Posts

I state nothing but what the prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.

  Good morning. Paul continues his message to King Agrippa. I declared, even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. That’s the same thing that John the Baptist told the Pharisees when they came to be baptized. He tells how the Jews wanted to put him to death, but he obtained help from God. I state nothing but what the prophets and Moses said was going to take place; that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. So Paul has given King Agrippa the gospel in a nutshell, tailoring it to both Jews and Gentiles. My Bible says that King Agrippa was allied with the Sadducees. Remember that his relative, the first King Herod, was extremely upset when the Magi said they were seeking the One born king of the Jews. While Paul was talking to King Agrippa, he was also talking to Festus, who was a Gentile. Festu...

I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?

  Good morning. Well they had a big to do: The king and a bunch of dignitaries came together to hear Paul. Festus said, I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to send him. I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. He knew that the Jews had no case against Paul; but he didn’t want to let him go free and get the Jews angry at him. Since Paul had resorted to an appeal to Caesar, Festus had to indicate the charge. He was afraid that Caesar would want to know why Festus was wasting his time with such a flimsy reason. Paul starts out by flattering King Agrippa. I consider myself fortunate that I’m about to make my defense before you today; especia...

When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive

  Good morning. While everything was being prepared for Paul to go to Rome, King Agrippa and Bernice came to pay their respects to Festus. My Bible says that he was the last of the Herods. Festus tells them about Paul’s case. When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. We need to realize that the world does not understand what we believe. They think that we are talking about something completely different. They may not think it’s the same as this, but it is very different from what we truly believe. When I asked Paul whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters, he appealed to be held in custody for the emperor’s decision. I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said, I also would like to hear the man myself. Hi...

You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go

  Good morning. The Jews brought many and serious charges against Paul, which they could not prove. Paul said, I have committed no offense either against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar. But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges? Why would he want to go to Jerusalem? He was standing trial right there, and they were unable to prove anything against him. Paul knew that if they had planned to kill him previously, they would probably do the same again as he went to Jerusalem. I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. My Bible says that as a Roman citizen, he could refuse to go to a local provincial court; instead he looked to a higher Roman court. I have done no wrong to the Jews as you very well know. If, then, I am a wrong doer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of these things is true of whic...

The chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem

  Good morning. Felix was given plenty of opportunity to turn his life over to Christ, but he refused. Why was Paul stuck there for two years? Why didn’t God set him free? God was preparing everything for Paul’s eventual trip to Rome. If he had been set free or had gone earlier, then what was supposed to happen would not have happened. My Bible says that Festus only lived two years longer before he died. Basically he was there only so that he could send Paul to Rome because Felix was not going to. So Festus arrives in Caesarea for his new job. After a few days by the seashore, he goes up to the big city – Jerusalem, not having a clue of the controversy that was about to strike him. The chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, requesting a concession against  Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time setting an ambush to kill Paul on the way). It would’ve been easy to give in to their demands...

Let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the council, other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, for the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.

  Good morning. Paul continues describing what happened in Jerusalem and said, let these men themselves tell what misdeed they found when I stood before the council, other than for this one statement which I shouted out while standing among them, for the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today. But Felix, having a more exact knowledge about the Way put them off, saying, when the commander comes down, I will decide your case. He knew there was no real crime, and that it was simply jealousy that brought all this on; but he couldn’t just let Paul go or the Jews would’ve been tremendously upset. Paul was more or less under house arrest. Paul must have struck a chord in the soul of Felix, talking about the resurrection, because Felix and his wife came to listen to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. There was more than one man named Herod, and she was the daughter of one of them. As Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became...

admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and that is written in the prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked

  Good morning. The Jews were upset that “Paul got away“; so 40 formed a plot to kill Paul, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had done so. They wanted the council to pretend like they wanted to investigate him further, but they were going to attack and kill him while he was on the way. Paul’s nephew learned of the ambush, and came to the barracks to inform him. He asked that his nephew be able to tell the commander about the plot, and he was able to do so. The commander sent Paul with 200 soldiers and 70 horsemen to Caesarea, where the governor, Felix, was staying. They waited for the Jews to come down from Jerusalem for a hearing. The high priest, some elders, and a lawyer (went into a bar - well it sounded like the beginning of a joke) came to bring charges against Paul. The lawyer claimed that Paul stirred up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and was the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to desecrate the temple; and th...