The Book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles

(25:13-27)

A few days later, King Herod Agrippa II arrived in Caesarea to congratulate Festus on his assumption of office with his sister Bernice, or Veronica (according to Vernicius).

This was the last king of the Herodian family with whom this reigning house ended. He was the son of Herod Agrippa I (see Chapter 12), the great-grandson of Herod the Great, the brother of Drusilla, the wife of the former procurator Felix. He was brought up at the court of the Romans. Uk. Claudius, who shortly after the death of his father gave him the possession of Chalcis in Syria, and 4 years later (about 53 A.D.) the entire former tetrarchy of Philip and the tetrarchy of Lysanias, with the title of king and the authority to have the care and supervision of the temple in Jerusalem (under him the construction of the entire temple was completed) and to elect the high priests of Jerusalem. Bernice was his own sister, who was first married to her uncle Herod, then after his death lived in lawless relations with her brother Herod Agrippa II, then married the Cilician king Polemon, and afterwards was in contact with Vespasian and Titus. Since Agrippa was in vassal relations with Rome, he therefore considered it his duty to congratulate the new procurator.

Considering Agrippa to be versed in all Jewish affairs, Festus explained to him in detail the whole affair of Paul. The story of Festus aroused in Agrippa a desire to see and hear such a prisoner, against whom the Jews were so armed, and whom, however, the procurator found innocent. It is very probable that Agrippa had heard something about the Apostle before, and had certainly heard about Christianity, as well as Bernicus, and now they were glad to see and hear one of the most important preachers of Christianity. The wish of the distinguished guest was fulfilled the very next day. Agrippa and Bernice entered the court with royal pomp with the commanders of the thousand and the noblest citizens. In Caesarea, as the residence of the procurator, there were five cohorts of the Roman army, and, consequently, five thousand commanders. In general, this assembly was very brilliant and numerous, and to this brilliant assembly, consisting of representatives of the military and civil departments of Caesarea with the king and his sister and governor of the province, the holy Apostle Paul was brought in chains (26:29).

Presenting the prisoner to the assembly, the governor also set forth the motive: from the accusations brought against Paul, he was convinced that according to Roman law he was not subject to the death penalty, but he could not form a correct judgment about the matter, and therefore he would like to hear the opinion of those present, and especially of King Agrippa, as he was familiar with the local institutions and customs of the country, so that he would have something to write about the prisoner to the Emperor, that is, to the Emperor Nero.

Chapter Twenty-Six

The defense of the holy Apostle Paul before Agrippa, Festus and others, with an account of the circumstances of his life and conversion to Christ (1-29). The opinion of Agrippa and those present about the case of Paul: the recognition of him as innocent (30-32).

The Apostle Paul Tells About His Conversion to Christ

(26:1-29)

Agrippa, as king and guest of honor of the procurator, presides over the assembly, opening and ending it, but, as he was brought up at the Roman court, when he opened the assembly by allowing Paul to make a defense speech, he did not say, "I command," but, "It is permitted to you," out of courtesy to the Roman governor of the province.

Then Paul, stretching out his hand, not as a sign of silence (as in 12:17 [112] and 13:16 [113]), but for the sake of the solemnity of the moment and the solemnity of the speech, began to speak. The Apostle's speech is remarkable in that it is directed not so much to personal self-defense as to the defense of his cause – the preaching of Christianity, to which he is called. Therefore, the tone of speech is joyful, enthusiastic, victorious. This was the last solemn witness of the holy Apostle Paul about Christ on the sacred soil of Palestine, pronounced before eminent representatives of Judaism and paganism, who were destined in time to form a single flock under the leadership of the One Shepherd.

The Apostle begins his speech by addressing the king with the same dignity with which he had addressed Felix shortly before. He expresses his joy at having the opportunity to defend his cause before a king, and before a king who knows all the customs and controversial opinions of the Jews, and consequently can judge better than others, including the procurator, of his innocence of the crimes of which the Jews accuse him, considering him worthy of death.

In fact, the Apostle begins his speech in defense of himself with a reference to the testimony of those who knew him even before his conversion to Christianity. He points out that from the earliest years of his youth he was brought up not in Tarsus, where he was born, but in Jerusalem, where he was probably brought as a boy to learn the law of God. He lived like a Pharisee, in full accordance with the requirements of this strict, conservative sect of Judaism.

Then the Apostle passes on to his present position as a prisoner, and says that they do not want to judge and put him to death for betraying his former convictions, but solely for the hope he has in common with all the Jews for the Messianic kingdom, promised by God to the ancestors of the Jews and awaited by all the people. The Jews were especially irritated by the fact that the Apostle based his preaching on the already coming kingdom of the Messiah on the teaching of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, which is why he says: "Do you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?"