Acts 25:13-22 – Festus consults King Agrippa

In verse 13 we are told that King Agrippa and Bernice visited Festus. The reason for their visit was very likely to foster relationship with the governor to ensure his position. Agrippa’s position was dependent on the favor of the Roman emperor. Hence, it was not unusual for him to seek out Festus, the Roman governor, to nurture the favor.

Here Luke was referring to King Agrippa II, the great grandson of Herod the great. His father King Agrippa I was the one who was struck dead by the angel in Acts 12:23. At the time of his father’s death, Agrippa II was only 17 years of age and was considered too young to succeed as ruler over his father’s territory. However, in the process of time he was appointed king over various territories north of Judea by Claudius and Nero. And it was Claudius who made him the curator of the temple. With that appointment, he was given the right to appoint the high priest. In this visit to Festus, we are told that King Agrippa II was accompanied by his sister Bernice. She was the eldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I. This Bernice was purported to have an incestuous relationship with her brother when she came to live with him after the death of her husband.

While Festus paid his respect to the visiting king, he also seized the opportunity to consult him. He probably knew that Agrippa II had an interest in the religious matter of the Jews. Furthermore, he, Festus, did not have a clue as to what to do with Paul nor what to write to the emperor about the case. The visit in a sense was timely for Festus. It provided him with a potential solution to the problem he had at hand. Paul’s appeal to Caesar had left him in a quandary. He needed to explain to Caesar the charges that were brought against Paul. And he himself was not clear just what law did Paul violate. He must have felt that Agrippa with his knowledge about the Jewish religion would be able to help. So he explained that Paul was left in prison by Felix and how the chief priests wanted Paul’s execution. He had turned down their request because Paul, as a Roman citizen, had his right to a fair trial. Although the Jews had presented many charges against Paul, they were not able to prove anything worthy of a death sentence, as far as Festus was concerned. He added that what they disputed about was merely about their religion, particularly about Jesus whom Paul claimed had risen from the dead. Besides he had wanted Paul to be tried in Jerusalem, but the latter demanded to be heard by Caesar. On hearing Festus, Agrippa expressed willingness to hear Paul out. And Festus duly responded saying, “Tomorrow, you shall hear him.”

The way Festus conducted himself teaches us that when we dare not face up to the truth of a matter, we will end up facing a dilemma. Festus obviously knew the Jews had no case against Paul but he had no moral courage to state so. Hence, he found himself in a quandary. This could be true also concerning Biblical truth. If we don’t stand up to the truth that we know and to act upon it, we will end up in confusion and diluting our own belief.