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Acts 25:13-27  PAUL BROUGHT BEFORE AGRIPPA BY FESTUS

Introduction:

	In our previous text the Apostle Paul was brought before Festus, the new 
governor of Judea, for a hearing.  The Jews who spoke against Paul did not at 
all prove their case against him, but Festus, willing to do the Jews a favor, 
did not acquit him.  Instead he asked if Paul were willing to go back to 
Jerusalem to stand trial there before the Jewish Sanhedrin Council.  
	Paul knew that the Jews did not intend to try him in their court.  He knew 
that they intended to kill him before he ever reached Jerusalem.  So he used his 
privilege as a Roman citizen to choose to appeal his case to the Roman Caesar.  
To this Festus agreed.  He had no other choice but to allow Paul to go to Rome 
for trial.  
	In our text today the king of a neighboring Roman province will arrive in 
Caesar and will ask Festus to bring Paul before him for a hearing.   

I.  The arrival of King Agrippa and Bernice

	V. 13, “And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea 
to salute Festus.”   Luke tells us that the king who pays this visit to Festus 
is Agrippa.  In secular historical writings he is called Herod Agrippa II.  His 
father, Herod Agrippa I had become a new king in Judea at a time when the 
Christians at Jerusalem were experiencing a phenomenal growth.  In order to 
please the Jews who opposed Christianity, he had the Apostle James put to death 
and arrested the Apostles Peter and John intending to have them both put to 
death.  Now in our text it is his son, Herod Agrippa II, who arrives in Caesarea 
to visit Festus and who will ask that the Apostle Paul be brought before him for 
a hearing.  
	Herod Agrippa II was king of a neighboring Roman district.  Luke tells us 
that King Agrippa brought with him a woman by the name of Bernice.  Luke does 
not tell us who Bernice is, but secular historians say that she was the sister 
of King Agrippa.  She had earlier married a neighboring king, but had left him 
and was living with her brother.  Some writers say that she lived with her 
brother as his mistress.    
	Luke also tells us that Agrippa and Bernice came to “salute Festus.”  That 
is, they  came to congratulate him upon his appointment as governor of Judea and 
to wish him well in his term of office.  It was a courtesy call.  
	V. 14-19, “And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's 
cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:  
About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the 
Jews informed [me], desiring [to have] judgment against him.  To whom I 
answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before 
that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to 
answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.  Therefore, when they 
were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, 
and commanded the man to be brought forth.    Against whom when the accusers 
stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:  But had 
certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which 
was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.”   
	Festus told Agrippa about the trial of Paul whose trial was pending when 
he arrived on the scene.  He told Agrippa that the Jewish leaders had been so 
anxious to have Paul sentenced and punished that he had assumed that he had done 
something very terrible.  But when the Jews came to Caesarea for the trial they 
did not charge him with anything which he considered to be a crime at all.  
Basically they just said that he had differed with them on some religious 
matters, which he did not consider to be of a serious nature at all.
   	V. 20, “And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked [him] 
whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.”  Festus 
told Agrippa that because he was unfamiliar with matters pertaining to the 
Jewish religion, he had deferred to make a decision in the case, but had asked 
Paul if he would go to Jerusalem and be tried before the Jewish religious 
leaders.  However according to what Luke said back in verse nine Luke tells us a 
different story.  Luke said that it was not because Festus was unfamiliar with 
the Jewish religion that he wanted to send Paul back to Jerusalem to stand 
trial.  Luke said that it was because he was willing to do the Jews a favor.  He 
was willing to please the Jews even though he knew that he should set Paul free.  
The Jews had not proven their case against Paul and so he should have set Paul 
free.  He was willing to please the Jewish leaders even though he knew that Paul 
could not get a fair hearing before them.   
   	V. 21, “But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of 
Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.”  Once 
Paul appealed his case to Caesar Festus had no other choice but to send him 
there.  Paul was a Roman citizen and every Roman citizen on trial had the 
special privilege of appealing his case to Caesar. 
	V. 22, “Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man 
myself...”  Agrippa knew that he could not issue a verdict in Paul’s case.  Nor 
could he offer Festus any advice which would cause Festus to issue a verdict.  
The case had been appealed to Caesar and neither of the two men could change 
that decision.  But Agrippa wanted to see Paul and to hear him out of curiosity.  
He had heard so much about Jesus and about this particular follower of Jesus 
that he wanted to see him and hear for himself what Paul had to say about Jesus.  
He got his wish.  (V. 22), “...Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.”  

