Introduction

This week we see Paul, and the Gospel message itself, on trial. Many accusations had been brought against “the Way” in the few decades that it had been around. The Jews accused it of undermining Judaism and blaspheming against Moses, the Law, the Prophets, and, ultimately, against God. The Greek and Roman citizens had accused it of undermining the authority of Rome and Caesar. They said that the Christians were advocating political upheaval and revolt so that their Jesus could become the king.

As Luke penned these words he was presented an apologetic – a defense – against these unfounded and dangerous accusations. As we see Paul stand before the Sanhedrin we see that the Jews had no case against the Way and were so divided amongst themselves that they were no longer capable of leading God’s people. As we see Paul stand before Felix and Festus we see that the Christians were not only not against Rome, but that Rome, time and again, had actually come to Christian’s aid and protection. Finally, as Paul stands before Agrippa, the Jewish King, we see that the Person of Jesus, resurrected and victorious, is the actual King of the Jews and of the Kingdom that God had promised to Abraham.

Paul, the humbled and broken prisoner, was demonstrating that Jesus’ Kingdom was not entangled in the affairs of this world but was calling all people, of every race and nation, to come into their eternal home.

Outline

Monday: Still a Pharisee

Tuesday: Caesarea – Before Felix

Wednesday: Before Festus

Thursday: Before Agrippa

Friday: Final Testimony

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Acts 22:30-23:35

Why did the high priest have Paul struck?

How did Paul respond to this assault? Was this a proper response? Why or why not?

By quoting Exodus 22:28, what was Paul saying?

How did Paul identify himself in v. 6? In what tense was this spoken?

What caused the uproar in the Assembly?

Compare this story with Acts 4:1-4ff. Who is the real antagonist in these stories? Why?

What promise did Jesus make to Paul? Why do you suppose Paul needed a special visitation from Jesus at this point?

What foiled the plot to ambush Paul?

Who is Paul's protector (on a human level) in this story?

Still a Pharisee

Three observations:

1.  Paul was still a Pharisee. If you grew up in Sunday School, then the name “Pharisee” probably sends chills down your spine. The Pharisees are typically presented as the villainous foes of Jesus and the Apostles. While it is true that, ultimately, they were opposed to the followers of the Way, it is important for us to see them in a truer light than this Sunday-Schoolish caricature. If the Pharisees were evil, then how is it that Paul can identify himself, in the present tense, as a Pharisee? Either he was playing a manipulative trick to instigate a fight, or he was telling the truth. The former option is unlikely, so the latter must be true. Throughout this whole section we will see that Paul makes a strong case for the fact that he considered himself as much a Jew in the present circumstances as he ever was prior to his Jesus encounter. As we have discussed before, Paul did not leave his Pharisaical belief system on the road to Damascus. Much to the contrary, his Pharisaical beliefs were actually intensified when he met first-hand evidence of the core of his belief system: a resurrected Messiah. From that day forward he was simply acting as a fulfilled Pharisee, living in the present reality of the eschatological (a fancy word for the end of time) Kingdom of God. While this may seem esoteric and not practical for today, there is something we can glean from it. To be a radical for Jesus does not mean to abandon tradition. It simply means to live in the fullness of tradition and use it for its intended purpose.

2.  Jerusalem was a dangerous place. Luke is making a strong statement in these closing chapters of Acts. His statement was both political and theological. Theologically, he was reinforcing the idea that the “center of the universe” was shifting. For a millennium the Jews had looked to Jerusalem as the geographical center of the universe and God’s “ Holy City.” Now Luke was exposing that city for what it was; nothing more than a group of highly distracted leaders who had developed a very distorted lens that was obscuring their ability to see the truth of God’s work. They were the keepers of God’s vineyard that had forgotten about tending the vine and were now being replaced. No longer was Jerusalem the center, but the center is now the person of Jesus Christ. There is no geographical center. In fact, this is how it has always been. It was the human distortion factor that centered on Jerusalem in the first place. Jesus, through his apostles, was simply restoring the Kingdom to what it was originally intended to be.

3.  Rome was Paul's protector. Luke’s political statement has to do with the Apostle Paul’s, specifically, and all Christians’, generally, relationship with Rome. The book of Luke/Acts was, among other things, an apologetic to demonstrate that Christianity was not an enemy of the Empire, but was, quite the contrary, a movement that had always received sympathies from the Empire. This was true of Jesus and his relationship with Pilate, and it is true of the Apostle Paul as well. Christians are not political revolutionaries. They are not of this world and they let the people of the world mess with the politics.

Just for Kids

Read the following verses.

