The Book of Acts

Paul in Caesarea (24-26)

Part 3: Paul Before King Agrippa

Sermon Forty-three in the Series

Jim Bordwine, ThD

Introduction

REVIEW

The account of Paul's time in Caesarea is found in Acts 24-26. There are three primary contexts in which we find Paul in this section: first, we find Paul before Felix, the governor of the region; second, we find Paul before Festus, the man who follows Felix as ruler; and, third, we find Paul before Herod Agrippa who, during a visit to Caesarea, requests an opportunity to examine Paul.

Once Paul arrived in Caesarea, he remained under house arrest awaiting the arrival of Jews from Jerusalem who planned to present formal charges against him. In that portion of the record, which took place before Felix the governor, we read of the charges presented by the Jews, the defense offered by Paul and the tactic followed by Felix. That section closed with Paul remaining under house arrest and Felix being called to Rome to appear before Nero. The next segment covered Paul's appearance before the new governor, Festus. Again, we considered this portion of Luke's report under three points.

01. The Request of the Jews (vv. 1-5)

Luke informed us that Festus made a trip to Jerusalem shortly after arriving in Caesarea. On this occasion, the chief priests and “leading men of the Jews”made accusations against Paul before Festus. They wanted Paul brought to Jerusalem. Luke revealed that the real motive for this request was a plan to ambush Paul on the journey. Festus did not agree to do as the Jews asked. Instead, he proposed an alternative and invited the Jews to accompany him to Caesarea.

02. The Appeal of Paul (vv. 6-12)

Once they were back in Caesarea, Festus ordered that Paul be brought before the court over which Festus himself presided. Although the Jews again made numerous serious charges against the apostle, the Jews could not prove anything. Paul was allowed to defend himself, once again. He denied that he had committed any offense either against the Jews or Caesar. Paul maintained that the trial was taking place where it should-in the Roman courts. Paul declared that he was willing to face punishment if he had, in fact, committed a crime. But, he added, if the charges against him are false, then even Festus did not have the authority to hand him over to the Jews. Then, in a bold, but legal move, Paul appealed to Caesar.

03. The Interest of King Agrippa (vv. 13-27)

Under this third point, we are introduced to King Herod Agrippa. After Festus told him about Paul, the king requested an opportunity to interview the apostle. King Agrippa had a much greater familiarity with Jewish laws and customs than Festus. He arrived at just the right time to help Festus determine what is to be said to Caesar when Paul is transported to Rome.

END OF REVIEW

We come now to Paul's final public appearance in Caesarea. This time, as we know, Paul is speaking before King Herod Agrippa. Except for a couple of responses from the officials, this entire chapter is taken up with Paul's speech before Agrippa. We'll break it into three topics covered by Paul: his background, his conversion, and his hope.

01. Paul's Background (vv. 1-11)

26:1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.”Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: 2 “In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; 3 especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. 6 And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; 7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. 8 Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? 9 So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.”

It appears that this meeting was designed to accomplish one goal only, which was to hear from Paul. On this occasion, the Jews do not repeat their charges; Paul speaks at length himself with, as I mentioned before, only brief interaction with the officials. This is an unusual opportunity for Paul and it indicates a degree of sympathy, I think, on the part of the king. Paul is given as much time as he would like to explain his situation. Therefore, once he is permitted to speak, Paul addresses the king in a polite manner (vv. 1-3). He recognizes that the king is more likely to have an appreciation for his conflict with the Jews than Festus. Being the governor of Judea, Herod had extensive knowledge of Jewish laws and practices.

This is one of Paul's most personal speeches. He addresses the king by name and makes direct appeals to Herod. He begins, for example, with an appeal for patience as he rehearses, at some length, how he came to be in this present situation. Following this appeal, the apostle gives an overview of his background. He touches on a theme mentioned previously, namely, that the Jews who are so opposed to him know very well that he was raised in the strictest of traditions; they know that he was faithful to all laws and customs, which makes their outlandish charges even weaker (vv. 4, 5). Why, then, would the Jews be so angry with Paul? Why would they be so bloodthirsty? Why would they have pursued him for over two years at this point? After all, Paul insists, “I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers…”(v. 6).

