13 And after certain days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cesarea, to salute Festus. 14 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: Rome, and the Jews cannot complain. All the Roman emperors at this time bore the title of Cæsar, which implied the same as emperor. Nero was Cæsar at this time, afterward the most bitter persecutor of the Christians, as well as otherwise a cruel and brutal monarch. 13. King Agrippa and Bernice] Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, mentioned in Acts xii, 1, and grandson of Herod the Great. At the time of the miserable death of his father in Cesarea, he was in Rome with the emperor Claudius, where he was receiving his education. He was greatly beloved by Claudius, who would have immediately given him the provinces ruled over by his father; but was dissuaded from his intention on account of the extreme youth of Agrippa, then only seventeen, and a procurator was sent in his stead. At the end of eight years Claudius bestowed upon him the government of the provinces of Gaulonitis, Trachonitis, Batanea, Paneas, and Abilene, while the rest of his father's kingdom―Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and Peraa-was still governed by a Roman procurator. Nero, who succeeded Claudius, was also a friend of Agrippa, and added a portion of Galilee to his territory. It was for his interest to be on friendly terms with the Roman procurator of the adjoining provinces; and hence this visit to Festus, the new governor. Agrippa was much beloved by the Jewish nation, and used all his influence to assuage their civil dissensions, and to avert the impending danger that overhung them, but in vain. After the destruction of Jerusalem he retired with Bernice, his sister, to Rome, and died in that city at the advanced age of seventy years. Bernice] Was the sister of Agrippa and Drusilla, wife of Felix, and at a very early age became the wife of her uncle Herod, of Chalcis. Upon his death, she married the king of Pontus; but did not live with him any length of time. She was a woman of great beauty, influence, and wealth; but, like her sister, of an exceedingly questionable character. After leaving her second husband, she resided, and it is supposed criminally, with her brother Agrippa, and afterward with Titus, the Roman emperor. To salute Festus] To pay their respects to him. 14. Declared Paul's cause] That is, related the circumstances connected with his case. This was partly out of respect to Agrippa, who was a Jew, and it may have been partly to obtain his opinion 15 About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. 16 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 license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17 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; 18 Against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: 19 But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 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. concerning the religious views involved in the charge against him, as Agrippa would be likely to be familiar with them. 15. Desiring to have judgment against him] Desiring to have him given up for condemnation and death; the Jews had not power of themselves to administer such a sentence. 16. Have license to answer for himself] Have an opportunity to defend himself. 18. Brought none accusation of such things as I supposed] He had thought him guilty of some criminal act against the Jewish law or the Roman statutes; some atrocious crime, as his accusers were so bitter against him. 19. Of their own superstition] The word usually denotes the worship of demons, and, hence, vain and foolish fancies; but here it is used in a good sense, as in Acts xvii, 22, meaning, Of their own peculiar religious views, as Festus was too much of a gentleman to speak of the religion of his guest Agrippa as a superstition. Of one Jesus, which was dead] Being a Roman, and not long in Judea, and also an idolater, he had heard but little of Jesus Christ, and knew less of his character and doctrines. He speaks of him as of any stranger whose name may have come under his notice. Of his resurrection, Festus seems neither to have known or cared. 66 20. Because I doubted of such manner of questions] Whether they should come properly before his tribunal. Here," observes Beza, as quoted by Bloomfield, "Festus dissembles his offense, yet convicts himself; for why did he not acquit an accused person, against whom nothing had been proved? For the same reason that he wished to 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 Cæsar. 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 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. 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. 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. 26 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. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. have him removed for trial to Jerusalem; namely, to gratify the Jews." 21. Hearing of Augustus] This name also, as well as Cæsar, the Roman emperors bore; it signifying, august, venerable-a title of respect. 23. Great pomp] Great display, great splendor in attire and retinue. Into the place of hearing] The judgment-hall, where the trials were held; or an audience-chamber in the palace of Festus. 24. Have dealt with me] "Have made urgent application to me." 26. Unto my lord] "To my sovereign." As he could find nothing against him, he had no proper charge to send with him to Rome, to the emperor. He desires Agrippa, whose Jewish descent and education would fit him for the task, to examine him, and find out his peculiar sin against the Hebrew law, if he had committed any. CHAPTER XXVI. 1. Paul's defense before Agrippa. 12. Describes his conversion. 28. Agrippa greatly affected. 31. The whole company pronounce him innocent. THEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and an-, swered for himself. 2 I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3 Especially, because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews, 5 Which knew me from the beginning, (if they would testify,) that after the most straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: 1. Stretched forth the hand] A graceful and common manner among the ancients of signifying that they were about to speak, or of commencing their speech. Answered for himself] Made his defense. 2. I think myself happy] Who can refrain from admiring the manly dignity and peculiar beauty of the commencement of this oration! The whole defense is a model of its kind. Says Dr. S. Clarke,— "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." 3. Because I know thee to be expert] Well-educated in—familiar with. This was not flattery, but the truth, as he was a Jew by birth, and had been taught the customs and doctrines of his nation by his father. Customs and questions] Ceremonials, and religious opinions. 5. After the most straitest sect of our religion] After the strictest sect, that is, the Pharisees, who were reputed to be peculiarly rigid in their attention to the law. "This 6. For the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers] was the promise of the Messiah, to the fulfillment of which promise all the twelve tribes hoped to attain. Acts xiii, 32, 33. But as it included the promise of a resurrection of the dead, by the means of the Messiah, as it was proved to have been fulfilled in Christ by his rising from the grave, and as Christ's rising again was the pledge 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. and demonstration of our resurrection, St. Paul, in Acts xxiii, 6, says that he was called in question for the hope of the resurrection of the dead."-HOLDEN. 7. Unto which promise] Unto its fulfillment. Our twelve tribes] Signifying, figuratively, the Jewish nation, formerly consisting of twelve tribes, but scattered long before this by invasions and captivities, so that the division into tribes was nearly lost. Instantly serving God day and night] Zealously attending to the Mosaic ordinances, with unwearied zeal and devotion. For which hope's sake] On account of teaching that this expectation of the patriarchs and prophets of the Jewish nation was fulfilled in Christ; the hope, by a figure of rhetoric, being put for the object hoped for. Christ was the hope of the nation. Paul preached that Jesus was the Christ; and for this he was now accused by the Jews. 8. Why—thought a thing incredible] Or, as it may be rendered, "What! is it thought incredible that God should raise the dead?" As if he had said, while insisting upon the resurrection of Christ as proving his Messiahship, "You will not deny that God can raise the dead; why, then, is it incredible to you, or why do you doubt the well-attested resurrection of Jesus, proving him to be the Messiah?" The apostle then proceeds to show the strong personal reason for his belief in the resurrection of Jesus, and for his faith in his Messiahship. He had been a persecuting opponent, but had been convinced by surprising miracles. 9. I verily thought with myself] Was self-persuaded; I conceived it to be my duty; I was conscientious in my opposition to Jesus of Nazareth. Contrary to the name of Jesus] In opposition to the doctrines of Jesus. 10. Many of the saints] Of the disciples-Christians—often called saints in Scripture. Acts ix, 13. We have only the account of Stephen's death given; but undoubtedly there were others, and Stephen's was particularly mentioned, as perhaps the first, and most |