Exodus 22:28

When someone speaks harshly to you, or falsely accuses you of something, what is your first reaction? What kind of things do you want to say back to them? Why?

In our story today we see that Paul lost his temper and spoke harshly to the high priest... That was wrong. Here are some lessons we can learn.

1. Even when someone is wrong, they still deserve to be treated with respect.
2. When you make a mistake – like losing your temper and speaking harshly – it is important to ask for forgiveness.

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Tuesday

Acts 24:1-27

Read the following dictionary article about Felix.

he seems to have held the procuratorship of Judaea from c. ad 52. Unrest increased under his rule, for ‘with savagery and lust he exercised the powers of a king with the disposition of a slave’ (Tacitus,. Hist. 5. 9), and he was utterly merciless in crushing opposition. In c. ad 55 he put down the followers of a Messianic pretender of Egyptian origin, but the man himself escaped (Jos., BJ 2.261ff.). When the riot recorded in Acts 21:27ff. broke out the tribune Claudius Lysias initially mistook Paul for this *Egyptian (Acts 21:38).

After his arrest Paul was conveyed to Caesarea, the Roman capital of Palestine, and was tried before Felix. Two well-attested characteristics of the governor stand out in the subsequent narrative: his disregard for justice and his avarice. He kept Paul in prison for 2 years, hoping he would be paid a fat bribe (Acts 24:26). Disappointed of this hope, he deferred judgment in a case where there was ample evidence of the prisoner’s innocence ( 23:29), and upon his recall he left Paul in prison in order to please the Jews (24:27) or, according to the Western Text, to please his wife *Drusilla.

He was recalled by Nero, probably in ad 59 (*Festus), and was saved from proceedings instigated by the Jews only through the influence of Pallas. Of Felix’ later history nothing is known.

In light of the above article, how would you describe Tertullus' opening statements to Felix?

What accusations were brought against Paul? Were any of them founded?

How does Paul describe himself in vv. 11-16?

What was Paul's purpose for coming to Jerusalem? What was his attitude toward Jerusalem and the temple when he was there?

Read the following excerpt regarding Drusilla:

Drusilla, the wife of Antonius Felix who was procurator of Judea (ca. a.d. 52-59) while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea. A Jewess, she was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I and great-granddaughter of Herod the Great. Originally given in marriage to the Syrian Azizus of Emesa, she was apparently persuaded to leave him for Felix.

What was the heart of Paul's message that was directed to Felix and Drusilla? How was it received?

Summarize Felix's dealings and attitudes toward Paul.

Caesarea: Before Felix

In Paul’s defense statement to Felix he highlights four things that have been true about his life. They have remained constant both before he met Jesus and after he met Jesus. Let’s look at these four things, see how they should be true in our lives, and see how Jesus transformed and fulfilled them.

I worship God. In the Old Testament, the word for worship is interchangeable with “serve.” Paul wasn’t saying that he loved to have a hymn-sing all the time. He was saying that his primary focus was on God and bringing everything in his life into submission to His Lord. May that be true of our lives. May we be constant worshippers in everything that we do.

I believe everything that agrees with the Law and Prophets. Paul’s understanding of God and the Kingdom was based upon the objective revelation of God through the scriptures. This is a very important component of a life devoted to God. Our understanding of God and our decisions are not based upon subjective ideas and/or notions. Rather, we are to be students of the Word of God so that we can know the very mind and heart of God and follow according to His ways.

I have a hope in the resurrection. Hope is what inspires us and drives us to persevere through the most difficult of circumstances. Without hope we can become complacent and depressed even when things seem to be going well. It is the reality of the resurrection of the dead in the last day that gives our lives meaning. There is a finish line. There is a point and a purpose to everything. We are not just cosmic accidents that are drifting through a pointless mess of chaos, only to be snuffed out and forgotten in the end. We are eternal beings that look forward to the resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous, and an existence either in the presence of God or not.

I strive to keep my conscience clean. Given the hope that we have of the resurrection, suddenly there is now a reason for a system of morality. The Law stated that we are to Love God and Love our neighbors as ourselves. When we do this, then our consciences will be clean and we can stand before a Holy God, sanctified and presentable to him.

These things were true of Paul from the time he was a little child. It has always been God’s plan for his people. Then, one day, Paul, the Law-abiding, zealous-for-God Pharisee, met Jesus in His resurrected glory and everything changed. Suddenly each of these four points popped into a new level of clarity that plunged Paul into a deeper level of reality than he had ever known.

Now, through the Jesus lens…

He could worship God, not as a far-off creator, but as a Loving Heavenly Father. Now he knew the love of God through the person of Jesus and Paul’s worship could be an authentic “attitude of gratitude” rather than merely a fearful and distant respect.

