Acts 26:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

NIV: Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

NASB: And Agrippa said to Festus, 'This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.'

CSB: Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar."

NLT: And Agrippa said to Festus, 'He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.'

KJV: Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

NKJV: Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

When Festus took over as governor, he resolved to have a good relationship with the local leadership. His first stop after arriving in his capital of Caesarea Maritima was Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin, still angry that Paul had been out of their grasp, quickly pushed their agenda. They asked Festus to bring Paul to Jerusalem for trial, planning to assassinate him along the way. Festus knew that Paul was a Roman citizen and had the right to choose where his trial would be, so he countered by inviting them to Caesarea where Paul had been placed under house arrest two years prior (Acts 25:1–5).

Festus knows very little about Judaism, Christianity, or the Jewish culture. From where he stood, he couldn't see anything valid in the Sanhedrin's accusations against Paul. But he still wanted to accommodate their request, so he asked Paul if he wouldn't mind moving the trial to Jerusalem. Paul scolded Festus, saying if he couldn't perform his legal duties and hold the trial in Caesarea, Paul would take advantage of his rights as a Roman citizen and move the trial to Caesar's court in Rome (Acts 25:6–12).

Festus will send Paul to Caesar, but he must also have legal charges. He's asked King Agrippa II and the leaders of Caesarea to hear Paul's testimony and determine what he should tell Caesar's court (Acts 25:23). The decision is obvious: "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment" (Acts 26:31).

Agrippa's words are true, but God has a reason for Paul's appeal. Two years prior Jesus had told Paul, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome" (Acts 23:11). Paul knows it's time to go to Rome, as he's wished to for years (Romans 1:9–10). To get there, he will survive a violent storm, a shipwreck, murderous guards, and a snakebite. When he arrives, the reception of the Jews will not be as enthusiastic as he wished. But he will share the story of Jesus with members of Caesar's household and write letters to Ephesus, Philippi, Colossae, and Philemon. And two years later, he will finally be free (Acts 27—28).

Acts 26:24–32 records Governor Felix and King Agrippa II reacting to Paul's testimony. He has just finished giving account of how he accepted Christ and dedicated his life to spreading the gospel. Festus thinks Paul has gone insane. Agrippa understands Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, but he can't accept the personal implications. What they all agree on, however, is that Paul shouldn't be imprisoned. If he hadn't appealed to Caesar, he should have been freed.

Acts 26 records Paul's testimony before the noblemen of Caesarea Maritima, as well as their reactions. He explains that Jewish leaders want him dead because he once persecuted the church, but now believes Jesus rose from the dead and has been spreading that message. Governor Festus thinks Paul has gone mad. King Agrippa II, however, finds his story compelling. They realize that had Paul not appealed to a higher Roman court, they could have let him go.

After being held in custody for two years and, again, hassled by the Sanhedrin who want to kill him, Paul appeals his case to Caesar (Acts 25:7–12). Before he travels to Rome, however, Governor Festus has Paul give his testimony before King Agrippa II and the noblemen of Caesarea Maritima (Act 25:23–27). When Paul is finished, they realize they should have set him free before he appealed to Caesar (Acts 26:30–32). But he must go to Rome, surviving a violent storm and a shipwreck along the way (Acts 27—28).

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.