Acts 25

Acts 25:13

Agrippa and Berenice coming to visit Festus, Paul is at their request brought forth to be examined before them, in a large assembly of persons of considerable rank and figure. Acts XXV. 13, to the end.

Acts XXV. 13. AND after certain days, King THUS Paul continued in confinement, by the order of Festus the governor, till an opportunity could be found of sending him to Rome, that he might there be tried by Cæsar.

We do not find, that Drusilla, [c.] to Bishop Atterbury, in his unequalled ser- For this excellent remark I am indebted mon on this subject.

Agrippa and Berenice pay a visit to Festus And when some days were passed after his appeal, King Agrippa, (the son of Herod Agrippa, and great grandson of Herod the Great,) who had considerable territories in that neighbourhood, and Berenice his sister, with whom he was suspected of living in an incestuous commerce, came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus, and to congratulate him on his arrival in the province. And as they continued there many days, Festus, among other subjects of discourse which occurred, laid before the king the business of Paul; saying, there is a certain man, whose name is Paul, left here in bonds by Felix, who has occasioned a great deal of speculation in these parts, and indeed involved me in some difficulties: Concerning whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews were very earnest in their applications to me, and informed [me] of him as a notorious criminal; desiring judgment against him for several facts which they laid to his charge, and pretended to be highly illegal. To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans, when a crime is charged upon a person, to give up any man to destruction (which I plainly perceived they intended to bring on this Paul) till he that is accused have the accusers openly produced, to give their evidence against him ace to face, and he have also liberty to speak, Agrippa.] The prince here men was the son of Herod Agrippa spoke, chap. xii. 1, (see note on that 166,) and grandson of Aristobulus of Herod the Great. As he was tenteen years of age when his father the emperor Claudius did not think to appoint him king of Judea in the of his father, but made it a Roman e; however, on the death of his Ierod, he made him king of Chalich, after he had governed it four he exchanged for a greater king, and gave him the tetracchies of Philip sanius, to which Nero afterwards part of Galilee, with several towns sea. Josephus speaks largely of a multitude of passages, the most al of which are collected by Dr. r, (Credib Book I. chap. 1 § 9, 46-50,) and Mr. Biscoe, (Boyle’s chap. ii. § 3, p. 49, 50.) b And Berenice his s incestuous commerce celebrated passage, seq.) as well as Jose cited below. It is c first been married to od king of Chalcis, a the report of her scand her brother Agrippa, king of Cilicia, who though he had submit obtain the alliance. (cap. 7, [al. 5,] § 3.) person, whom Titus ately loved, and wl made empress, had no Romans prevented it. cap. 7, cum Not. Piti lib. ii. cap. 2, & 81. c Have the accusers according to the Rom were not to be heard

s acquaints Agrippa with the case of Paul.

and be allowed an opportunity of making his defence as to the crime laid to his charge; which has so evident a foundation in reason and equity, that one would imagine it should be the common law and custom of all mankind. When therefore upon this they attended me from Jerusalem, and were come with me hither to prosecute him here, I without any delay sat down upon the tribunal, the very next day after my arrival, and commanded the man to be brought forth before me. Against whom, when the accusers stood up, and offered what they had to say, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed they would have done, from the general clamour they had made against him, as a seditious and dangerous person: But instead of this, they had certain matters of debate, or questions of a different nature, which they urged against him with great vehemence, relating to some niceties of their own religion; and particularly about one Jesus of Nazareth that was dead, whom Paul unaccountably affirmed to be alive; though at the same time he acknowledged that he had been crucified at Jerusalem, and expired on the cross. Of this he pretended to produce some extraordinary, and to me utterly incredible proofs: But as I was still dubious of the question relating to him, how far it might affect the state of the Jews in general, I said to Paul, that, if he were willing, he should go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me; where I thought I might have an opportunity of hearing the cause,

ceased person, Dr. Lardner has shewn, Credib. Book I. chap. 10, § 8, Vol. I. p. 515, 16 It evidently appears from hence, (as Beza well argues,) that the judgment they demanded against Paul, (ver. 15,) was not a trial, but a sentence upon a previous conviction, which they falsely and wickedly retended; and probably, it was the knowledge, which Festus had of Paul’s being a Roman citizen, that engaged him to determine to try the cause himself.

ᵃ Relating to their own religion.] As Agrippa was a Jew, and now came to pay a visit of respect to Festus on his arrival at his province, it is improbable, (whatever Beza insinuates to the contrary,) that he would

use so rude a word as superstition, so that this text affords a farther argument, that the word Σιωφάγωνις will admit a milder interpretation, like that given it above in the version of Acts xvii. 22. (See note on the text, p. 259.) And it is very remarkable not only that the Jewish religion is spoken of by this word in several edicts (reported by Josephus,) that were made in its favour, (Antiq. lib. xiv. cap. 10, [al. 17.] § 13, 14, 16, 18, 19;) but that Josephus himself uses it in the same sense too; Bell. Jud. lib. ii. cap. 9, [al. 8.] § 3; where he has the phrase το της Σιωφάγωνις ἔρχεται, to signify their invincible attachment to their religion. See Elsner, Observ. Vol. I. p. 476, 477.

