that he declined the offer, as perhaps Festus supposed he would. VER. 10. Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. Then said Paul, &c.-The reasons why Paul declined the proposal to be trial at Jerusalem are obvious. He had experienced so much violent persecution from his countrymen; and their minds were so full of prejudice, misconceptions, and enmity, that he had neither justice nor favour to hope at their hands. He knew too that they had formerly plotted against his life, and that he had been removed to Cæsarea for the purpose of safety. It would be madness and folly to throw himself again into their hands, or to give them another opportunity to form a plan against his life. As he was, therefore, under no obligation to return to Jerusalem; and as Festus did not propose it because it could be supposed that justice would be promoted by it, but to gratify the Jews, Paul prudently declined the proposal, and appealed to the Roman emperor. I stand at Cesar's judgment-seat.- The Roman emperors after Julius Cesar were all called Cesar; thus, Augustus Cesar, Claudius Cesar, &c., as all the kings of Egypt were called Pharaoh, though they had each his proper name, as Pharaoh Necho, &c. The emperor at this time (A.D. 60) was Nero, one of the most cruel and impious men that ever sat on a throne. It was under him that Paul was afterwards beheaded. When Paul says, "I stand at Cesar's judgment-seat," he means to say that he regarded the tribunal before which he then stood, and on which Festus sat, as really the judgment-seat of Cesar. The procurator, or governor, held his commission from the Roman emperor, and it was, in fact, his tribunal. The reason why Paul made this declaration, may be thus expressed: "I am a Roman citizen. I have a right to justice. I am under no obligation to put myself again in the hands of the Jews. have a right to a fair and impartial trial; and I claim the protection and privileges which all Roman citizens have before their tribunals; the right of a fair and just trial." It was, therefore, a severe rebuke of Festus for proposing to depart from the known justice of the Roman laws; and for the sake of popularity, proposing to him to put himself in the hands of his enemies. Where I ought to be judged.-Where I have a right to demand and expect justice. I have a right to be tried where courts are usually held, and according to all the forms of equity which are usually observed. I have done no wrong.-I have not injured their persons, property, character, or religion. This was a bold appeal which his consciousness of innocence, and the whole course of proceedings enabled him to make, without the possibility of their gainsaying it. As thou very well knowest.-Festus knew, probably, that Paul had been tried by Felix, and that nothing was proved against him. He had now seen the spirit of the Jews, and the cause why they arraigned him. He had given Paul a trial, and had called I on the Jews to adduce their "able" men to accuse him, and after all, nothing had been proved against him. Festus knew therefore that he was innocent. This abundantly appears also from his own confession, ver. 18, 19. As he knew this, and as Festus was proposing to depart from the regular course of justice for the sake of popularity, it was proper for Paul to use the strong language of rebuke, and to claim what he knew Festus did not dare to deny him, the protection of the Roman laws. Conscious innocence may be bold; and Christians have a right to insist on impartial justice, and the protection of the laws. Alas! how many magistrates there have been like Festus, who, when Christians have been arraigned before them, have been fully satisfied of their innocence, but who, for the sake of popularity, have departed from all the rules of law, and all the claims of justice. VER. 11. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Cesar. d Chap. xxvi. 32. d For if I be an offender.-If I have injured the Jews so as to deserve death. If it can be proved that I have done injury to any one. I refuse not to die.-I have no wish to escape justice. I do not wish to evade the laws, or to take advantage of any circumstances to screen me from just punishment. Paul's whole course showed that this was the noble spirit which actuated him. No true Christian wishes to escape from the laws. He will honour them, and not seek to evade them. But, like other men, he has rights; and he may and should insist that justice should be done. No man may deliver me unto them.-No man shall be allowed to do it. This bold and confident declaration Paul could make, because he knew what the law required, and he knew that Festus would not dare to deliver him up contrary to the law. Boldness is not incompatible with Christianity; and innocence, when its rights are invaded, is always bold. Jesus firmly asserted his rights when on trial, (John xviii. 23 ;) and no man is under obligation to submit to be trampled on by an unjust tribunal in violation of the laws. I appeal unto Cesar.