Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Read – Acts 25:13-27 We have been introduced briefly to Bernice and King (Herod) Agrippa. They are the sister and brother of Drusilla who was the wife of Felix, the predecessor of Festus. Like their sister Drusilla, theirs is an intriguing tale. King Agrippa was the son of the first Herod Agrippa who had been king from 40-44 AD. When his father died he was still too young to inherit his throne, but in a few years the Romans promoted him to the office of king like his father. King Agrippa would have been the great-grandson of Herod the Great, the awful king of the Jews who was reigning when Jesus was born. Like his great-grandfather before him, King Agrippa was fiercely loyal to Rome. He was king during the tragic Jewish revolt of 66-70 AD and put his army at the disposal of the Roman generals, Vespasian and Titus, during the war. His armies were commanded to participate in the invasion against Jerusalem and the siege that ended with the destruction of the Temple along with much of the city. The story about his sister, Bernice, is even more intriguing. First of all, if rumor in Rome is to be understood to be correct, Bernice and King Agrippa were involved in an incestuous relationship after she divorced her husband. Likely the rumors were true. At the time when Paul would have appeared before them, they were living together. In the years following the Jewish revolt, Bernice became the mistress and lover of Titus, the Roman general who was in charge at the end of the Jewish revolt. Titus was the oldest son of Vespasian who had been the Roman general sent to Judea by Emperor Nero to quell the uprising of the Jews in 66 AD. When Nero committed suicide in 68 AD, Vespasian eventually became the Roman emperor after three other Romans held the office for only a few months each. When Vespasian became the emperor in 69 AD, Titus took over the role of general in the war against the Jews. It was at this time that he and Bernice became lovers. When Titus ascended to the role of Emperor following the death of his father, Vespasian, the relationship between Bernice and Titus ended, or perhaps went underground since it was just too scandalous to defend such an arrangement. Luke spares us all these details (we learn them mostly from Josephus and the Roman historians of the time) but it is important for us to be aware of all of this since it does add a certain insight into what was happening. When we hear of people like Drusilla and Bernice and King Agrippa, we are dealing with “high flying” characters whose lives resembled a soap opera. Paul was not appearing before good and well-meaning folks. Luke tells us that Bernice and King Agrippa came to pay a visit to the new procurator which is likely a historical fact. The occasion provides the puzzled Festus an opportunity to ask someone else in authority how he should handle the strange case of Paul. As Festus summarizes the case against Paul, it becomes clear that the Jews from Jerusalem have not brought any charge against Paul that should merit a guilty verdict. Festus gets right to the heart of the matter. They have not made any of the charges that Festus was expecting to hear (Acts 25:18). Instead, their charges are really internal disputes within the Jewish religion. This is the very argument that Luke has been maintaining all along. Christianity is not a new or different religion, but rather the proper understanding of Judaism. Internal disputes within the Jewish religion are not something the Romans either cared to deal with or had the authority to deal with. This is a Jewish problem. Festus tells King Agrippa and Bernice that at the heart of the issue is a dispute about Jesus. The accusing Jews from Jerusalem claim that Jesus is dead. Paul, also a Jew, claims that Jesus is alive. At the heart of the matter is the question of the resurrection of the dead – and now more particularly the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. That is precisely the issue! Is Jesus the crucified messiah who God raised from the dead and made Lord and ruler of all? Or, is Jesus just a man who was killed long ago by Pontius Pilate as an insurrectionist and whose deluded followers somehow claim to be alive? These are not questions of Roman law for Festus to answer and provide a verdict. Festus goes on to tell of his plan to send Paul to Jerusalem in hopes of resolving the issue, and of Paul’s appeal to be sent to the emperor. As we will soon hear, this created a dilemma for Festus. What should be the charge against Paul? King Agrippa agrees to hear from Paul himself the next day. It is clearly with tongue in cheek that Luke writes of the grand entrance of Bernice and King Agrippa. Luke’s readers must surely have smiled at the silliness of such an entry with all the pomp and circumstances involved. That’s especially true when we recall the information that Josephus and the historians provide. Luke’s first audience would have been living right in the midst of those times. What a spectacle! What a farce! Luke contrasts the ridiculous entrance of King Agrippa with the simple dignity of Paul as he is brought before the assembled group. We have known all along that the Roman procurators have found Paul to be not guilty of the crimes of which he is accused. For the first time, Festus makes the declaration that he had “found that he had done nothing deserving death” (Acts 25:25). This is the first of three such declarations. Readers of Luke will remember that on at least three occasions Jesus was also officially declared to be not guilty. We need to recall that Luke has been telling the story of Paul in parallel to the story he earlier told about Jesus. Festus also clearly states the dilemma he is dealing with regarding his inability to state the charges for which he is sending Paul to be tried by the emperor. It would be ridiculous to send a man to stand before the emperor who is charged with no offense. Festus hopes that at the end of the proceedings he will finally have something to write indicating exactly the charges against Paul. He is also hoping that Agrippa will help provide the answer.