And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. (14) And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: (15) About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. (16) To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. (17) Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. (18) Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: (19) But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. (20) And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judge d of these matters. (21) But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. (22) Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
I pass by all that is said here, of the pomp and grandeur of the persons in the intimacy of Festus, things but of a moment, to attend to what is more important; the concerns of the Church at this time. One circumstance is very striking, as related in this paragraph. Festus here talks of the manner of the Romans, in their delivery of criminals, to death. And, as Paul was brought before Festus by the Jews, in hopes that he would have condemned him to death, though a Jew; nothing can be more plain, than that the Jews had now totally lost the power in themselves to judge, and condemn any; for it was solely exercised by the Roman power. But, if the Reader will compare what is here said, with what took place at the death of Stephen; (see Acts 7:57-58, and Commentary there) he will discover, that a great change had taken place since that time. The Sanhedrim, in Stephen's case, did actually try, condemn, and execute, this martyr to the Godhead of Christ, without applying to the Roman power. Whereas now, they no longer possessed it, as is evident in Paul's trial, both before Felix, and Festus; and his appeal to Caesar. And here opens, and confirms, a blessed proof of Jacob's prophecy, Genesis 49:10. The Gentiles were now gathering to Christ. The sceptre of Judah was totally departed, and the Shiloh come. How blessed is it to trace the sweet evidences of our holy faith, thus by scriptural testimonies!
I must detain the Reader with an observation more, on what is said in this paragraph, of the Apostle's assertion, respecting the resurrection of Christ. Festus was astonished, he told Agrippa, that when he expected Paul's accusers to have brought forth a charge against him of some high crimes and misdemeanors; it was nothing but of certain questions, and superstitions: and particularly, said he, of one Jesus which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Reader! do mark the contempt with which this heathen spake of that glorious event, which is to you, and to me, our chief happiness, and greatest joy!
But, while this wretched man, considered this momentous truth as a trifle of no value to regard; let you and I rather advert to the conduct of Paul, and enquire how, or from what cause it was, the Apostle became so confident. Certain it is, that Paul had never seen Christ in the flesh, during our Lord's ministry; for he saith himself, that he was as one born out of due time, 1 Corinthians 15:8. And that he was, many years after Christ's return to glory, a bitter enemy to the cause of Christ, is also equally certain. As, therefore, he was not one of those witnesses Peter speaks of, who were chosen before of God for this purpose to be his witnesses, who did eat and drink with Jesus after he arose from the dead; it becomes a subject of no small interest to enquire, how Paul got his assurance of Christ's resurrection, and what it was, which made him so confident, that Jesus which was dead, he affirmed to be alive?
And here opens to us, a subject of peculiar sweetness and delight. For nothing can be more evident, than that Paul's positiveness in affirming, that this One glorious Jesus which had been dead, was alive, arose, from his own personal knowledge. Jesus himself had spoken to Paul from heaven, at his conversion, Acts 9:4-5. And Jesus had again made a second manifestation of himself to Paul, as it is written: Acts 22:17-21, and 1 Corinthians 15:8. And what confirmed yet more the whole in the Apostle's mind, of the resurrection of Jesus, were the blessed effects which followed, in his own heart. The resurrection of Jesus became a palpable truth with Paul, from his own. Well might the Apostle affirm, that this One Lord Jesus which was dead, was alive; because, Christ's resurrection and return to glory, had been confirmed to Paul's heart by the blessed effects of it, in his resurrection by grace. And the same evidence rests now in the heart of every regenerated believer. Reader! you and I, and every child of God, in whose Spirit the Holy Ghost witnesseth, that we are the children of God, possess the same witness in ourselves. By the descent of the Holy Ghost upon our hearts, we prove the ascension, and consequently the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, having returned to glory, and sent him down. And, from this best of all assurances, like Paul, we may speak of Jesus as once dead, but now affirm, that he is alive. This is the sweetest and most precious of all evidences!