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From: Acts 25:13b-21

Festus Briefs Agrippa

[13b] Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. [14]
And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king,
saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix; [15] and when I was at Jerusalem,
the chief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information about him, asking
for sentence against him. [16] I answered them that it was not the custom of the
Romans to give up any one before the accused met the accusers face to face,
and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him.
[17] When therefore they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next
day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. [18]
When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils
as I supposed; [19] but they had certain points of dispute with him about their
own superstition and about one Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted
to be alive. [20] Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whe-
ther he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. [21] But
when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor,
I commanded him to be held until I send him to Caesar.”

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Commentary:

13. Herod Agrippa II was a son of Herod Agrippa I. He was born in the year 27.
Like his father he had won favor with Rome and had been given various territo-
ries in northern Palestine, which he was allowed to rule with the title of king.
Bernice was his sister.

19. Festus’ words show his indifference towards Paul’s beliefs and his religious
controversy with the Jews. The conversation between the two politicians reveals
a typical attitude of worldly men to matters which they consider far-fetched and
irrelevant as far as everyday affairs are concerned. This passage also shows us
that in the course of his trial Paul must have had an opportunity to speak about
Jesus and confess his faith in the Resurrection.

Jesus Christ is alive; he is the center of history and the center of each and every
person’s existence. “The Church believes that Christ, who died and was raised for
the sake of all (cf. 2 Cor 5:15) can show man the way and strengthen him through
the Spirit in order to be worthy of his destiny: nor is there any other name under
heaven given among men by which they can be saved (cf. Acts 4:12). The Church
likewise maintains that the key, the center and the purpose of the whole of man’s
history is to be found in its Lord and Master. She also maintains that beneath all
that changes there is much that is unchanging, much that has its ultimate foun-
dation in Christ, who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever (cf. Heb 13:8)”
(Vatican II, “Gaudium Et Spes”, 10).

“Stir up that fire of faith. Christ is not a figure that has passed. He is not a memo-
ry that is lost in history.

“He lives! ‘”Jesus Christus heri et hodie, ipse et in saecula”’, says Saint Paul,
‘Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever”’
(St. J. Escriva, “The Way”, 584).

21. “Caesar” and “Augustus” were titles of the Roman emperor. At this time the
emperor was Nero (54-68).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.