Acts 25:13-22 – A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. 16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
“When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.” When coming before Festus’s predecessor Felix, the Jews took five days to go before him in Caesarea. This time they were there right away. They had, in Jerusalem, presented to Festus that they wanted Paul immediately tried and condemned to death based merely upon the strength of their assertions and “requests.” Showing their exigency of the matter they showed up right away and Festus, understanding their urgency, held the trial the very next day. Surely they were ready, after two years of stewing over the matter, to present a strong case. Right?
“When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.” They had two years to get ready for the trial and then presented hollow allegations of their doctrinal differences and no violations of Roman law…in a Roman court! No citizen would expect to go into a U.S.A court of law and expect them to enforce a law that does not exist in the U.S.A. Festus desired to give these people, who could be a weight upon him or allies for him, what they wanted. But he believed and respected Roman law enough that he needed some kind of evidence to convict. To his utter surprise they gave him fluff and no substance. Of course we know the reason why they could not give any substance, it is because none of the charges against Him were true and no Roman law had been broken. The truth is exactly what Paul had been saying. The charge they brought against Paul boiled down that he preached the resurrection of Jesus and what that subsequently meant to the world, and should mean to them.
“I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. So Festus said to Paul “Hey Paul, these guys want to have you executed. However they don’t appear to be ready with any weighty evidence at this time so do you want to go to Jerusalem, in their place of power, and stand trial, again, there? I mean I know they have tried to convict him before the Commander Claudius Lysias, and before Governor Felix, and now before me and could not prove their case. However do you want to give them another go at it?” Obviously ridiculous. Yet, we can be sure that if Jerusalem is where Jesus had told Paul to go, then Paul would have went back there. However, Rome is where the Lord told Paul he would go and so Rome is where Paul wanted to go.
“But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.” As Festus had said at the time of Paul’s demand “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” To which Paul must have cast an inward smile to Jesus and inwardly prayed “Lord, Your ways are surely above our ways!” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
“Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.” So, likely, King Agrippa was frothing at the mouth to hear what Paul would have to say. It is likely that he had heard of Paul and had wondered about him and now here was Paul. Of course he, the Roman placed King over the Jews, who had authority to name the high priest, wanted to hear from Paul!
Luke 12:11-12 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” Although we are all amazed at Paul’s ability to defend the faith, we ought not to wonder. At least we ought not to stare at Paul and wonder. Sure, it was well known that he was incredibly educated, even the Romans knew that (Acts 26:24), but that is not the reason Paul was unafraid. He was unafraid because he walked in the Spirit and not in the flesh. (Galatians 5:25) He knew that all the studying he had done was most valuable when revealed and put together by the Holy Spirit. We also know that. Many men of the world study the scriptures without the Holy Spirit within, and with no desire to submit to Jesus, and so the Word has no true spiritual meaning to them. But we know that the Holy Spirit guide not Pau but He also guides us. All who have spent time sharing the Word knows that the Holy Spirit is the One who provides and guides as the Word is preached, taught, and shared. So let us not fear, God is within us. God can speak through us. And He does! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”