APPEALING TO A HIGHER POWER (PART 8)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.”

“I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

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 to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”

Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Acts 26:24-32

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Why did Paul have to appeal to Caesar?

It ended up being a question that raged through the minds of the Roman king Agrippa and his Roman governor host in the aftermath of the special hearing called for by Agrippa in the audience room of Festus.

Expecting a defense of the accusations waged by the Jerusalem Jewish religious leaders, the king, governor, and all gathered with them instead got a full blown Christian testimony as Paul detailed who he used to be (a persecutor and killer of Christians), the event that changed everything for him (the encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus), and how his life course was altered forever as he chose to follow and obey Jesus, sharing the good news of forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life from God given through His Son.

In fact, rather than rail against his Jewish accusers, Paul actually showed his relation to them, explaining that he was not only a Jewish Pharisee at one time but also that he believed in the words of the prophets and Moses who predicted Jesus, the predicted Messiah, would die and then be brought back to life again. In other words, the Jewish religious leaders were still like Paul was before coming to Jesus and he had done nothing wrong except alter his life to conform to what God wanted from him.

Going to our scripture passage for today, we find two very different reactions from the two main receivers of Paul’s testimony: Festus and Agrippa.

First, we see where Festus believes that Paul is just out-of-his mind crazy. He tells Paul:

“You are out of your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane.”

Here was our first real sign that Festus had no connection to God. If he had, then he wouldn’t have viewed Paul’s testimony as crazy talk. It took Paul to tell him that as he replied:

“I am not insane, most excellent Festus. What I am saying is true and reasonable. The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

Festus might not have been wise about the Jews and their beliefs and practices but Agrippa was and Paul knew it. And so we find him challenging the king, asking whether or not he “believed the prophets” for if he did, then he would know of the predictions about the coming Messiah and therefore see that Paul’s testimony had credibility.

I find it interesting how Agrippa uses a classic strategy of deflection in responding to Paul, answering the apostle’s question with one of his own:

“Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

Note the striking contrast between the Roman governor Festus and the Roman king Agrippa. The former viewed Paul’s address as lunacy while the former was moved by the apostle to at least consider that becoming a Christian was a possibility for him. Paul’s testimony obviously had an impact on Agrippa.

Back to the scriptures where Agrippa had asked Paul a question, one that Paul replied to saying:

“Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”

Do you feel the caring Paul has for not only Agrippa but the entire audience who heard him?

For he didn’t care how long it took, short or long, for someone to accept Jesus as Savior. He only wished it would happen so they could experience the eternal hope and peace he had found through Christ.

How did Agrippa respond to Paul’s answer?

The scriptures tell us he didn’t say anything. Instead, he rose and everyone else stood before leaving the room to discuss what had just happened. Immediately, all the conversation was in regard to Paul’s innocence. He was not only a Jew but a Roman citizen, held captive in chains for no good reason.

But they couldn’t release him for Paul had appealed to speak to Caesar and his request had to be honored by Roman law.

And that where we end this eight devotion series and Acts 26. We only have two chapters left in this book and we will see what happens with Jesus’ special apostle as he makes the journey from Caesarea to Rome and his audience with Caesar where he would tell his testimony, just as God had intended.

In other words, it was the will of the highest power, God, for Paul to appeal to the highest worldly Roman power Caesar.

Why?

I’m betting it was something connected to the Emperor hearing the Gospel himself first-hand, something Paul was very adept at through his testimony. That testimony certainly made an impact on the Roman king Agrippa, that's for sure

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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