Paul is implying that he is being persecuted for believing what the Jews embrace themselves-that is, the promise of a future blessing from God in connection with the coming of the Messiah. This promise, Paul says, is known to all the tribes of Israel and it is the hope shared by all Jews. All who are serving God are looking forward to the fulfillment of God's promise of blessing in the Messiah. For this hope, Paul states to the king, “I am being accused by the Jews.”(v. 7) It's apparent that Paul wishes to emphasize the irony of this circumstance. He was raised in the Jewish tradition-the strictest of traditions, as I noted-and he has embraced what every Jew embraces, which is the promise made to the patriarchs of a coming day of favor from God. And now, oddly enough, he is on trial for that belief; he is on trial for holding the hope held by all his pious countrymen.

The big point of difference, as Paul goes on to indicate in v. 8, is that Paul believes this promise has come to pass and believes that the promise centers on the crucified Jesus of Nazareth. His preaching about the resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of Paul's troubles with the Jews, as we have learned from previous passages. That this same topic is on Paul's mind now and is the issue he is referring to when he speaks about the “promise”made to the Jews is evident when Paul asks that rhetorical question: “Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?”This is a question that seems somewhat out of place unless you realize that when Paul talks about “the promise,”he is referring to God's promise to send a Messiah.

Verses 6-8 seem to be parenthetical. Paul was speaking of his strict upbringing in Judaism and then abruptly mentioned that he was on trial for believing what Jews are supposed to believe; and now he returns to the former line of thinking when he mentions that he persecuted those connected to Jesus the Nazarene believing that they were a threat to true religion (v. 9). Paul goes on to rehearse his former practice-he locked up many Christians and cast his vote in favor of executing some (v. 10). Paul went into the synagogues, he testifies, and sought by force to dissuade those who believed in Jesus as the Messiah (v. 11). The apostle reveals here the level of brutality which he employed at times. He was relentless and pursued believers from Jerusalem to “foreign cities”all the while doing so with the authority of the chief priests and in the name of Judaism.

Once again, Paul is highlighting his past to set up a sharp contrast to what is about to be said. He underscores his dedication to Judaism in order to make his conversion to Christianity even more shocking. He is leading this audience, as he has done previously, to consider the question of what must have happened to him to get him to become a promoter of that which he previously tried to destroy.

02. Paul's Conversion (vv. 12-21)

With the background just supplied, Paul speaks next of his dramatic experience on the road to Damascus and subsequent events. In vv. 12-15, Paul includes all the information with which we are familiar-he was on his way to persecute Christians when a light brighter than the sun blinded him and his traveling companions. Falling to the ground, Paul relates, he heard the Lord speaking and then received a commission from the Savior:

16 “'… for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'”

Paul's commissioning consists of two chief duties, according to vv. 16 and 17. He will be “a minister and a witness”concerning things that will be revealed to him by the risen Savior; and he will have a specific ministry to the Gentiles. The word translated “rescuing”(exaireo) has caused some interpretive debate. This is a word which means “to pluck out, to choose out for one's self, to select one person from among many, to deliver.”Given the primary meanings of this term, some interpreters have suggested that Jesus was indicating that He had selected Paul from among the Jewish people to be a minister to the Gentiles. In this case, Paul's particular selection from among all the Jews would be emphasized.

The problem with this interpretation, as I see it, is twofold. First, by rendering the word “choosing”or “selecting,”you are left with a sentence that does not make sense: “choosing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles…”Paul was a Jew only, not a Jew and a Gentile, which would be impossible. Second, the word is always translated “rescue”in all other New Testament uses-the only exception being the Lord's instruction to “pluck out”the offending eye in Matt. 5 and 18. The best interpretation, then, seems to be the one reflected in the NASB and most English translations. The risen Christ told Paul he would be rescued from Jewish and Gentile enemies.

