Acts 25:13-27--Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

Acts 25:13-27
English Standard Version

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

​23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

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Last time we left Paul appealing to Caesar because Festus wanted to extradite Paul back to the Jews as a favor to them.  Paul insisted that he be tried in a Roman court since he was a Roman citizen and since his life was on the line (for the Jews intended to kill him) he had the right to appeal to Caesar and that's what he did.  However, there was now the issue that Festus needed to send charging documents along with Paul to Caesar and he knew of nothing that Paul actually did wrong (according to Roman law), so he sought the assistance of King Herod Agrippa II, the son of King Herod Agrippa I the grandson of King Herod the Great.  Felix, the previous governor, had been a part of this family of Herodians and that is why he had some expert knowledge of the way of the Jews and the Way, but Festus seems to have none of the prerequisite knowledge, so Agrippa is going to hear Paul's case to help Festus determine what charges should be presented to Caesar.  It will also be Agrippa's evaluation that if he had not appealed to Caesar, Paul might have been able to be released, but let's be honest about that--that should have happened more than two years ago when Felix heard Paul's case, and Felix held onto Paul hoping that he could get a bribe from him.  Should we have expected much different from Agrippa II?

Let's look at some of the specifics of today's passage though.  First the Festus must make the request to Agrippa and he retells the facts of the case as he knows them according to his perspective and Agrippa decides he wants to hear the case himself.  This would be a political favor that Festus would owe Agrippa for, and it would make the two of them pretty good friends moving forward.

Agrippa and his wife Bernice entered the hall with much pomp and circumstance and in front of all the military tribunes and leaders of the cities, Festus is forced to publicly bed for the help of Agrippa (again all this is happening in front of Agrippa's wife), so Agrippa must be feeling pretty good at this point.  Paul is summoned and the court room is set for King Agrippa to hold court and assist Festus with coming up with an indictment (a charging document) to send along with Paul when they send him off to Rome.  Next time, we'll see the actual trial that Paul gets before King Agrippa (and that Agrippa will find no fault with Paul).