He could understand the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) as the pointer to the person of Jesus. He could see God’s hand working through the history of Israel to prepare the way for the Eternal Messiah. The scriptures jumped from black and white into living Technicolor!

His hope in the resurrection was no longer a desire for a far off reality. Now he had encountered the first-fruits of the resurrection and could actually live in the power of the resurrection that came through the indwelling Holy Spirit. His hope shifted from a future gaze to a present reality.

Now he actually had the power to keep a clean conscience before God. Before, he had to rely upon his own merit and his observance of the external ceremonial cleansing rituals to demonstrate his heart to God. No man can stay clean that way. But now, he has the great conscience cleaner, the Holy Spirit, living inside of him to sanctify him and purify him in ever increasing ways, to present him spotless before the Almighty God.

Just for Kids

In Paul’s testimony to Governor Felix he points out 4 things that are important for everyone to keep a part of their life. Take out a piece of paper, divide it into four sections and draw a picture of one in each section. They are:

Worship

Bible Study

Hope in Resurrection

Clear conscience.

Spend some time discussing what each of these four things means. How well does your life demonstrate these four areas?

Wood, D. R. W. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed. /) (Page 367). Leicester , England ; Downers Grove , Ill. : InterVarsity Press.

Achtemeier, P. J. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary. Includes index. (1st ed.) (Page 229). San Francisco : Harper & Row.

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Wednesday

Acts 25:1-12

Read the following article describing Festus.

FESTUS. Porcius Festus succeeded *Felix as procurator of Judaea. Nothing is known of his life before his appointment, and he died in office after about 2 years. In Josephus ( Ant. 20.182ff. and BJ 2.271) he makes an agreeable contrast with his predecessor Felix and his successor Albinus. In Acts (24:27–26:32) he appears in a less favourable light. Though he tried Paul’s case with commendable alacrity (25:6) and was convinced of his innocence (26:31), he was prepared to sacrifice Paul to do the Jews a pleasure (25:9). Hence the scandalous suggestion of retrial at Jerusalem. Paul was constrained to appeal to Caesar in the face of an arrangement which would have put him in the power of his enemies. Yet Festus was apparently baffled by Paul, and brought the case before Agrippa II and *Bernice. Paul’s innocence emerges clearly in the sequel, but the appeal proceeds to Rome.

Festus was later involved when the Jewish leaders brought to Nero a successful suit against Agrippa’s violation of the privacy of the Temple area (Jos., Ant. 20.189ff.).

The date of Festus’ arrival in Judaea is a major crux of Pauline chronology. W. M. Ramsay in Pauline Studies, pp. 348ff., argued that Eusebius’ evidence, when rightly understood, points to ad 59, and some support for this date is found in the sudden change of procuratorial coinage in that year, an event most plausibly attributed to the arrival of a new governor (see H. J. Cadbury, The Book of Acts in History, 1955, pp. 9f.).

Why did the Jews want Paul to be transferred to Jerusalem?

Why did Paul appeal to Caesar? What was at stake?

Before Festus

Two observations today:

1. Paul was willing to die, but not for the wrong reasons. Festus, in an attempt to appease the Jews, asked Paul if he was willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial. Paul wasn’t an idiot. He knew that two years earlier 40 men had vowed not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul in an ambush (do you wonder if those guys starved to death…just asking!) Paul knew that the Jews had no case against him, other than the fact that they wanted him dead and out of the way. Acquiescing to Festus’ proposal would be nothing short of suicide. If death was the only option then he was ready to face it, but there was another way. He had the Roman-citizen-get-out-of-the-gallows-free card to play. Since he was already in the Roman judicial system, and since he was a Roman citizen, he knew that if he appealed to Caesar then Festus would be legally bound to send him to Rome and not to Jerusalem. Paul is saved and the Jews plot to kill him is foiled once again.

2. Unexpected paths. A running theme in Paul’s life is that God has a tendency to mess with our plans. We saw it in his second journey. He was headed to Ephesus, but God sent him to Macedonia and on to Corinth. On his third journey he wanted to sail south to Syria from Corinth, but he was forced to head north to Philippi. We know that Paul had a strong desire to visit Rome and then to move further west into Spain. (Romans 15:24). It is safe to bet then, when he laid awake at night, envisioning his missionary trip to Rome, that he did not picture himself being chained between two Roman guards and stuck in the belly of a prison cell. Yet, when he appealed to Caesar, that is exactly what happened. Here’s the take home for us. We saw it in his ministry in Ephesus, and we see it again here in his trip to Rome. God will work his plan in our lives, but very often it will look different than what we had planned. It is good to make plans, but we must always hold our plans with open hands and follow God in the way that he works out the details. In the end, we are simply servants, following orders.

