“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ Paul replied, ‘Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.’” Acts 26: 28-29
The salty Mediterranean breeze blew through Paul’s window in Herod’s Praetorium, in Caesarea. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky, but he was still not free.
Paul’s enemies thought to take advantage of this change in the administration of the Judean procurator. Festus had barely gotten his foot inside the door when the Jewish power structure began to pressure him about this man called Paul. Festus had the reputation of being fair-minded with respect to Roman law. He had no way of knowing that the plot to kill Paul had escalated beyond the forty assassins. It was now the entire power structure of the Sanhedrin who wanted the governor to transfer Paul back to Jerusalem so they could ambush him and kill him along the way.
Paul had this confidence: “The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell….For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me…” (Ps. 27: 1-2, 5)
Festus had no intention of turning Paul over to Jewish jurisdiction. Any hearing of Paul would have to be under his jurisdiction as procurator. Festus didn’t know it, but God was using him as Paul’s protector!
When Festus went down to Caesarea, he came with some Jewish leaders from Jerusalem. Paul’s simple defense before Festus was “I have done no wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” Paul answered, “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!” After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
In the course of conversation with the Jewish King Agrippa, Festus asked for his opinion on this man whom Felix left as a prisoner. The chief priests and the elders all wanted him condemned. Then the King responded that he would like to hear this man himself.
The very next day Paul was given permission to speak to the King of the Jews, as a Jew. “ It is because of my hope in what God has promised to our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O King, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth…..About noon, O king, ….I saw a light from heaven….and I heard a voice speak to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’….Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light…I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and the Gentiles.” Acts 26: 6-23
Festus interrupted Paul, saying, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane.” Paul replied,” I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth…..King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian .” And Paul said,
“I would wish to God that whether in a short or long time, not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
Paul remembered when the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for you must solemnly witness for My cause at Rome also.” (23:11)
Rome awaited. God’s man was ready.
Question To Think About:
The salty Mediterranean breeze blew through Paul’s window in Herod’s Praetorium, in Caesarea. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky, but he was still not free.
Paul’s enemies thought to take advantage of this change in the administration of the Judean procurator. Festus had barely gotten his foot inside the door when the Jewish power structure began to pressure him about this man called Paul. Festus had the reputation of being fair-minded with respect to Roman law. He had no way of knowing that the plot to kill Paul had escalated beyond the forty assassins. It was now the entire power structure of the Sanhedrin who wanted the governor to transfer Paul back to Jerusalem so they could ambush him and kill him along the way.
Paul had this confidence: “The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, my adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell….For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me…” (Ps. 27: 1-2, 5)
Festus had no intention of turning Paul over to Jewish jurisdiction. Any hearing of Paul would have to be under his jurisdiction as procurator. Festus didn’t know it, but God was using him as Paul’s protector!
When Festus went down to Caesarea, he came with some Jewish leaders from Jerusalem. Paul’s simple defense before Festus was “I have done no wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” Paul answered, “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!” After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
In the course of conversation with the Jewish King Agrippa, Festus asked for his opinion on this man whom Felix left as a prisoner. The chief priests and the elders all wanted him condemned. Then the King responded that he would like to hear this man himself.
The very next day Paul was given permission to speak to the King of the Jews, as a Jew. “ It is because of my hope in what God has promised to our fathers that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O King, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth…..About noon, O king, ….I saw a light from heaven….and I heard a voice speak to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’….Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting…I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light…I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and the Gentiles.” Acts 26: 6-23
Festus interrupted Paul, saying, “You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane.” Paul replied,” I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth…..King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian .” And Paul said,
“I would wish to God that whether in a short or long time, not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
Paul remembered when the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for you must solemnly witness for My cause at Rome also.” (23:11)
Rome awaited. God’s man was ready.
Question To Think About:
- Festus didn’t know God was using him to protect Paul. When looking back at your life, can you identify a time when God used an unlikely person or secular circumstances to shield you from harm?
- Paul countered the accusation of insanity by words of “sober truth.” How can we better present the Gospel today with intellectual integrity and calm clarity rather than relying purely on emotion?
- Paul spoke to Agrippa specifically as a fellow Jew, leveraging the King’s knowledge of the Prophets. How can you better tailor the way you share your faith to meet people exactly where they are culturally or spiritually?
- The devotional ends with: “Rome awaited. God’s man was ready.” If God were to call you into a challenging, high-stakes new season tomorrow, what clutter or hesitation do you need to clear out of your heart today to be fully ready?
- Paul did not just pray for the King, but for “all who are listening to me today.” When you speak up for your faith, are you mindful of the silent onlookers (coworkers, children, friends) who are watching how you handle yourself
Posted in The King and I