years in prison since Felix could not decide his case. When he was called back to Rome, he left Paul in prison to please the Jews. Festus replaced Felix around AD 60. Festus was a dynamic man. As soon as he took his position as procurator of Judea, he put first priority on meeting the Sanhedrin to settle all the open issues.
Festus knew that many of his predecessors were banished by Rome because they lacked the skills to keep the region calm. Particularly, what happened to Felix (Festus’s predecessor) and Ventidius Cumanus (Felix’s predecessor) might be fresh in his memory. Both were banished after they were recalled back to Rome from Caesarea. The job he was holding was a risky job with many long, sour histories behind it. Hence, he wanted to move quickly and meet the major stakeholders in the region. He met the Jewish high priests three days after he arrived at Caesarea and took his position. When the high priests brought Paul’s case, Festus invited them to join him in Caesarea and press the charges.
After Festus reached Caesarea the next day, he convened the court and brought Paul to face the trial. But the charges Jews pressed against Paul were a matter specific to the Jewish belief system, names, and their laws. They could not prove in the court that Paul had breached the laws of Jews or caused the disturbance in Jerusalem because of his behavior. When Festus offered Paul a choice, whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and face Sanhedrin, Paul appealed to Caeser. Hence, Festus was forced to send Paul to Rome, but he needed to provide justification based on the trial Paul faced locally in Caesarea and why he was sent to Emperor Nero.
Another major stakeholder for Festus in the region was King Agrippa II. Agrippa II was the son of Agrippa I, who killed James (one of Jesus’s disciples) and arrested Peter. His great-grandfather was Herod the Great. His sister Drusilla was the wife of Felix (the predecessor of Festus). Agrippa II had an unnatural relationship with his sister, Berniece. Since Agrippa II did not have any children, the genealogy of Herod the Great stopped with him.
The trial before Agrippa II
Agrippa II visited Festus after he took his position in Caesarea. When Festus asked Agrippa II to help in the case against Paul, he readily agreed. The very next day, it was arranged. Agrippa II entered the court along with his sister Bernice with all the pomp. The high priests wanted Paul to be killed, but Paul, as a Roman citizen, appealed to Emperor Nero. Now, Festus needs to arrive at the documentation of charges against Paul before sending him to Rome.
The trial setting differed from Paul’s previous trial against high priests. Here, there was none to accuse him. Agrippa was there to listen to his defense and help draft the documentation for Festus. Hence, Paul chose to share his powerful personal testimony to Agrippa II.
When Paul got permission to speak, he started his defense by explaining God’s promise to the Jews. The promise was given to twelve Jewish tribes, and they had hoped to see it fulfilled day and night for many centuries. The promise was about the Messiah. Paul’s hope in the promise is the major reason why the Jews were accusing him. Paul hoped the promise of Messiah was fulfilled through Jesus Christ, and he believed Jesus came back alive after he was crucified and buried.
He goes ahead and explains how he started to believe, it was Jesus who fulfilled the promise. He was a Pharisee and a strong believer in the Jewish laws and prophecies. He did everything to oppose those who believed in Jesus. He wanted to stop the Christian movement. He put them to death and cast his vote against them. Forced them to blaspheme. He was obsessed in persecuting those who were followers of Christ. He hunted for them from place to place. As a passionate Pharisee, Paul strongly believed Jesus was not a messiah, and he had a great responsibility to eradicate the Christian movement.
On one of those journeys to Damascus during noontime, he had a direct encounter with the Lord. He saw a bright light brighter than noon sunlight. Paul and all the men along with him fell down. He heard a clear voice in Aramaic say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Now, Paul confirmed that Jesus is alive, which means he is resurrected. He is Lord based on the supernatural encounter he went through. Paul was given a specific call to go to Gentiles to turn them from darkness to light. He realized his hope was misplaced as a Pharisee. What he saw was real. Paul received the heavenly call and decided to obey it. He started preaching what he saw and heard to those in Jerusalem, Judea, and Gentiles. Paul’s message was simple. He requested everyone to turn back from sin and demonstrate it through their life and deeds.
Paul tied everything on his trial before Agrippa, saying that his hope was based on Jesus, the Messiah, and the promises given to the forefathers of twelve tribes. As mentioned in the book of prophets (i.e., Isaiah), the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead. Now, the story will hit Agrippa II more than anyone. His grandfather, Herod Antipas, met Jesus face to face when Pilate, during the trial of Jesus, decided to send Him to Herod Antipas since Antipas governed Galilee then.
But it was Festus who first reacted to Paul’s defense by saying Paul’s great learning was driving him insane. Paul focused on Agrippa II and tried to persuade him based on the Old Testament prophesies and promises. Though Herod the Great was an Idumean (from the clan of Esau) and Agrippa II came in Herod’s genealogy, the family of Herod was well aware of the customs of Jews.
Agrippa II openly resisted Paul’s persuasion and walked away from the court. Thus, he was the fourth and the last generation in the Herodian dynasty who came so close to the Gospel of Jesus but refused to obey the call. All his previous generation members including Herod the Great, Herod Antipas and Agrippa I lived in the period of Jesus or had an encounter with one of his apostles or Jesus himself. But their ears were closed as they were chasing political glory.
Conclusion
Paul did an excellent job of presenting the gospel before Festus, Agrippa II, and Bernice. After this, Festus immediately sent Paul to Rome. Within two years, Festus died. The Jewish Sanhedrin utilized the opportunity to kill James, the brother of Jesus Christ, and other prominent Christian leaders before the next procurator was installed from Rome.
Agrippa II lived through difficult years. He went through the war against his people from AD 66-70. He sent his army against Jerusalem, which fought alongside Roman soldiers. Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70, and Agrippa II died around AD 94. Paul did not live long enough to see the destruction of the Jerusalem temple.
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