-I appeal to the Roman emperor, and carry my cause directly before him. By the Valerian, Porcian, and Sempronian laws, it had been enacted, that if any magistrate should be about to beat, or to put to death any Roman citizen, the accused could appeal to the Roman people, and this appeal carried the cause to Rome. The law was so far changed under the emperors, that the cause should be carried before the emperor, instead of the people. Every citizen had the right of this appeal; and when it was made, the accused was sent to Rome for trial. Thus Pliny (Epist. x. 97) says, that those Christians who were accused, and who, being Roman citizens, appealed to Cesar, he sent to Rome to be tried. The reason why Paul made this appeal was, that he saw that justice would not be done him by the Roman governor. He had been tried by Felix, and justice had been denied him, and he was detained a prisoner in violation of law, to gratify the Jews; he had now been tried by Festus, and saw that he was pursuing the same course; and he resolved, therefore, to assert his rights, and remove the cause far from Jerusalem, and from the prejudiced men in that city, at once to Rome. It was in this mysterious way that Paul's long cherished desire to see the Roman church, and to preach the gospel there, was to be gratified. Comp. Note on Rom. i. 9-11. For this he had prayed long. (Rom. i. 10; xv. 23, 24.) and now at length this purpose was to be fulfilled. God answers prayer; but it is often in a way which we little anticipate. He so orders the train of events; he so places us amidst a press of circumstances, that the desire is granted in a way which we could never have anticipated, but which shows in the best manner that he is a hearer of prayer. VER. 12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Cesar? unto Cesar shalt thou go. When he had conferred with the council.-With his associate judges, or with those who were his counsellors in the administration of justice. They were made up of the chief persons, probably military as well as civil, who were about him, and who were his assistants in the administration of the affairs of the province. Unto Cesar shalt thou go. He was willing in this way to rid himself of this trial, and of the vexation attending it. He did not dare to deliver him to the Jews in violation of the Roman laws; and he was not willing to do justice to Paul, and thus make himself unpopular with the Jews. He was, therefore, probably rejoiced at the opportunity of thus freeing himself from all the trouble in the case, in a manner against which none could object. with Abila. (Antiq. b. xx. ch. 7, § 1.) After the death of Claudius, Nero his successor added to his dominions Julias in Perea, and a part of Galilee. Agrippa had been brought up at Rome; and was strongly attached to the Romans. When the troubles commenced in Judea which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem, he did all that be could to preserve peace and order, but in vain. He afterwards joined his troops with those of the Romans, and assisted them at the destruction of Jerusalem. After the captivity of that city, he went to Rome with his sister Bernice, where he ended his days. He died at the age of seventy years, about A.D. 90. His manner of living with his sister, gave occasion to reports respecting him very little to his advantage. And Bernice.-She was sister of Agrippa. She had been married to Herod, king of Chalcis, her own uncle by her father's side. After his death, she proposed to ‚' Polemon king of Pontus and part of Cilicia, that if he would become circumcised she would marry him. He complied, but she did not continue long with him. After she left him, she returned to | her brother Agrippa with whom she lived in a manner such as to excite scandal. Josephus directly charges her with incest with her brother Agrippa. (Antiq. b. xx. ch. 7, § 3.) To salute Festus. To show him respect as the governor of Judea. VER. 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. Festus declared Paul's cause.-He did this, probably, because Agrippa being a Jew, would be supposed to be interested in the case. It was natural that this trial should be a topic of conversation, and perhaps Festus might be disposed to ask what was proper to be done in such cases. Left in bonds.-Greek, "a prisoner," (oog) He was left in custody, probably in the keeping VER. 13. And after certain days king Agrippa of a soldier. (Chap. xxiv. 23, 27.) and Bernice came unto Cæsarea to salute Festus. And after certain days king Agrippa.-This Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa, (Acts xii. 1,) and great grandson of Herod the Great. His mother's name was Cypros. (Josephus, Jewish Wars, b. ii. ch. 11, § 6.) When his father died, he was at Rome with the emperor Claudius. Josephus says that the emperor was inclined to bestow upon him all his father's dominions, but was dissuaded by his ministers. The reason of this was that it was thought imprudent to bestow so large a kingdom on so young a man, and one so inexperienced. Accordingly, Claudius sent Cuspius Fadus to be procurator of Judea, and of the entire kingdom. (Josephus, Antiq. b. xix. ch. 9, § 2.) When Herod, the brother of his father Agrippa the Great, died in the eighth year of the reign of Claudius, his kingdom-the kingdom of Chalcis, was bestowed by Claudius on Agrippa. (Josephus, Antiq. b. xx. ch. 5, § 2.) Afterwards he bestowed on him the tetrarchy of Philip and Batanea, and added to it Trachonitis VER. 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. e Ver. 2, 3. About whom, &c. See ver. 1-5. To have judgment against him.-To have him condemned. VER. 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. It is not the manner, &c.-He here states the reasons which he gave to the Jews for not delivering Paul into their hands. In ver. 4, 5, we have an account of the fact that he would not accede to the requests of the Jews; and he here which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. But had certain questions.-Certain inquiries, or litigated and disputed subjects; certain points of dispute in which they differed, (nhμara riva.) Of their own superstition.