The ministry which Paul would have among the Gentiles was specified, according to this testimony before King Agrippa. Paul would be the one bringing information to the Gentiles which would result in their spiritual enlightenment and deliverance (v. 18). Jesus described this ministry as turning “from darkness to light and from the domination of Satan to God.”The Savior used familiar Biblical descriptions to explain what role Paul would play in preaching to the Gentiles. He would be the one who would give them the information necessary to escape spiritual ignorance and come to know the true God. He would tell them information which would break the hold of Satan and allow the Gentiles to know the true God in salvation.

After this brief report on the Damascus Road encounter, Paul address the king:

19 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 21 For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.”

Paul expects the king to see the logic in obeying a heavenly vision (v. 19). If the king believes Paul, then he would have to agree that a man does not ignore such a divine encounter. Paul doesn't wait to hear the king agree or disagree; he explains quickly that he had only been following the Lord's instructions since that time. He had preached repentance and reconciliation throughout the region to Jew and Gentile alike (v. 20). This was his assigned mission and the apostle stresses to the king that he fulfilled it faithfully. It was the faithfulness on his part, however, that Paul said was at the heart of his present circumstance. Because he called upon Jews and Gentiles to repent and engage in deeds honoring to God, he was seized in the temple and threatened with death (v. 21).

Paul establishes an important connection in these few words. It is a connection between the treatment he had received and the mission assigned to him by God through Christ. Paul previously testified regarding his loyalty to Judaism and his zeal for persecuting those thought to be, at the time, enemies of the truth faith. Only a divine encounter, only an order directly from heaven could have changed Paul's attitude and direction. This is what he wants the king and others to understand. If he is now calling the Jews to repentance and if he is now preaching to the Gentiles and telling them that God desires their repentance and reconciliation, too, then it is because this is what he was ordered to do. So, to oppose him is to oppose God. As the Jews harassed Paul, they were, in essence, warring with God who chose Paul and, in the words of the risen Savior, commissioned him.

03. Paul's Hope (vv. 22-32)

22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.”25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. 26 For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.”28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”29 And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”30 The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, “This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment.”32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Paul continues to speak and mentions again that he was simply testifying to what God had previously revealed through the Prophets and Moses. In those portions of Scripture, Paul states, God revealed what He planned to do in sending a Savior (vv. 22, 23). The Christ was to suffer, Paul notes, which was an idea unacceptable to the rabbis. They did not conceive of the Messiah as a suffering Servant as He is described in Isa. 53, for example. Moreover, notice how the resurrection of Christ is key to Paul's explanation here: “by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”The resurrection of Christ signaled a victory. As the first born from the dead, as Paul calls the Savior in another place, Christ rose with news of His triumph over death which was, by way of implication, a triumph over the sin which enslaved the human race. The resurrection was crucial in this equation. Without the resurrection, following His suffering and crucifixion, there would be no victory attached to the work of Jesus Christ. But, because He conquered death, Jesus is now about to bring light, that is, spiritual restoration, to those previously stumbling around in the darkness of sin.

All this talk about a Christ who suffered and rose from the dead finally results in a response from Festus (v. 24). No one had spoken up to this point, but Festus cannot help himself. He finds Paul's words impossible to believe. Notice that Luke says Festus interrupted Paul's speech “in a loud voice”and accused Paul of being out of his mind. The word translated “out of your mind”(mainomai) refers specifically to speech which indicates that the speaker is mad or insane. It definitely was Paul's words which caused this reaction from Festus. The governor heard things he had never heard before and these were things which sounded strange to him-they should not have sounded strange to the Jews, but did understandably sound odd to the pagan Festus. The governor concludes that Paul has studied so much, he has gone over the edge.

Paul's response is quick and pointed: “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.”(v. 25) The comment from Festus was condescending and it revealed his own ignorance, not Paul's lack of mental clarity. But this is precisely the kind of reception the Jews were hoping Paul would have from those in authority. This comment from the governor must have bolstered the Jews in their hope to silence the apostle. Paul's reply, however, was a respectful, but direct repudiation of the governor's opinion. Paul adds that King Agrippa is familiar with the things he is declaring (v. 26). The king had some understanding about Jewish doctrine, as has been indicated before. Therefore, Paul asks and answers an important question: “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.”(v. 27)

