Paul Called To Testify Before King Agrippa

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When have your trials turned out as opportunities to serve Jesus?

Yet a short time later, the Holy Spirit continued guiding events toward the confirmation of Paul’s mission to Rome.   Agrippa (the last of the Herodian kings of Israel) & Bernice (his wife) came to Caesarea for meetings with Festus (still the Roman governor of Israel).  During this visit, Festus presented Paul’s case to Agrippa (303).

“There is a certain man named Paul who was left a prisoner by Felix, my predecessor as governor.  The Jewish religious leaders asked for a judgment against him, to include his execution.  And I replied: ‘Roman law requires in capital cases for the accused to meet the accusers face to face, and have opportunity to answer them concerning the charges against him.’  So I convened such a hearing here in Caesarea.

“But Paul’s accusers argued only against two points of Paul’s teaching: that Jesus had been wrongfully executed, and that God had raised him from death three days later.  Because I was uncertain of such religious questions, I asked Paul whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem, to be tried there concerning these matters. However, when Paul claimed his right as a Roman citizen to be tried before Caesar, I commanded him to be kept in custody until I can send him to Rome.”

To all this, King Agrippa replied, “I also would like to hear this man.”  “Then tomorrow,” said Festus, “you shall hear him.”

The next day, Agrippa & Bernice came with great pomp, and entered the auditorium where the commanders & prominent men of the city were gathered.

At Festus’ command Paul was brought in, and Festus opened the proceedings: “King Agrippa & honored noblemen, here is a man whom the Jews claim is no longer fit to live.  But when I investigated his case, I found that he had done nothing deserving of the death penalty.  And when he appealed to be judged by Caesar, I decided to send him to Rome.

“But I have nothing specific to write to Caesar concerning Paul. Therefore I have brought him here to be examined, especially by you, King Agrippa.  I am sure that after your examination, I will know what to write to Caesar. It definitely seems unreasonable to send a prisoner for judgment in Rome, without specifying the charges against him.”

LORD, please help us to love serving You during any trial.

When have your trials turned out as opportunities to serve Jesus?

(303) Acts 25:13-27

Paul Attacked In Jerusalem

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When your faith in Jesus was most recently attacked, how did you respond? 

In Jerusalem, some unbelieving Jews happened to see Paul in the temple & assumed the worst – specifically that he had taken a Gentile into the sacred Jewish temple (299).  So they publicly accused Paul of insulting God & defiling the temple, and they incited a mob to seize him & drag him outside, intending to beat Paul to death!

But the local commander of the Roman occupation forces intervened & took Paul into protective custody.  At that moment, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to ask the Roman commander for permission to speak to his accusers, which was granted.

Paul recounted his Jewish upbringing & his zealous opposition to Christians.  Then he told how he had a vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus, how he had been temporarily blinded before being baptized & filled with the Holy Spirit, and how he had been directed by Jesus to go to foreign lands to invite Gentiles into God’s kingdom.

This last horrified the Jewish mob, which again threatened to kill Paul!  But the Roman commander quickly ordered Paul to be brought inside the barracks, intending to torture him, until he confessed to whatever he had done to enrage the mob.  As he was being bound to be tortured, Paul was prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask: “Is it lawful for you to torture an uncondemned Roman citizen?”

Knowing that it was totally unlawful to torture an uncondemned Roman citizen, the Roman commander immediately had Paul unbound — definitely concerned by this unexpected turn of events.  But the commander still needed to know exactly why the Jews were so violently accusing Paul.  So on the next day he convened a meeting, including Paul & the Jewish religious leaders.

The Holy Spirit helped Paul perceive that the religious leaders were from two different Jewish groups.  Some were Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection from death; others were Pharisees, who did believe in resurrection from death.  So Paul said, “Men & brothers, I am a Pharisee, as was my father before me.  Is it concerning our hope of resurrection from death that I am being judged?”

Predictably, the Pharisees & Sadducees fell into a huge argument about this. Some of the Pharisees actually began defending Paul!  But as the dissension increased, the Roman commander worried that the two sides might tear Paul into pieces!  So he had his soldiers remove Paul from the meeting & bring him back inside their barracks.

That night, Jesus spoke to Paul & said, “This is going very well.  As you have testified of me here in Jerusalem, so you will also testify of me in Rome.”

LORD, please help us to love trusting You when our faith is attacked.

When your faith in Jesus was most recently attacked, how did you respond? 

(299) Acts 21:27-23:11