II.  Paul brought before King Agrippa and Bernice
 
  	V. 23, “And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great 
pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and 
principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.”   The 
arrival of King Agrippa and his sister, Bernice, into the courtroom was a 
splendid affair.  Agrippa was clothed in his royal attire and Bernice must have 
worn the most beautiful dress available in that day.  Both were adorned with 
rich jewelry.  The Roman flag or insignia was displayed with great fanfare.  The 
Roman military guard accompanied them stood guard with great splendor in their 
presence.  The city big-wigs and dignitaries were ceremoniously seated with 
great dignity.  It was an impressive affair.  
	Then, in sharp contrast at the command of Festus, the Apostle Paul was 
brought forth in chains to stand before Festus, King Agrippa and Bernice.  He 
was brought in as a prisoner to entertain the royal couple and to satisfy their 
idle curiosity.  At his entry, Festus must have risen to his feet in tribute to 
King Agrippa as he presented Paul to Agrippa and to all present.  V.  24, “And 
Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see 
this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at 
Jerusalem, and [also] here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.”  There 
may have been some mockery in the words with which he introduced Paul.  Paul had 
a huge reputation for someone who made such a sorry spectacle standing there in 
chains. 
	But when Festus continued, there appears to be a measure of respect for 
this man.  Listen to what he says about Paul.  V. 25, “But when I found that he 
had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to 
Augustus, I have determined to send him.”
	Now at long last, Festus confesses to all the dilemma that he was in.  V. 
26-27, “Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have 
brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, 
after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.  For it seemeth to me 
unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes [laid] 
against him.”  Festus was about to send a prisoner to Caesar and yet he had not 
been charged with any crime.  If he should send Paul to Caesar saying that he 
was charged with holding different religious beliefs than some of the Jewish 
leaders the Caesar would be very unhappy.  That was no crime in the eyes of 
Roman law.  By trying to send Paul back to Jerusalem for trial instead of 
releasing him as he should have done, he had caused Paul to appeal his case to 
Caesar.  Now he had to send Paul to Caesar and if he did not come up with 
something to charge him with that would sound reasonable to the Caesar he, 
himself, would be in trouble with the Caesar.  It was if he was pleading, 
“Please oh please, King Agrippa, please help me come up with something that I 
can say in the letter to Caesar.”  

III.   Some lessons for us all

	Let us learn that we are all subject to a higher power.  The Apostle Paul 
was subject to the Roman laws and to the Roman officials and to the Roman 
courts.  He knew this and he accepted it.  
	The Jewish leaders who accused were likewise subject to Roman law, to 
Roman officials and to the Roman courts.  Unlike the Apostle Paul, they were not 
at all content to be subject to Roman rule, but there was nothing they could do 
about it.  
	Even Governor Festus and King Herod Agrippa II were subject to Roman law 
and to the Roman senate and the Roman Caesar back in Rome.  
	All of them were subject to a higher power.  They were all subject to God 
in heaven whether they knew it or not.  They were subject to the power of God 
and to His rulership over them whether they liked it or not.  The Jewish leaders 
who so bitterly hated Paul and sought to bring about his death were subject to 
God and would answer to Him for their conduct.  
	Governor Festus and King Agrippa were subject to the higher power and 
higher authority of God whether they knew it or not and whether they liked it or 
not.  Even Augustus Caesar, who ruled the known world with and iron hand, was 
subject to the higher power of God and the higher authority of God.  He was 
subject to God whether he knew it or not and whether he liked it or not.  They 
will all appear before the great throne of God and will give account to God for 
all of their deeds, for all of their words and for all of their thoughts.  
	But listen, my brethren, we, too, are all subject to that same higher 
power and higher authority.  I will give account to God.  You will give account 
to God.  We will all give account to God.  
	This unchangeable truth calls upon us all to do two very important things.  
First of all let us review what we have already done, said and thought and let 
us turn to God in repentance of our sin calling upon Him for forgiveness of our 
sin and the salvation of our souls.  Otherwise we will face God unprepared.  
	The second thing this unchangeable truth calls upon us to do is to watch 
very carefully what we do in the future.  Let me make it clear that the 
salvation of our soul does not depend on us cleaning up our act.  Salvation is 
entirely by the unmerited, undeserved, unearned favor of God which we can 
receive only by repenting of our sin and trusting in Jesus to save us.  
	But love and gratitude in our hearts ought to cause those of us who are 
saved to seek to clean up our acts.  Now I will acknowledge that you have 
probably already done a lot of cleaning up.  I can easily believe that you are 
living a more godly life today than you were before you were saved.  But I also 
believe that every one us still have a lot of cleaning yet to do.  I know that I 
do and I suspect that you do.