Just for Kids

Get a dictionary and look up the word “appeal.” What did Paul mean when he said, “I appeal to Caesar?”

Who was Caesar?

What would happen to Paul if he went to Jerusalem to stand trial?

Why did Paul appeal to Caesar?

Read Romans 15:24. When Paul wanted to go to Rome, do you think he had in mind being a prisoner?

Have you ever had plans that didn’t work out the way you wanted them to? How did you feel?

We need to remember that God is in control of all things. Even if things don’t work out the way we expect them to, we can always trust that God has something better in store for us.

Wood, D. R. W. (1996). New Bible dictionary (3rd ed. /) (Page 367). Leicester , England ; Downers Grove , Ill. : InterVarsity Press.

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Thursday

Acts 25:13-27

Read the following commentary for context:

Herod Agrippa II, called simply Agrippa in Scripture, was the son of the Herod in Acts 12. Bernice and Drusilla (24:24) were his sisters. Since he was young when his father died, he did not receive his father’s realm. But as the years passed he received one part and eventually the rest. He had a long reign, from a.d. 50 until about a.d. 100. His incestuous relations with his sister Bernice became a subject of gossip as far away as Rome. (Only Reference, Acts 25, 26.)

Given the article above regarding Agrippa II, and understanding that Festus was the new kid on the block, what political dynamics must have been at play when Paul was brought before Agrippa?

What was Festus' assessment of Paul and the case brought against him?

Before Agrippa

The readings for today and tomorrow are actually a climax for the book of Acts. It is in this scene that we see Paul come before the “King of the Jews” and present his testimony and the gospel message clearly and boldly. During this whole week Luke is demonstrating the legal innocence of the gospel and the theological consistency between the gospel and the Old Testament. Paul has stood before two Roman governors and has been proven innocent. Now, in the great climax, Paul stands before none other than Herod Agrippa II and his incestuous sister/wife, Bernice.

Tomorrow we will discuss Paul’s message, so, for today, let’s focus on Agrippa himself. In order to understand the impact and importance of this meeting we must realize the history that Agrippa brings to the table and its impact on the Gospel story. Agrippa’s Great-Grandfather was the Herod who reined during Jesus’ birth, was visited by the Magi from the East, and ordered the boys of Bethlehem to be massacred. Agrippa’s Great Uncle was the Herod, known as Antipas, who Jesus called a ‘fox’ that had John the Baptist beheaded. Agrippa II’s father, Agrippa, was the Herod that had James, the brother of John, killed and Peter imprisoned. It was he who died and became worm food. Now, bearing all this heritage of anti-Jesus baggage with him, Agrippa II, stands in judgment over Paul, the ambassador of Jesus.

Agrippa was the caricature of what God’s people had become. He was a sell-out to Rome. He was messing around in an incestuous relationship with his sister. He was the inheritor of a great deal of distorted sin. Yet, he was the political “ruler” of his people. It is sad, but appropriate, to see Agrippa as the picture of what Israel had become. The prophets throughout the Old Testament were constantly warning the people to not mess around with the foreign gods or follow their ways. When they did it led them only to destruction. Agrippa is the stark reminder that Israel, as a political entity, was on its way to disaster. How ironic that one of the greatest men in the Kingdom of God was standing in chains and the simple smock of a prisoner while the fool was clothed in riches and entered in great “pomp.” Jesus said, “If you want to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven, you will become last. And the first shall become last.”

Just for Kids

Draw a family Tree of Herod Agrippa II based on the following paragraph.

Tomorrow we will discuss Paul’s message, so for today, let’s focus on Agrippa himself. In order to understand the impact and importance of this meeting we must realize the history that Agrippa brings to the table and its impact on the Gospel story. Agrippa’s Great-Grandfather was the Herod who reined during Jesus’ birth, was visited by the Magi from the East, and ordered the boys of Bethlehem to be massacred. Agrippa’s Great Uncle was the Herod, known as Antipas, who Jesus called a ‘fox’ that had John the Baptist beheaded. Agrippa II’s father, Agrippa, was the Herod that had James, the brother of John, killed and Peter imprisoned. It was he who died and became worm food. Now, bearing all this heritage of anti-Jesus baggage with him, Agrippa II, stands in judgment over Paul, the ambassador of Jesus.

Based on this history, how do you think Agrippa felt about Paul and his message?

