Acts 25:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

NIV: The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

NASB: So, on the next day when Agrippa and Bernice came amid great pomp and entered the auditorium, accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought before them.

CSB: So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in.

NLT: So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in.

KJV: And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.

NKJV: So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in.

King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice are in Caesarea Maritima visiting the new governor, Porcius Festus. Agrippa and Bernice are the children of Agrippa I who killed the apostle James, tried to kill Peter, and eventually died of internal worms after allowing the people to declare him a god (Acts 12:1–3, 20–23). Agrippa and Bernice's grandfather was Herod the Great who tried to kill the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:16–18). The brother and sister are also lovers.

Festus replaced Felix as governor around AD 58. Felix had been cruel and licentious. The residents of Caesarea sent so many messages to Caesar that Felix found himself in Rome to answer for his crimes. Festus is fair and reasonable; within three days of arriving at his new position, he traveled to Jerusalem to establish good relations with the Jewish leaders (Acts 25:1).

Military tribunes are commanders in charge of logistics and administration. They may also be called on to lead units into battle. They are typically about twenty-seven years old and use the one-year position to broaden their potential as Roman senators.

Festus has assembled the audience, in part, to honor Agrippa with a unique form of entertainment. It is also partly to gain assistance. Two years prior, Felix had heard a case wherein the Sanhedrin brought serious charges against a man named Paul. He determined Paul had done nothing wrong, but he didn't want to set Paul free and irritate the Jews, so he kept him under house arrest (Acts 24).

Festus inherited the mess. While trying to accommodate the wishes of the Sanhedrin, he re-tried Paul and came to the same conclusion as Felix. But Paul stopped the trial by criticizing Festus for not taking responsibility for his duties and demanding he be sent to Caesar if Festus wouldn't make a ruling (Acts 25:2–12).

Now, Festus must send Paul to Rome—but the prisoner has committed no crime. So, the confused governor has invited the crowd to hear Paul's story and determine if he can be charged with anything (Acts 25:25–27).

Acts 25:23–27 describes Festus giving King Agrippa II and Bernice a flamboyant greeting for the day's entertainment. He has invited the military and civilian leaders to the great hall to hear the story of Paul. This is the man Felix incarcerated for two years, the Sanhedrin wants dead, and who is on his way to have his case tried before Caesar. By the end of Paul's testimony, the room is convinced: Paul hasn't committed any crime (Acts 26). And yet, because he appealed to a higher Roman court (Acts 25:11), he must go.

In Acts 25, the new governor, Festus, must clean up Felix's mess. He tries to ingratiate himself with the Sanhedrin but when they ask him to bring Paul to Jerusalem for trial, he refuses. The Sanhedrin agrees to come to Caesarea Maritima, instead, to present their accusations. Festus quickly realizes they don't have a case. Yet when he hesitates to dismiss the charges, Paul appeals the case to a higher court. Festus then invites King Agrippa II, the king's sister Bernice, and the city leaders to hear Paul and determine how to justify Paul's presence before Caesar.

When Felix is called back to Rome to answer for his cruelty, he leaves a bit of a mess. Paul is still under house arrest without charges (Acts 24). When the new governor Festus refuses to exonerate him, Paul appeals to a higher court. Paul is a Roman citizen, so Festus must send him. Yet he still has no formal charges. After inviting King Agrippa II and the city leaders to hear Paul's testimony, they realize Paul has done nothing wrong and should have been released. Paul and Luke survive a harrowing sea voyage but finally arrive at Rome (Acts 27—29).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.