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- Acts 25 - 26Today we are going to tackle two chapters, twenty-five and twenty-six. After this week, we will only have two chapters remaining! The reason we are looking at twenty-five and twenty six today are because they are connected in an important way. One is incomplete without the other. Chapter twenty-five sets up the legal and political tension, and chapter twenty-six contains the theological climax. In other words, we need both chapters in order to see the full picture of what is happening at this point in Paul’s ministry.That is also an important distinction to remember. Paul may be arrested and in prison, but that doesn’t mean that his mission is over. Quite the opposite, in fact. This is all part of the calling that God placed on his life from day one.Last week we saw how this arrest and Paul’s calculated arguments lead to an opportunity for him to share the gospel with the governor, Felix, and his wife, Drusilla. Not just any governor either. He was not a great guy and a horrible leader. In fact, he knows that Paul is innocent, but in order to have some political favor with the Jews he keeps Paul under arrest for the remainder of his governorship. Paul gets to tell this guy and his wife the Good News about Jesus.His wife wasn’t just a random person either. His wife was the youngest daughter of king Herod Agrippa, who persecuted the Christians in Jerusalem. Today we are going to see that Paul isn’t done witnessing to this family. Her sister and brother will show up and Paul will get to boldly confront them with the Gospel as well.Let’s pray and then we will look at chapter twenty-five…PrayCan you imagine being in prison for no reason? It would be bad enough to be stuck in prison because you were found guilty of something that you didn’t do. At least then you could fight the system, hire lawyers, appeal, or whatever with the HOPE that you would be set free. Imagine being in jail after your trial and the judge says, “Well, I know he is innocent, but I will make an official decision later.” Meanwhile, you know that the judge is trying to impress the people who got you arrested, so you know that the judge will just keep kicking the can down the road.That is what Paul is up against. Felix knows he is innocent, but he left him in prison for two years anyway. Felix was a bad leader. In fact, he was removed from office for mismanaging an incident between the Jews and the Gentiles, so he was replaced by Festus, and the Jewish leaders jumped at the opportunity to take Paul out. It’s been two years and they are still aching to kill Paul!
Acts 25:1–3 NIV 1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.Clearly, if they had have convinced the governor to sent Paul to Jerusalem to face trial, it would have been very dangerous for Paul. However, we know this isn’t going to happen because God told Paul to go to Rome. For one thing, Jerusalem is in the wrong direction. Most importantly, God probably isn’t going to let Paul be killed before going to Rome. Festus responds by saying, “Actually I am going back to Caesarea, you can send people there to bring charges against him.”That’s exactly what happens. As soon as Festus returns to Caesarea, he convened the court and the Jews hit him with as many serious charges as they could, but they couldn’t prove any of them. Festus sees where this is going, the same thing Felix saw. This guy is innocent! He wants to gain favor with the Jews though, so he asks Paul if he would be willing to face these charges in Jerusalem. That’s when Paul ratchets things up yet again!Acts 25:10–11 NIV 10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”Why would Paul do this? Now that Felix is gone, he might actually have an opportunity to be set free. Then he could go to Rome on his own, as a free man! I think Nate Sala makes a great point here. We know that Paul has Rome on the mind. Paul probably knows that the best chance he has at sharing the Gospel with Caesar is speaking to him directly in court. More than that, maybe Paul has other motives for taking Christianity to Caesar within the Roman justice system.“If Paul — as the representative of this new movement called the Way — can acquit himself of false charges, that means the Way itself is acquitted of future accusations. The corrupt Jews would not be able to bring similar charges against future churches if it has already been recognized by the highest Roman courts that they are doing nothing wrong.” -Nate SalaThat is a very smart move. It’s likely that part of Paul’s plans are to set precedent for the church as a whole. Appealing to Caesar gives Paul the profound opportunity to share the Gospel with Caesar on a national stage and relieve some of the danger that is up against the church.Remember the Agrippa family? Guess who comes to pay respects to Festus in his new position as governor. King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice.We know a few