The Yale expositor., 1909-10-22
Paul Before Festus
and Agrippa
Sunday School Lessen for Oct. "a. 1909
Specially Arranged for This Paper

| nave believed, and am persuaded that he
is able TO keep that which / have COM
mitted unto him against that day.
Tim. 1:12.
| TIME.-Autumn OF A. ID. 50 or in 60.
| PLACE.-Cesarea, the Roman capital OF
Palestine. Herod Agrippa H.. was king
OF the regions north of the Sea OF Gall
lee with his capital at Cesarea Philippi.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
Three ways of treating the gospel:
Exemplifed by three representative
men-the Apostle Paul; the Roman
Governor Festus King Herod Agrippa
| Ii.
Preliminary Events. An Interesting
Story.-Acts 25:1-12. First. The new
governor. At the close of two years
in prison under Felix, there was a
change OF governors. and Porcius Fes-
tus entered upon his duties.
We know nothing concerning him ex-
cept from the Acts and Josephus. 20
sephus tells us that he governed his
stormy province with a wise, firm rule,
putting. down the Sicarii (assassins),
and other predatory companies, who
were then harassing Judea. He finds
no fault with Festus."
Second The Plot to Take Paul's
Life.-The first thing the new govern
or did after landing at Caesera was to
go up to Jerusalem, the Jewish capital,
where were centered the most difficult
persons and questions with which his
administration would have to do.
The Jewish rulers devised an inge-
nious plot to obtain possession of Paul
They poured into the ears of the new
governor all the charges Tertullus had
brought against Paul, and these
charges were chiefly for breaking the
Jewish law. On the way from Caesera
to Jerusalem they proposed to assas-
sinate Paul, just as they had hoped to
do two years before, but now with
much better chances than before of
accomplishing their purpose.
Third. The Appeal to Caesar.-On
returning to Cesarea. accompanied by
the Jewish rulers, Governor Festus
summoned Paul into court where they
emphasized these ". y many and
grievous complaints" and asked Paul
If he were willing to go up to Jerusa-
lem for his trial.
Paul stood up "four square to all
the winds that blow" for his rights as
Roman citizen. His Independent
manhood speaks out: 81 defy their
charges; l will not go to Jerusalem to
be tried by my enemies; / appeal
unto Caesar"
l. Pauls Discourse Before King
Agrippa; Revealing How He Treated
Jesus Christ and His Gospel.-Acts %:
13-26:23. The Royal Assemblage.-
King Herod Agrippa made a visit of
congratulation to Governor Festus.
With him came the beautiful and fas-
cinating Bernice, who was both his sis
ter and his illegal wife. She was also
the sister of Drusilla the wife of Felix,
and a dissolute.
Festus was puzzled to know what
charges to send with Paul to Rome.
For Paul was no such criminal as
the Jews tried to make him out He
had broken no Roman law. Hence he
asked Agrippa, who was Jew, to
help him out of this dilemma.
PauPs strongest argument was the
fact that he ". 19) was not disobe-
dient unto the heavenly vision" but
he practiced what he believed. and
gave his whole life, amid labors and
perils and weariDess, in hunger and
thirst, and cold and nakedness, perse-
cution, stonings, stripes above meas.
ure, shipwrecks and painfulness G
Cor. III, to urging Jews and Gentiles
to w. 20) repent and turn to God, and
do works meet for repentance" as he
himself had done.
The charges against Paul were false.
For the Jews (v 2D were about to
kill him because he proclaimed the
very Messiah they were expecting, the
fulfllment of their hopes.
%. Having therefore obtained help
of God" Help" in the Greek meant
originally an alliance against enemies,
such aid as a warrior receives from
auxiliary or allied forces. God was
Paul's powerful ally. Witnessing both
to small and great" referring to age.
rank, and position. Paul treated all
alike, rich and poor, learned and un-
learned, obscure and famous. despised
and honored. Saying none other
things etc.r
The Decision of the Court.-vs. 30
80. The court decided that Paul was
innocent, and might have been set at
liberty had he not appealed to Caesar;
but that the appeal must stand "The
whole process of two years and more,
at Jerusalem and Cesarea, ended in a
public and decisive acquittal. Claudius
Lysias. Festus and Agrippa, had each
declared him innocent; three times
was it publicly announced of the
apostle, as OF his Lord, that he had
done ". 81 nothing worthy of
death" But this decision was the
means of bringing him safely to Rome.
1t made a favorable impression on
the Roman officer who took him there,
and upon the Roman authorities after
his arrival.
Paul's Discourse.-Paul stretched
forth his hand, the common gesture
of an orator in opening his address.