Tomorrow we will see what happens when Agrippa listens to Paul’s message.

King James Version study Bible. 1997, c1988 (electronic ed.) (Ac 26:10). Nashville : Thomas Nelson.

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Friday

Acts 26:1-32

How does Paul describe the hope that he has?

Describe Paul's mission before he encountered Jesus. Where did he go?

Why was it important that Paul mention that the voice was speaking Aramaic?

Compare and contrast Paul's testimony in this passage with his testimony in 22:1-21.

What is Paul's mission as it is outlined in vv. 17-18?

What was the heart of Paul's message? (v. 20)

What is the bottom line of Paul's message? (v. 23)

How does Festus respond to Paul?

Describe the interchange between Paul and Agrippa in your own words.

What was Agrippa's final assessment of Paul's situation?

Before Agrippa p.2

This is the last time we get to hear Paul’s testimony. It would be a good study to compare and contrast each time Paul gives his testimony and notice how he modifies it each time depending upon his audience.

This time, as he presents his story to the Jewish King, he makes some important points.

1. The hope has never changed. All of Israel has been built upon the simple promise that God made to the patriarchs. God promised to Abraham that he would make him into a great nation and that, through him, all nations would be blessed. He also promised to David that there would be an eternal King on the throne. That has been their hope, and now, Paul is simply declaring that that hope has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. This is an important point because we must never slip into an anti-Semitic (anti-Jewish) mentality as Christians. God is not against the Jews. We, as Christians, are actually wild branches that have been grafted into the vine of Israel through the person of Jesus. God did not change his plan with Jesus, he simply fulfilled his original promise.

2. Paul’s method and style didn’t change, simply his mission did. Notice, in v. 11, that Paul said he “went from one synagogue to another.” Isn’t that exactly what he did after he followed Jesus? On his missionary journeys he moved with zeal from one synagogue to another, reasoning from the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. Perhaps we can make this reasonable jump and assumption. Paul was born with a certain style and personality. He was an activist who took charge of the situation and moved out. That is how he would naturally operate regardless of his belief system or motivation. When he met Jesus, his perspective changed, but his style did not. That is how God works. He created us to be who we are, naturally. Unfortunately, when we are apart from him we use those traits and tendencies for very destructive things. When God gets a hold of us he breaks us and brings our natural design into conformity with his will. Paul didn’t stop being a zealous go-getter for God, he simply became a broken and humble vessel to be used in the manner and place that God desired.

3. Everything centers around the person of the resurrected Jesus. It is vital that we never lose sight of the fact that Paul was not converted to a new religion. Paul entered into a relationship with a Risen Lord. He was sent to be a servant and a witness to this reality. The world does not need a new set of rules and regulations and religious hierarchy. The world needs transparent witnesses to the reality of the Risen Jesus; plain and simple.

4. It’s a matter of change. Note the process that Jesus said would happen when people met him through Paul’s ministry.

Open their eyes. This is knowledge and paradigm shift. It comes through teaching.

Turn from darkness to light. This is what “repentance” means. When people see the reality that they have been blinded by Satan they will begin the process of moving out of his Kingdom and into the Kingdom of God.

Receive forgiveness. It is important to note that they do not earn forgiveness…they receive it. God is offering forgiveness to everyone. It is only when we are no longer blind that we can receive it.

A place among the sanctified. To be sanctified is to be “holy”; to be washed clean. To have faith is to trust. When our trust is in the risen Jesus, we will be set free from our bondage of sin and washed clean. That is the Good News!

5. The hope has never changed. Paul ends where he began. Moses and the prophets all said that this would happen – that the Messiah would suffer, die, and rise again. So, Paul is simply being a fulfilled Pharisee, living in the realized hope of the resurrected Jesus.

Where is your hope today? Do you live like you know the Risen Jesus and will be in eternity with Him, or do you get bogged down in the muck and mire of every day distractions?

Just for Kids

Have you ever noticed that people are very different from each other. Each individual has certain strengths or things that they are good at or ways that they behave. Spend some time talking about each member of your family and the strengths that they have in their personality.

In the study today we hear Paul’s testimony again. Paul said that before he met Jesus, when he was really against the followers of Jesus, he went from synagogue to synagogue, arresting Jesus’ disciples. Isn’t it interesting that after he met Jesus he did the same thing? Instead of going from synagogue to synagogue arresting people, though, he went there to reason from the scriptures to show them that Jesus is the Messiah that the Old Testament predicted.

If you have given your life to Jesus he wants to use your strengths to use for his Kingdom. Spend some time talking about how you think God could use your strengths for his Kingdom.

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