things about Agrippa and Bernice. First, Herod Agrippa I was their father. He persecuted Christians, killed James, and imprisoned Peter. Second, Agrippa II grew up in Rome and largely reigned as a figurehead used to keep the peace, give a Jewish face to Roman power, and legitimize Roman policies. Third, after his father was struck down, Agrippa II was given authority by Rome over highly Gentile populated areas, but he still had authority to appoint the high priest and oversee the temple treasury in Jerusalem. Fourth, it was rumored that he was having an incestuous relationship with his sister, Bernice, who was considered to be the Jewish Cleopatra of her time.Festus fills them in on this crazy situation with Paul and Agrippa says that he wants to hear this man for himself! So, the next day, Agrippa and Bernice entered the audience room with high-ranking military officers and prominent men of the city. Then entered with great pageantry and gave Paul permission to tell his story, so Paul begins…Acts 26:2–3 NIV 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.I don’t think Paul is pandering to gain favor with the king here. That is always a possibility, but to me it appears that Paul finally sees an opportunity to speak to someone that can understand his story. When the zealous Jews hear his story, they want to kill him. When the Romans here it, they often don’t understand. Here is a Jew who is genuinely curious. Paul continues by telling his testimony, which we have read a couple of times.In order to save time I don’t want to read it again this morning, but I do want to point out a couple of details that might help you when you study it. First…Paul speaks to his audience in a way they can understand.He makes some minor changes to his testimony by using Greek idioms, and removing details that could be confusing for someone in the audience. Remember, he isn’t just speaking to Agrippa, who is well acquainted with Jewish customs. He is also speaking to many Roman military people. He is also speaking to many prominent men of the city. For example, here is something new that he says when he describes Jesus appearing before him on the road to Damascus…Acts 26:14 NIV 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’He continues and changes a few more details, such as omitting the blindness that he endured. Commentators suggest that the minor changes in Paul’s testimony were made intentionally by Paul in order for the encounter to make more sense and be more understandable for the Gentile audience that he was speaking to. In other words, there was no need to mention things like the blindness because it might have confused the audience, and he used a Greek idiom about the “goads” that essentially meant the same thing, but was a phrase that the audience could understand more than the way it was described it in earlier accounts.Another detail from Paul’s speech to the king is…Paul focuses on himself and the Gospel.Unlike the previous trial testimonies, Paul doesn’t rehash the silly charges by the Jews that can be easily disproven. All of the trials have ended with an acknowledgement of his innocence, so there was no need to go into it again. He keeps the focus on how the Jewish leaders are simply misguided just like he once was. He concluded his defense with a summary of the Gospel, and explained how the Gospel is truth in accordance with Scripture.Another detail from Paul’s speech is that…Paul’s innocence was demonstrated before Roman and Jewish rulers, as well as high ranking officers and leading men of the city.The Jewish leaders keep trying to get Paul sentenced to death, but the only thing they are accomplishing is getting him in front of more and more people. Now he is able to spread his message and be proven innocent to multiple governors, the King of the Jewish people, and important people from the military and from across the city! That leads to another key detail that we will eventually see at the end of the chapter.The Jewish king agreed with a verdict of innocence.According to the “Expositor’s Bible Commentary,” even though the Jewish high priests and Sanhedrin opposed Paul, the Jewish king, who in the eyes of the Greco-Roman world outranked them, saw and declared him innocent.When Paul quoted the Old Testament promises that the Messiah would suffer and then rise from the dead, Festus interrupted him saying that he was crazy. No one comes back from the dead, you’ve lost your mind! Paul boldly pushes back…Acts 26:25–27 NIV 25 “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”What an amazing moment! Paul is testifying about Christ to so many high status people, including King Agrippa, and he doesn’t flinch, hold back, or miss a beat! He is bold and he is prepared! John B. Polhill gives a little clarity to what Paul is saying to the king…“At the mention of the resurrection, Festus interrupted, accusing Paul of madness. Like the Athenian intellectuals, the idea of the resurrection was foolishness to him. Paul did not back off. He turned to Agrippa and asked the king if he were not aware of the Christians. He pointed out that what had happened in Christ was not hidden but occurred fully in the open for all to see. Did Agrippa not believe the prophets? If he did, he too would believe in Christ, for they all pointed to Christ.” -John B. PolhillAgrippa’s response is sad and sounds a lot like people who turn from God even today, and Paul’s response echoes God’s heart for those like Agrippa who have turned from Him…Acts 26:28–29 NIV 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”What a story. