Bible Study Lesson for Acts 26:24-32: King Agrippa and Governor Festus Respond to Paul

Read Acts 26:24. Festus apparently felt that Paul's intense study of the scriptures had lead him to a point of mania about resurrection and prophecy. I think he felt that it was acceptable to study such things, but to take them so seriously and literally was a sign of insanity. Belief in the resurrection of the dead, I think, was the sticking point for him; one could not believe in that and be sane or so he believed. Interestingly Jesus himself was also called insane. Read John 10:19-20.

Read Acts 26:25. Paul is not at all phased by Festus' reaction. I like the fact that Paul has the courtesy to call him "excellent." He might have even really liked the man, possibly admiring him because he showed a dedication and honesty to his job that may have been rare in Roman procurators. I'm sure he prayed for him.

Read Acts 26:26. This is a delightful verse - Paul shows such aplomb and ease in speaking to a king! You can almost sense a connection between the two men. I particularly like "I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner." As my commentary pointed out "This gospel is based on actual events, lived out in historical times and places. The king must himself attest to the truth of what Paul has affirmed." Festus might not be able to attest to what happened to Jesus and the stories circulating about him, being a newcomer to the area, but Agrippa had been born and raised in Palestine. He knew about Jesus and what was said about him.

Read Acts 26:27. Here Paul presses his advantage and puts Agrippa in a difficult position. If he said "Yes," Paul would press him to recognize their fulfillment in Jesus; if he said "No," he would be in trouble with the devout Jews, who accepted the message of the prophets as the very word of God. You have to laugh how the man on trial turns the tables and puts the king on the hot seat instead! J

I think it is for this very conversation that the Lord kept Paul in Caesarea for those two years, so that Agrippa, in particular, could hear the gospel.

Agrippa is no fool, he knows what Paul is up to, and side steps the question by zeroing in on Paul's motive. Read Acts 26:28. He makes it clear that he will not be persuaded by such a brief encounter.

Read Acts 26:29. Paul does not dance around the question, yes, it is his hope that all listening to him that day becomes Christians. You have to admire his self-confidence that he can be so blunt! Here, too, we learn that Paul has been standing speaking before them all, bound in chains.

Read Acts 26:30. As the king, clearly, is not willing to pursue this line of questioning further, the audience is ended.

Read Acts 26:31. This verse makes me wonder if Paul didn't have some companions there, that might have overhead these comments. Remember there was not only Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice presented, but also high ranking Roman officials. Clearly they had all been impressed by what Paul had said, even if they didn't necessarily agree with him, and understood immediately that there was no reason for him to be punished for what he had done.

Read Acts 26:32. I don't understand Roman law well enough to understand why this was true - couldn't Festus have simply let Paul go at this point? But from what is said here, apparently not. It seems that as soon as a Roman citizen appeals to Caesar for judgment this nullifies the authority of lower courts, such as Festus. In any case, it is clear that Agrippa was quite impressed with Paul, as well.

We have no indication that Agrippa ever repented and came to Christ, which I find horribly sad. He heard the gospel preached to him in a private audience by one of the greatest Christian orators of all time and he rejected it. He could have spent hours questioning Paul, challenging him, to answer all those questions burning in his soul, but he let the opportunity slip away, and with it, his chance at salvation.

Blessings!

Sources
Editors. Compton's Interactive Bible (software)
Philip Yancey and Tim Stafford (notes). The Student Bible. NIV Version