-Leioidaiovias. This word properly denotes the worship, or fear of demons; but was applied by the Greeks and Romans to the worship of their gods. It is the same word which is used in Acts xvii. 22, where it is used in a good sense. See Note on that place. There are two reasons for thinking that Festus used the word here in a good sense, and not in the sense in which we use the word superstition. (1.) It was the word by which the worship of the Greeks and Romans, and, therefore, of Festus himself, was denoted, and he would naturally use it in a similar sense in applying it to the Jews. He would wish simply to describe their worship in such language as he was accustomed to use when speaking of religion. (2.) He knew that Agrippa was a Jew. Festus would not probably speak of the religion of his royal guest as superstition, but would speak of it with respect. He meant, therefore, to say simply, that they had certain inquiries about their own religion; but accused him of no crime against the Roman laws. And of one Jesus, which was dead. states that the reason of his refusal was, that it was contrary to the Roman law. Appian in his Roman history says, "it is not their custom to condemn men before they are heard." Philo (de Præs. Rom.) says the same thing. In Tacitus (Annal. ii.) it is said, "a defendant is not to be prohibited from adducing all things, by which his innocence may be established." It was for this, that the equity of the Roman jurisprudence was celebrated throughout the world. We may remark that it is a subject of sincere gratitude to the God of our nation, that this privilege is enjoyed in the highest perfection in this land. It is the privilege of every man here to be heard; to know the charges against him; to be confronted with the witnesses; to make his defence; and to be tried by the laws, and not by the passions and caprices of men. In this respect our jurisprudence surpasses all that Rome ever enjoyed; and is not inferior to that of the most favoured nation of the earth. To deliver.-To give him up as a favour, (xapilɛoda,) to popular clamour and caprice. Yet our Saviour, in violation of the Roman laws, was thus given up by Pilate. (Matt. xxvii. 18-25.) Have the accusers face to face. That he may know who they are, and hear their accusations, and refute them. Nothing contributes more to justice than this. Tyrants suffer men to be accused without knowing who the accusers are, and without an oppor--Greek, "Of one dead Jesus." It is evident tunity of meeting the charges. It is one great principle of modern jurisprudence, that the accused may know the accusers, and be permitted to confront the witnesses, and adduce all the testimony possible in his own defence. And have license.-Greek, "place of apology,"-may have the liberty of defending himself. VER. 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. ƒ Ver. 6. Therefore when they were come hither, &c.-See ver. 6. VER. 18. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed : None accusation, &c.-No charge as I expected of a breach of the peace; of a violation of the Roman law; of atrocious crime. It was natural that Festus should suppose that they would accuse Paul of some such offence. He had been arraigned before Felix; had been two years in custody; and the Jews were exceedingly violent against him. All this, Festus would presume, must have arisen from some flagrant and open violation of the laws. VER. 19. But & had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, g Chap. xviii. 15. that Festus had no belief that Jesus had been raised up; and in this he would expect that Agrippa would concur with him. Paul had admitted that Jesus had been put to death; but he maintained that he had been raised from the dead. As Festus did not believe this, he spoke of it with the utmost contempt. "They had a dispute about one dead Jesus, whom Paul affirmed to be alive." In this manner a Roman magistrate could speak of the glorious truth of the Christian religion; and this shows the spirit with which the great mass of philosophers and statesmen regarded its doctrines. VER. 20. And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. hor, I was doubtful how to inquire hereof. And because I doubted of such manner of questions. See the margin. Because I hesitated about the right way of disposing of them; because I was ignorant of their nature and bearing, might be there more fully investigated. It is I proposed to go to Jerusalem, that the matter obvious, that if Paul was not found guilty of violation of the laws, he should have been at once discharged. Some interpreters understand this as affirming that he was not satisfied about the question of Paul's innocence, or certain whether he ought to be set at liberty or not. any VER. 21. But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I com i or, judgment. manded him to be kept till I might send him to Cæsar. But when he had appealed.-Ver. 11. To be reserved. To be kept; not to be tried at Jerusalem, but to be sent to Rome for trial. Unto the hearing.-Margin," the judgment." That Augustus might hear and decide the cause. Of Augustus.-The reigning emperor at this time was Nero. The name Augustus (2ẞaoroc) properly denotes that which is venerable, or worthy of honour and reverence. It was first applied to Cæsar Octavianus, who was the Roman emperor in the time when our Saviour was born, and who is usually called Augustus Cæsar. But the title continued to be used of his successors in office, as denoting the veneration or reverence which was due to the rank of emperor. VER. 22. Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. Then Agrippa said, &c.-Agrippa doubtless had heard much of the fame of Jesus, and of the new sect of Christians; and probably he was induced by mere curiosity to hear what Paul could say in explanation and defence of the doctrine of Christianity. The wish of Agrippa gave occasion to the noblest defence which was ever made before any tribunal, and to as splendid eloquence as can be found any where in any language. See chap. xxvi. Have dealt with me.