Agrippa’s request Paul is produced that he might

and of examining into several particulars with great advantage. But Paul, apprehensive (as I plainly perceived) of some clandestine attempt upon his life, was so averse to this, that he immediately prevented any further thought of trying him at Jerusalem, by pleading his privilege as a Roman citizen, and appealing to be kept to the hearing of [our] august emperor himself; upon which I commanded him to be kept under confinement as before, till I could send him to Cæsar by some convenient opportunity.

Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I know this affair has made a great deal of noise in the world, and therefore should be glad of an opportunity of gratifying my curiosity with a more particular and authentic account of it; so that I also would desire to hear the man myself, that I may learn from his own mouth what it is that he maintains, and on what principles he proceeds. And Festus, who was willing to oblige the king in this respect as soon as possible, promised that he would order Paul to be produced, and said, Tomorrow thou shalt hear him, as largely as thou pleasest.

The next day therefore, king Agrippa and his sister Berenice coming with great pomp and splendor, and entering into the place of audience, with the tribunes and other officers of the Roman army, and likewise with the principal men of note and eminence in the city of Cæsarea, at the command of Festus the governor, Paul was brought forth.

And Festus opened the occasion of their meeting with a short speech, and said, O king Agrippa, and all ye who are present with us in this numerous and splendid assembly, ye see this man, Paul of Tarsus, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews have pleaded with me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out with the greatest

Our august emperor.] Since Augustus was not properly one of the names of Nero, (as it was of Titus,) I thought the import of Mæsar; here, which was plainly a complimental form of speaking, might be most justly expressed by this version.

I also would desire to hear the man myself.] No doubt but Agrippa had learnt from his father, by whom it is to be remembered, James had been put to death, and

Peter imprisoned, (Acts xii. 2, 3.) an from many others, something of the history and pretensions of Christianity; so that he would naturally have a curiosity to see and discourse with so eminent a Christian teacher as Paul was; who, on account of what he had been in his unconverted state, was to be sure more regarded and talked of among the Jews, than any other of the apostles.

pens the cause before a large assembly.

earnestness, that he was a man of the most infamous and mischievous character, and ought not to be suffered to live upon earth any longer. But for my own part, after the most diligent and impartial inquiry, I could not apprehend him to have done any thing worthy of death, or find that he was guilty of a breach of any of our laws; yet when I would have seen whether the Jews had any evidence at home to have supported any material charge against him, as he himself declined that trial to which I would have brought him at Jerusalem, and has appealed to the judgment of [our] august emperor, I have determined to send him to Rome to be heard by him. But the account I have received of him is so confused and inconsistent, that he is one concerning whom I have nothing certain to write to his imperial majesty. Wherefore I have this day brought him out before you all, and especially before thee, O king Agrippa, who art well acquainted with the Jewish customs, that after farther examination taken, I may have something more intelligible and more considerable to write, and may know better how to represent his cause. For it seems to me very absurd, as I doubt not but it will also appear to you, to send a prisoner to be tried before Cæsar, and not to signify also at the same time what are the crimes or causes of complaint [alleged] against him, on which the emperor may proceed in giving judgment on his case.

IMPROVEMENT.

MYSTERIOUS as that dispensation was which permitted Paul’s verse labours to be interrupted by so long an imprisonment, it is nevertheless very pleasant to trace the manner in which all was graciously overruled by a wise and kind Providence. On this occasion he had an opportunity of bearing his testimony, first before rulers and kings in Judea, and then in Rome, and in the 13-17 place of Cæsar.

None of the jewels which these princes might wear, none of the revenues which they might possess, were of any value at all, when compared with the advantage which their converse with Paul gave them, for learning the way of salvation: But how

To his imperial Majesty.] To xugæ empire; a title, by which it is well kno plainly signifies, To the great Lord of the the emperor was now often spoken of

Reflections on the conduct of Festus and Agrippa.

SECT. 16: shamefully was the advantage neglected, even the price which was put into their hands to get this divine wisdom, (Prov. xvii. verse 16:) Alas! how coldly do they speak of the most important matters, even those relating to the death and resurrection of him, by whose knowledge and grace alone hell was to be avoided and heaven secured! There was a question about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive: A doubtful question! But, 20 O Festus, why was it doubtful to thee? Surely, because thou didst not think it worth thy while seriously to search into the evidence that attended it; else that evidence had opened upon thee till it had grown into full conviction, and this thine illustrious prisoner had led thee into the glorious liberty of God’s children; had led thee to a throne far brighter than that of Cæsar, far more stable than the foundations of the earth. It is no wonder that Agrippa had a curiosity to hear Paul; it is no wonder that the gospel story in general should move curiosity; but God forbid that it should be considered merely as an amusement: In that view it is an amusement that will cost men 24-26 dear. In the mean time, the prudence of Festus is to be commended, who was desirous to get farther information in an affair of such a nature as this; and his equity, which bore a testimony to the innocence of the apostle, is worthy of applause; as well as the law which provided, that none should be condemned unheard: a law, which, as it is common to all nations, (courts of inquisition only excepted,) ought to be the rule of our proceeding in all affairs, not only in public, but private life; if we would avoid acting an injurious part in the censures we pass on the character of others, and exposing our own to the just reproach, which they seldom escape, who take upon them to judge a matter before they have heard it. (Prov. xviii. 13.)