Sermon, 2/16/03 pm

Jim Huskey, Walking Through Acts # 32

When we last left Paul he was still a prisoner, Festus was governor and

the Jews had been pestering Festus to bring Paul to Jerusalem and he

wouldn't do that. So now King Agrippa and Bernice had come to visit

Festus. So now we have a step up - this is a king, not a governor.

After they had been there some time, Festus began to explain about this

man, Paul, who had been left a prisoner by Felix. He said when he

examined him he didn't find anything he figured he'd find, but Paul

appealed to Caesar so he didn't have anything to write. He had done

nothing worthy of bonds or death, but Festus didn't have a reason to

write in his letter when he sent him to Caesar. It didn't seem

reasonable to Festus to send a man to be tried without having a

reason for his being tried. So the time was set for Agrippa to hear

Paul.

Let's set the stage beginning in Acts 25:23. "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." Now this is

a pretty august body that Paul was now about to address. It's

interesting, the things he will have to say as he addressed them.

Acts 26 begins, "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou are permitted to

speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for

himself. 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; 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. My manner of life from my youth, which

was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the

most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I

stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our

fathers; 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. Why should it be thought a thing incredible

with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself,

that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of

Nazareth, 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 I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to

blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them

even unto strange cities." Acts 26:1-11. Now before we go any further,

let's note that evidently Paul's introductory remarks to king Agrippa

were not just a little extra soap with which to lather. The very

approach he uses is one that would suggest that king Agrippa did

indeed have a familiarity with the Jews, their beliefs, their customs,

and even scriptures, because later Paul will raise that very issue

with Agrippa himself. 'Do you believe the prophets?' So when Paul

said he was happy to stand before Agrippa, it wasn't like Tertullus

who was brought down as an orator at Paul's earlier trial. Paul was

legitimately saying 'I'm standing before somebody who is familiar with

these things, so I'm happy to make my defense before him.' The very

approach Paul used suggests that Paul verily believed him to know

about these things whereof he was speaking. So he brought up a point

he had brought up before. 'The Jews at Jerusalem know me; they have

known me for a long time; the chief priests know me; they're the ones

who gave me authority to persecute the saints; the things I did I

thought within myself I ought to do, contrary to Jesus; I persecuted

the saints even to strange cities.' Now notice what he says.

"Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the

chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven,

above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them which

journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard

a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul,

why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the

pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom

thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have

appeared unto thee for this purposse, to make thee a minister and a

witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things

in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people,

and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes,

and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan

unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance

among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." Acts 26:12-18.

There's the gospel that Paul is preaching; he's turning people from

darkness to light; he's turning them to Satan to God; he's turning them

from lost creatures to those who have an inheritance among those who

are sanctified. He touches on the plan of salvation - it's by faith in

Christ.

"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly

vision; but shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and

throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they

should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For

these causes, the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill

me. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,

witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those

which the prophets and Moses did say should come; that Christ should

suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead,

and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles."

Acts 26:19-23. There's the gospel in a nutshell. "Moreover, brethren,

I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye

have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye

keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in

vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also

received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according

to the scriptures." I Cor. 15:1-4. What did you say here, Paul? 'Why,

I just said what Moses and the prophets wrote; that Christ should

suffer and be the first that would rise from the dead and that he would

show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.' Paul said this is

why he was there that day, that very hope, because that's the very

thing he had been trying to do - bring that light to the people and to

the Gentiles. It's the very light Moses and the prophets wrote about

years before and it's been fulfilled in Jesus.

Now Festus was not as familiar with these things as Agrippa was. Festus

interrupted Paul. Now I don't know about this - Festus is "pulling

rank". Agrippa had told Paul he could speak for himself. Agrippa was

the king; Festus was the governor; he was under the king. But he

interrupted Paul. "And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with

a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make

thee mad (crazy). (But you'll notice Agrippa had made NO such

accusation). But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak

forth the words of truth and soberness." Acts 26:24,25. Now I guess

Paul could have gotten mad and could have gone on a tirade at Festus,

but he didn't. He said he wasn't mad; the words he was speaking were

words of truth soberness. "For the king knoweth of these things, before

whom I also speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things

are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner." vs. 26.

Remember what I said when Paul began his defense before Agrippa? He

knew that Agrippa had a knowledge of what was taking place. He was

familiar with the Jews; he was familiar with their law; he was familiar

with their prophets. Paul was saying in essence, this king knew what

was going on among the people he was ruling. He was aware of what had

been taking place.

Now notice the direction Paul turned. You know, I said earlier,

Agrippa was familiar with the prophets. How do I know? "King Agrippa,

believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." vs. 17.

Paul had been preaching the gospel more than defending himself. "Then

Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

vs. 18. We sing that song sometimes, "Almost Persuaded", but almost

is but to fail, almost cannot avail, sad, sad, that bitter wail -

almost - but lost. We do not have record that Paul would ever stand

before Agrippa again; nor do we have any knowledge, any inference,

any reference that Agrippa would ever be any more than almost persuaded.

But notice Paul's answer, here again using such wisdom. "And Paul said,

I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day,

were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds."

vs. 29. Now Paul had a pretty good audience here - the chief people of

the city, the military people, the king, his sister, the governor, and

he was preaching; that's what he was doing. 'I would that not only

thou, but all that hear me were not only almost, but altogether as I

am except for these bonds.' He got close to old king Agrippa. He got

close to where he lived, and who knows, had it not been for the position

and politics, what might have come out of that.

"And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and

Bernice, and they that sat with them; and when they were gone aside,

they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy

of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, this man might

have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar." vs. 30-32.

But you see, Festus already know that; Felix knew that. Felix knew Paul

had done nothing worthy of bonds, but he played politics and kept him a

prisoner. Festus knew that he had done nothing worthy of bonds, shouldn't

even have been there in the first place, but Festus, willing to show the

Jews a favor, playing politics, tried to convince Paul to go back down to

Jerusalem and Paul said 'I haven't done anything to the Jews. If I'm

going to stand before a judgment seat, I'll stand before the judgment seat

of Caeasar. I appeal to Caesar.' So Festus doesn't have a choice now.

He has to send him. Paul's a Roman citizen, he has rights. So the

choice is made, the die is cast. Paul is going to Rome. God stood by

him and said, 'just as you've preached at Jerusalem, you'll preach at

Rome.' He just didn't tell him he was going there as a prisoner, but

he was going nonetheless.

Almost, almost - that's a far as Paul could get with Agrippa. But you

remember the Lord told Paul he'd stand before kings. He's before the

first one here, and he got awfully close to old Agrippa - but not quite

close enough. Almost is but to fail. We'll end here. Paul would start

to Rome as a prisoner when we begin next time.