Acts 25

Chap. XXVI. ver. 2. I think myself happy, &c.] In this speech of St. Paul before king Agrippa, giving an account of his conduct both before and after his conversion, we discover a character of wisdom, of moderation, and at the same time of ingenuity, steadiness, and courage, which very plainly denote the innocence and zeal of this Apostle. The mild and respectful, but, at the same time, frank and sincere manner, in which he spake upon this occasion, should teach us to answer always, as we are exhorted by St. Peter, with meekness and humility, those who require an account of our faith, and of the hope which is in us; and never to conceal or dissemble the truth. Osteroald. We here observe the beauty and force of the most persuasive eloquence, the sincerity of the Christian, and the authority and majesty of the Apostle. S. Clarke.

Acts 25:3

3.—to be expert in all customs &c.] Agrippa, as being a Jew, educated under his father, Herod Agrippa, who resided as king of Judea at Jerusalem, had now, by permission of the emperor, the direction of the sacred treasure, the government of the temple, and the right of nominating the high priest. Dr. Doddridge.

Acts 25:5

5.—after the most straitset sect] After the sect of our religion, the most rigid in points of faith, and most exact in the ceremonial duties, of all others. Pyle.

Acts 25:6

6. And now I stand and am judged &c.] And now the very point on which I am accused is no other than that great Divine promise made to Abraham and the Patriarchs; namely, the promise of Christ the Messiah and of our resurrection and future state, now proved and demonstrated by His rising from the dead. Pyle.

Acts 25:7

7. Unto which promise &c.] Which promise has ever been received by all Jews of right faith, and is the spring and foundation of all the worship they constantly pay to God. Pyle.

—our twelve tribes.] Although ten out of the twelve tribes never returned from the Babylonian cap-

tivity, yet there were a great number of individuals from those ten tribes who joined the two that returned. Beausole.

—For which hope’s sake,—I am accused &c.] Concerning which hope I am accused; that is, for saying that God hath raised up from the dead Jesus whom they have crucified, and that this Jesus is the hope of Israel, chap. xxviii. 20; some of them maintaining that there is no resurrection of the dead at all, and others denying that Christ is risen from the dead. Dr. Whitby.

In this passage we have the strength of the Apostle’s argument to prove the truth of the mysterious doctrine of the resurrection. He first shews that it was not a vain thing to believe this doctrine, because God had promised it, ver. 7. For no tradition of fathers, no conjectures of philosophers, no power of nature, could be a sufficient foundation to build such an article of faith upon; nothing short of the promise made by God. 2d, That it was not a new doctrine started by him to disturb and perplex the minds of men; it was a promise made to “our fathers,” that is, it was involved and implied in the great promise of the Messiah, and the happiness of the world to come by Him; the full and complete enjoyment of which happiness must suppose a resurrection from the dead. 3d, That it is not an unreasonable doctrine. “For why should it be thought a thing incredible with you,” &c. In this the Apostle has shewn us the true method of asserting and defending the mysteries of the Christian faith; namely, not by undertaking to demonstrate, by natural reason, things which are incapable of it; but by first proving them to be the subject of Divine revelation, and then shewing that there is no objection from reason, which can make that revelation incredible. Bp. Stillingfleet.

Acts 25:8

8.—incredible with you.] With you Jews; Agrippa, whom he addressed, being a Jew. Bp. Pearce.

Agrippa was an observer of the Mosaic law; and,

Acts 25:11

11. — no man may deliver me unto them.] The words translated “deliver me” properly signify, deliver me up to them by way of doing them a pleasure or favour. Bp. Pearce. The expression means, No man can justly deliver me unto them; not only as I am an innocent person, having done no wrong, ver. 10; but also, as being a Roman, who ought therefore to be judged, not by them, and according to their laws, but at the tribunal of Cesar, and by the Roman laws. Dr. Whitby.

— I appeal unto Cesar.] It was the right and privilege of every freeman of Rome, in a criminal cause, to appeal from the governing magistrate of the province to the emperor: the effect of which was, that the person who appealed was sent to Rome, and had his cause there tried by persons acting for that purpose under a commission from the emperor. Bp. Pearce.

The Roman emperors called themselves by the title of Cesar, whatever was their proper name: the emperor, to whom St. Paul appealed, was Nero. Bp. Mann.

Acts 25:12

12. — with the council.] It appears expressly from a passage in Cicero’s speech against Verres, that it was usual for the Roman presidents to have a council, consisting of their friends and other chief Romans in the province. Archdeacon Paley.

Acts 25:13

13. — king Agrippa and Bernice.] This Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, mentioned at chap. xii. 1. Upon the death of his father’s younger brother Herod, he succeeded him in the kingdom of Chalcis, by favour of the emperor Claudius. Claudius afterwards gave

him other dominions in Judea, to which Nero made further additions. Bernice was the sister of this Agrippa, and of Drusilla, mentioned at chap. xxiv. 24. Josephus says, that she was suspected of living in an incestuous intercourse with her brother Agrippa. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 25:19

19. — of their own superstition.] It was customary for heathens to speak of the Jewish religion by this name. Thus Quinctilian calls Moses the author of the Jewish superstition. Beamsobre. But probably no evil imputation is here intended by the name, and it should rather be rendered ‘religion,’ since Festus would scarcely speak with disrespect of Judaism, while he was addressing Agrippa a Jew. Abp. Newcome.

— of their own superstition, and of one Jesus.] Nothing could be more in the character of a Roman governor than these words. They also supply us with a proof of the fairness of the sacred writers. A dishonest narrator would not have represented his cause, or have made a great magistrate represent it, in such a manner as this; that is, in terms not a little disparaging, and bespeaking, on his part, much unconcern and indifference about the matter. Archdeacon Paley.

Acts 25:21

21. — unto the hearing of Augustus.] All the Roman emperors assumed the title of Augustus as well as that of Cesar. Bp. Pearce.

Acts 25:23

23. — into the place of hearing.] Probably some room in the palace of Festus, where he was wont to give audience. That which here passed was not a trial of St. Paul, for no Jews were present to accuse him, and he could not be tried any where but at Rome, after he had appealed unto Cesar. Bp. Pearce.