Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, August 24, 2013 Read – Acts 26:19-32 Paul concludes his defense by testifying to King Agrippa that he was not “disobedient to the heavenly vision” but rather that he had been faithful to the one who called him proclaiming a message of repentance first in Damascus and then in Jerusalem and Judea and to the Gentiles. The word repentance has less to do with feeling sorry for something than it does with a change of mind. To repent is to change one’s mind. That is Paul’s plea and that is Paul’s hope for all who hear what he has to say. Paul’s message is a message that comes fully out of the scripture of the OT – he teaches “nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah should suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23). Once again Paul includes himself within Judaism by referring to “our” people. Without using the exact words Paul rehearses the core message of the speeches of Acts – “This Jesus who was crucified, God raised from the dead, so that repentance and forgiveness of sins might be proclaimed in his name.” Certainly this core message is at the heart of his testimony and at the center of his defense of the Christian faith. Paul tells King Agrippa that it is for this reason that Paul was seized by the Jews in the Temple – and yet God has helped him to this day. Jesus had said of his followers that they would bear witness before kings and rulers. That is what Paul has now done before King Agrippa and Porcius Festus, the Roman ruler. Once again the parallels with the story of Jesus become evident – Jesus testified before the Roman Pontius Pilate and the Jewish Herod Antipas. Readers of Luke remember that it is only Luke that tells of the episode of Jesus before Herod. What will be the result of Paul’s testimony? Porcius Festus passes Paul off as one crazed by too much learning. He is not convinced. Paul’s response to Festus is short – there is not much else to say and in the process of responding to his accusation that Paul is crazy, he turns again to King Agrippa who is really the one to whom Paul is making his plea. Paul reminds King Agrippa that surely he is not unaware of everything that has taken place. King Agrippa is not ignorant of the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus – and of the proclamation of those who follow Jesus that God raised him from the dead. Paul confronts King Agrippa with a question that must have taken him off guard – “do you believe the prophets?” and, before King Agrippa can answer, Paul says, “I know that you believe.” What was King Agrippa to say? His response is likely on the sarcastic side – “Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?” Paul is deadly serious when he responds to King Agrippa that that is exactly his hope and the hope he has for all who hear what he has to say. King Agrippa is not convinced – but he is also not able to refute Paul. The scene ends as King Agrippa, Bernice and the other rise to leave. Paul has stated his case. King Agrippa and Porcius Festus along with others have heard. Now it will be up to the work of God’s Spirit whether or not they will heed the words of Paul. History will demonstrate that they did not – but Paul has done all he can. Significantly, as King Agrippa and the others leave they are heard saying to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment” (Acts 26:31). This is the second time that Paul has been declared innocent. He has now been declared innocent by the Roman ruler, Porcius Festus, and the Jewish king, Herod Agrippa – just as Jesus was declared innocent by Pontius Pilate and Herod Antipas. The parallels continue. Porcius Festus still has nothing to write about the charge against Paul. One might expect that Paul would now be set free. But Roman justice is not served! And King Agrippa appears to turn the blame squarely on Paul – “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor” (Acts 26:32). How intent we all are to justify ourselves! It is now Paul’s fault that he is in custody and that he will be sent as a prisoner to Rome. I suppose that thought might have made King Agrippa feel better – but it was not true. Of course on a much deeper level God was acting in all of this. It was God who was bringing Paul to Rome. Human action cannot thwart the will of God. In fact, God uses even corrupt human action to bring about his work. This is not a story that is being controlled and driven by human rulers like Porcius Festus or King Agrippa. All along this is a story that has been guided by the Spirit of God.