Paul's Hearing by Agrippa
Part I
25:13 Now when some days had passed,
Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus.
25:14 As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before
the king,
saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;
25:15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem,
the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me,
asking for a sentence against him.
25:16 To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans
to give up any man to destruction, before the accused has met the accusers
face to face,
and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid
against him.
25:17 When therefore they had come together here,
I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat,
and commanded the man to be brought.
25:18 Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up,
they brought no charge of such things as I supposed;
25:19 but had certain questions against him about their own religion,
and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.
25:20 Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things,
I asked whether he was willing go to Jerusalem
and there be judged concerning these matters.
25:21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the
emperor,
I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar."
25:22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself."
"Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."
25:23 So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great
pomp,
and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding
officers
and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought
in.
25:24 Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present
with us,
you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned
me,
both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25:25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death,
and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.
25:26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord.
Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before
you,
King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write.
25:27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner,
not to also specify the charges against him."
|
Comments
The king spoken of here was Herod Agrippa II, being appointed king by the
Emperor. Agrippa had authority to appointed the high priest and it was
rumored he also was carrying on an incestuous affair with his sister Bernice.
Such is the religous hypocrisy among the Jewish elite.
vs 19 Festus speaking of Jewish "superstition" may appear rather
an insult as the word is used today. But in fact the greek word "deisidaimonia"
can be viewed in either a positive sense of "religous" or negative "superstitious".
Paul used this word in speaking to the Athenians in Acts 17. The NIV tends
to translate the word in the more positive sense of "religous".
vs 20 "doubted such manner of questions" in the KJV simply means
that he wasn't sure how to investigate the matter further.
Festus sought not a judgment by Agrippa for Paul's fate was to go to
Rome for trial. Rather he simply sought information to send along so as
not to appear negligent in his duties to the Emperor, and who better to
obtain that information than the king of the Jews?
|