Agrippa was the first ruler before whom Paul appeared who had some knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures. Paul appeals to the kind's familiarity with the teaching of the Prophets, in particular. The apostle has just explained that the Prophets spoke of the Messiah and that Jesus was that Messiah. So, his question to the king is loaded with significance. If the king answered “yes, I believe the Prophets,”he would appear to be agreeing with Paul's interpretation, which would, of course, set him in opposition to the Jews. If he said “no, I do not believe the Prophets,”then that would not go over well with the Jews at all. Paul really puts the king on the spot with that question. Agrippa, however, provides an answer with is not really an answer: “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”(v. 28)

This translation is not the best. Agrippa is not confessing that he's almost persuaded of the truth of Paul's position. Among the leading English translations, the one found in the NIV seems best: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”But this translation, too, is not entirely satisfactory. The king's response may have meant that Paul was expecting too much too soon; that is, Agrippa may have been saying that if Paul expected to make a convert out of him with so few words or in such a short time, he was mistaken. Whatever the case, it does not appear that the king was ridiculing Paul or seeking to make a joke.

Paul, however, seizes on the king's answer and expresses his wish that all who hear him might respond by believing his words (v. 29). This was Paul's hope. He is giving his life to the proclamation that Jesus is the promised Messiah, that Jesus the resurrected Savior is now bringing saving light to the whole world. Paul's greatest joy was in seeing sinners response in grateful belief to what was done for them by the Savior. In this regard, we know that Paul's sufferings mattered little and Paul's imprisonment mattered little; what he wanted to see was belief-people hearing and believing his message. That, again, was his hope. Since this was his hope, the hardships he endured were of little consequence. In terms of importance, Paul's difficulties ranked far, far behind what he expresses here, which is the hope that all who heard him would come to share his understanding of the great work God had done for the fallen human race.

Following that exchange, this appearance before King Agrippa ends. Luke writes that the dignitaries exited remarking that Paul certainly was not guilty of anything requiring death or imprisonment (vv. 30, 31). The appeal to Caesar, however, was binding in Roman law. Since Paul had made such a legal maneuver, Festus had no choice but to send Paul to Rome. The king voices this opinion when he says to Festus: “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(v. 32)

This last section illustrates something I noted earlier, namely, that this is a very personal speech by Paul. You can sense the pleading in his voice as he speaks to the king and Festus. Paul wanted nothing more, as I noted, than to be believed because he knew that belief of his message meant reconciliation with God-for Jews and Gentiles.

Application

I'll close by offering five points of application based on this text. First, and this is just a brief reminder, notice that part of Paul's speech underscores the consistency of the Bible's primary message. Paul said: “… I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by the Jews.”(vv. 6, 7) And later, he said: “… having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place…”

In every age, the Church must be reminded that the message of Scripture is one. From the beginning to the end, the primary declaration of the Bible is Jesus Christ-He was promised at the time of our fall, prefigured in types and sacrifices and described in detail by the prophets. What we know as the New Testament is the record of His coming, the record of His work, the record of His fulfillment of that promise and those types and those descriptions. God promised and God fulfilled. We needed a Savior and a Savior came. Paul was right, his enemies were wrong.

Second, this passage illustrates the vivid contrast between unbelief and belief. In verse 18, Paul quotes Jesus as saying that the apostle's mission was to “open the eyes”of the Gentiles “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God …”The Bible uses stark terms like “darkness”and “light”to describe the relative spiritual conditions and abilities of the unregenerate and the regenerate. It uses phrases like “dominion of Satan”and “kingdom of God”to describe the realms in which all live. The Bible uses such contrasting terms to emphasize the vast difference between one who remains in a state of condemnation and one who has been freed from that state by believing in Christ as Savior.

The lesson here is for us to remember that these two spiritual states are absolutely incompatible; there is no overlapping of the two. One is the state of condemnation before God, helplessness and hopelessness; the other is the state of acceptance before God, forgiveness and eternal life. The difference, of course, is Jesus Christ. Whatever we think of these two conditions, let's not forget that the way from the one to the other is Christ and Christ alone. The sinner does not work his way out of Satan's dominion into God's kingdom. The sinner must be translated, the Scripture says, from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. That is accomplished when the sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior of sinners. That is accomplished when the sinner, by God's grace, has his sin imputed to Christ and Christ's righteousness imputed to him. This doctrine of imputation is not as well known these days as it should be. But this is the only explanation which the Bible provides to explain how the guilty sinner is able to stand before a holy God and know the favor of God instead of the consuming wrath.

