Lesson 24: Defending The Kingdom, Part 3 (Acts 25-26)

When the Lord instructed Ananias to go to Saul, He revealed that this former persecutor of the church would “carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9.15). Paul had spent years fulfilling the Lord’s words, until he arrived in Jerusalem and was attacked by a Jewish mob. But the Lord had more work in store for His apostle: “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome” (Acts 23.11). As we continue our study of how Paul defended the Kingdom, we will see how he testified before kings and how it was that he would make his way to Rome.

Notes From The Text:

25.1-22, Paul appeals to Caesar

• Vs. 1, Remember that the Jews had been instrumental in having Felix recalled by Nero, who barely escaped the death penalty. Festus probably felt it was necessary to go to Jerusalem and meet with the Jews in order to placate them.
• Vs. 3, We see from vss. 15-16 that the Jews had also asked Festus at this time for a judgment against Paul, i.e. they wanted Festus to have Paul executed before he was tried.
• Vs. 7, by looking at Paul’s response in vs. 8, we can deduce that the Jews laid similar charges to those made by Tertullus in Acts 24:5-6.
• Vs. 8, Apparently an abbreviated version of Paul’s defense. Very similar to the defense made in ch. 24.
• Vs. 9, recall that Festus was under immense pressure to placate the Jews.
• Vs. 11, “Once a prisoner had made an appeal to Caesar, the judge to whom the appeal was made was obliged to stop all proceedings in the case immediately, and to send the prisoner, together with his accusers, to Rome to be tried there with Caesar himself sitting as judge.” (Garreth Reese)
• Vs. 13
  • Herod Agrippa II
    • Son of Agrippa I (Acts 12) and great-grandson of Herod the Great.
    • 17 years old when his father died and was living in the Imperial household in Rome. Because of his youth, the emperor Claudius was dissuaded from appointing him to the throne of his father.
    • He was the last Jewish “king” in the land. His headquarters were at Caesarea-Philippi.
    • He was 31 years old.
  • Bernice: “first married to her uncle, Herod, ruler of Chalcis, who died soon afterward. She was so much with her brother Agrippa II, that she was suspected of living in incest. She tried to allay the scandal by a marriage with Polemo, king of Cilicia; but she soon tired of him, deserted him, and returned to be with her brother. She afterward became the mistress, first of Vespasian, then of Titus (both emperors).” (Garreth Reese)
• Vs. 25, Festus conveniently left out how he was going to send Paul (an innocent man) to Jerusalem in order to stand trial again.
• Vs. 26, “Roman law seemed to require that when a case was appealed to Caesar, the lower courts were to send along a full report of the legal proceedings which had preceded the appeal.” (Garreth Reese)

25.23-26.32, Paul’s testimony to Agrippa

• Vs. 1, Paul’s defense before King Agrippa fulfilled Jesus words in Acts 9.15.
• Vss. 6-8
  • “The hope ultimately was to be realized in the resurrection from the dead, to be effected by the Lord. Those who repudiate the resurrection, therefore, have cast off the hope! The apostle affirms he has not abandoned the religion of ‘our fathers.’ Rather, he has had his eyes opened to the true purpose and ultimate fulfillment of that system.” (Wayne Jackson)
  • The resurrection was central to Paul’s message. (See Acts 13:30-32; 24:14-15)
• Vs. 11
  • In his letter to the emperor Trajan (c.A.D. 112), Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, said that those who were brought before him, who “cursed Christ,” were released; but he observed that “those who are genuine Christians cannot be induced to do” this (Wayne Jackson).
  • “Cities”, we only read of Paul persecuting Christians in Jerusalem and Damascus, but this verse shows that he had persecuted Christians in many cities.
• Vss. 13-18, 5 details are found in this account which are not found in Acts 9 or Acts 22.
  • Light was brighter than the sun (vs. 13).
  • The light shone around Paul and those who journeyed with him (vs. 13).
  • All fell to the ground (vs. 14).
  • Jesus spoke in Hebrew (vs. 14).
  • Contains the fullest account of what Jesus said (vss. 14-8).
• Vs. 19
  • Note that while Paul had been appointed as a “servant and witness” by the Lord (vs. 16), it was still his choice to obey or not.
  • Paul’s obedience did not end at his going into Damascus and there being baptized (see Acts 22.10,16), but would require him to testify to both Jews and Gentiles in the hope that they would put their faith in Christ. Paul had not disobeyed the Lord’s call.
• Vs. 23, the prophets had foretold Jesus’ death (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; etc.) and resurrection (Psalm 16.10). Furthermore, they proclaimed that He would be a light not only to the Jews, but to the nations (Isaiah 49.6).
• Vss. 24, one can imagine Paul quoting numerous OT prophesies as he laid out his case, and his rich knowledge of Scripture may have been what Festus meant by “your great learning is driving you out of your mind.”
• Vs. 27, “With Paul, to believe the Prophets was the logical step toward believing in the One of whom they spoke. There was no logical alternative.” (Garreth Reese)
• Vs. 28, there is some debate over whether Agrippa’s statement was sincere or not. Based on his life before and after his encounter with Paul, it would seem that Agrippa was not seriously entertaining any notion of following Jesus.