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary gives a pretty good summary of Paul’s speech, so I included it in your notes. The language is very Christian-ese, so I don’t want to stand here and read it to you, but I thought it was a great commentary for study notes, so I wanted you to have it.Yet Paul’s speech before Agrippa II is not just an apologia in the narrow sense of the word. It is also a positive presentation of the gospel with an evangelistic appeal. At least the following four emphases are prominent in it: (1) the prophets and Moses predicted that Christ would suffer, rise from the dead, and proclaim light to both Jews and Gentiles (26:22–23); (2) what God did in and through Jesus the Christ was done openly, “not … in a corner” (v. 26); (3) believing the prophets leads to acceptance of Christ (v. 27); and (4) Paul’s prayer for all who hear is that they “may become what I am, except for these chains” (v. 29). It is with such a kerygmatic purpose that Luke penned his two volumes (see Introduction, pp. 676–78). And this account of Paul’s final defense is a fitting climax to that purpose. All that remains is to sketch out the apostle’s journey to Rome and his ministry there, thus completing the geographical framework of Luke’s presentation and concluding it on a note of triumph (cf. 28:31).Longenecker, Richard N. “Acts.” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition), edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, vol. 10, Zondervan, 2007, pp. 1072–73.The point is that Paul appeals to Moses, the prophets, and several passages from the Old Testament to prove that Jesus fulfills the role of the Messiah. He isn’t simply defending himself to Agrippa, he is witnessing to him. Paul wants Agrippa to be saved! And everyone else in the room.To close out the chapter we see that Agrippa declares that, not only does Paul not deserve death, but he shouldn’t even be in prison! He could have walked out of the room a free man if he had not made the appeal to Caesar. But this was by God’s design. Paul was heading to Rome.I want to close with something that stood out to me in these two chapters. I’ve mentioned this a lot with Paul, but it never ceases to amaze me how BOLD he was. He even tells Festus that he is speaking to the king boldly…Acts 26:26 ESV 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.Some translations say, “I can speak freely to him.” I am not even going to try to pronounce the Greek word, but here it is. It means…Lexham Theological Wordbook παρρησιάζομαιπαρρησιάζομαι (parrēsiazomai). vb. to speak freely. Denotes a kind of unimpeded speech that results from fearlessness and courage.
When Jesus commissioned Paul He said…Acts 9:15 NIV 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.Paul is God’s chosen instrument! He is proclaiming Jesus’ name to Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel! Paul bold and he isn’t afraid of anything! God has evidently given Paul something that he hasn’t given us, right?I don’t think so. Throughout Acts, God has told Paul a few times not to be afraid. Paul himself even said that he was afraid. Here is one example in 1 Corinthians 2:3…1 Corinthians 2:3 NIV 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.Paul struggled with fear, but he was still able to look past the fear and be bold for God. How? Paul was hyper focused on Christ’s mission. He wasn’t bold because he had no fear. He was bold because he was focused on Christ! Let’s back up a little on that last passage…1 Corinthians 2:1–5 NIV 1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.He was completely focused on Christ and him crucified. Instead of relying on his own confidence and wisdom, he let go of everything so God’s power could carry him and reach the lost! It’s crazy when you think about it. Today I look at Paul’s story and think, “Wow, what a bold and fearless guy.” In a way it’s not even true because the only thing giving him boldness and fearlessness was God! He simply knew to completely rely on God and focus on Christ and the Gospel.I know we really didn’t read much from these two chapters, but is there anything from them that stood out to you or that you would like to talk about?Pray Acts 24:27NIV2011
Acts 18:3NKJV
Acts 9:3–32NKJV
Philippians 4:6NKJV
Genesis 46:3NKJV
Joshua 1:9NKJV
Exodus 20:20NKJV
John 3:21NKJV
Psalm 17:1NKJV