Third, this experience of Paul is a reminder that even when we are found right in the center of God's will, as it were, that does not mean we are going to experience a tranquil life. While speaking to King Agrippa, Paul noted that he was only preaching what the Jewish Scriptures promised. “For this reason,”he added, “some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.”Was Paul doing God's will when this happened? Was Paul where he should have been when this opposition arose? Was Paul walking with God in faith and trust when this great trial unfolded?

Some have the mistaken impression that doing the will of God, when it is known, leads to a tranquil life. We forget that we are still sinners and there is still much about us that needs to be changed; there is still much sin in us that remains to be overcome; there are still numerous lessons for us to learn. Just because we are found walking rightly before God, to a degree, does not mean we can expect never again to face some difficult and troubling circumstance. If we think that a well-ordered life means that God will let us go on our way while He deals with “that guy over there”who doesn't do things the way we do and who doesn't yet hold the convictions we hold, then we are foolish. Not only is that a foolish point of view, but if we think like that, we can find ourselves very surprised when we experience some testing even though, as far as we know, we are doing God's will.

We need to understand that no matter how far we think we have progressed, there is much work that remains to be done in us. In fact, if we were not in Christ right now, we would still be offensive in the eyes of God no matter how much progress we've made, no matter how well-ordered our lives are. That goes for every person here today. That should humble you. Think of it like this: the more perfectly you live your life, the more perfectly you get your family in order, the more humble you should be because no matter how much progress you make, you are still a sinner saved only by the blood of Jesus Christ and nothing else. So, if God desired, He could, at any moment of your well-ordered life, remind you that you are still a sinner saved by grace.

Fourth, the interruption of Festus as Paul spoke is a timely reminder of how Biblical teaching sounds to the unbeliever. Biblical doctrine sounds like madness to him. This is what Festus said to Paul. He listened to the apostle talk about Prophets and Moses, a Messiah, the resurrection, reconciliation to God, and concluded that Paul was out of his mind! In this case, the reply of Festus is a reminder that understanding spiritual things requires an ability which is not found in fallen man. It is an ability which the Holy Spirit imparts. Nothing confirms the Bible's teaching of man's deadness in sin like man's inability to understand even the simplest spiritual concepts. This one brief interaction between Paul and Festus reminds us that it is not our efforts which provide understanding; it is not a well-reasoned argument that wins the heart of the sinner. A sinner understands the things of God when the Spirit of God enables, and not before. In all our preparation and concern for the lost, our chief activity, therefore, should be prayer-prayer that God's Spirit would cause our efforts to be fruitful.

Fifth, there is an application to be made from the wish that Paul expressed when King Agrippa said: “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”Paul expressed his hope as it related to his labors as an apostle: “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”Paul's hope was that those who heard his message would believe and be saved. As you look at the life of the apostle, it's clear that this was a consuming desire. With all of his being, he wanted people to believe the gospel. That was his ultimate goal. There were, of course, many concerns that occupied Paul's attention, but his one, chief, overriding desire was to see people saved by believing the gospel.

What is your hope as it relates to the life you are living on this earth? What is it you want to see more than anything else? With all the concerns you have, is your chief desire to see sinners come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Is that really your ultimate goal as you interact with those around you? Is that what you want to see more than anything else? There are lots of things we can desire to see in this congregation, but our primary desire should be to see God bringing people to the faith through this ministry. We should be praying for that and equipping ourselves as a body for that development.

Conclusion

Much of what we have studied in the past three sermons as we've looked at Paul's time in Caesarea has centered around the simple truth of God's provision of a Savior in Jesus Christ. For Paul, that was what the Old Testament predicted and what was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus. That is the central issue of our faith and this sacrament portrays that truth to us each week.