-Have appeared before me, desiring me to try him. They have urged me to condemn him. Crying out, &c.-Comp. chap. xxii. 22. They had sought that he should be put to death. VER. 26. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. Of whom.-Respecting his character, opinions, manner of life; and respecting the charges against him. No certain thing.-Nothing definite, and well established. They had not accused Paul of any crime against the Roman laws; and Festus professes himself too ignorant of the customs of the Jews to inform the emperor distinctly of the nature of the charges, and the subject of trial. Unto my lord.-To the emperor; to Cæsar. This name "Lord," the emperors Augustus and Tiberius had rejected, and would not suffer it to be applied to them. Suetonius (Life of Augustus, v. 53) says, "the appellation of Lord he always abhorred as abomi nable and execrable." See also Suetonius' Life of Tiberius, v. 27. The emperors that succeeded VER. 23. And on the morrow, when Agrippa themselves to be called by this name. Nothing them, however, admitted the title, and suffered was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and would be more satisfactory to Nero, the reigning was entered into the place of hearing, with the emperor, than this title. I might have somewhat chief captains, and principal men of the city, to write.-As Agrippa was a Jew, and was acat Festus' commandment Paul was brought Jews, Festus supposed that after hearing Paul, quainted with the customs and doctrine of the forth. With great pomp.-Greek, “With much phantasy," (pavraoias;) with much show, parade, and splendour. It was an occasion on which he could exhibit much of the splendour of royalty, and he chose to do it. Into the place of hearing. -The court-room; or the place where the judges heard and tried causes. With the chief captains. -Greek, the chiliarchs; the commanders of a thousand men. It means here, that the military officers were assembled. The principal men of the city.—the civil officers, or the men of reputa tion and influence. he would be able to inform him of the exact nature of these charges, so that he could present the case intelligibly to the emperor. VER. 27. For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. p Prov. xviii. 13. John vii. 51. For it seemeth to me unreasonable. — Festus felt He was about to send a prisoner to Rome to be that he was placed in an embarrassing situation. tried, who had been tried by himself, and who had appealed from his jurisdiction; and yet he was ignorant of the charges against him, and of mitted. When prisoners were thus sent to Rome the nature of his offences, if any had been comto be tried before the emperor, it would be proper that the charges should be all specified, and the evidence stated by which they were supported. Yet Festus could do neither; and it is not wonderful that he felt himself perplexed and embarrassed; and that he was glad to avail himself of the desire which Agrippa had expressed to hear Paul, that he might be able to specify the charges against him. Withal. Also; at the same time. To signify. To specify, or make them known. In concluding this chapter, we may observe :— (1.) That in the case of Agrippa, we have an instance of the reasons which induce many men to hear the gospel. He had no belief in it; he had no concern for its truth or its promises; but he was led by curiosity to desire to hear the minister of the gospel of Christ. Curiosity thus draws multitudes to the sanctuary. In many instances, they remain unaffected and unconcerned in regard to its provisions of mercy. They listen, and are unmoved, and die in their sins. In many instances, like Agrippa, they are almost persuaded to be Christians. (Chap. xxvi. 28.) But, like him, they resist the appeals, and die uninterested in the plan of salvation. In some instances, they are converted; and their curiosity, like that of Zaccheus, is made the means of their embracing the Saviour. (Luke xix. 1-9.) Whatever may be the motive which induces men to desire to hear, it is the duty of the ministry cheerfully and thankfully, like Paul, to state the truth, and to defend the Christian religion. (2.) In Festus we have a specimen of the manner in which the great men, and the rich, and the proud, usually regard Christianity. They esteem it to be a subject of inquiry, in which they have no interest; a question about "one dead Jesus," whom Christians affirm to be alive. Whether he be alive or not; whether Christianity be true or false, they suppose is an inquiry which does not pertain to them. Strange that it did not occur to Festus, that if he was alive, his religion was true; and that it was possible that it might be from God. And strange that the men of this world regard the Christian religion as a subject in which they have no personal interest, but as one concerning which Christians only should inquire, and in which they alone should feel any concern. (3.) In Paul we have the example of a man unlike both Festus and Agrippa. He felt a deep interest in the subject-a subject which pertained as much to them as to him. He was willing not only to look at it with curiosity, but to stake his life, his reputation, his all, on its truth. He was willing to defend it every where, and before any class of men. At the same time that he urged his rights as a Roman citizen, yet it was mainly that he might preach the gospel. At the same time that he was anxious to secure justice to himself, yet his chief anxiety was to declare the truth of God. Before any tribunal; before any class of men, in the presence of princes, nobles, and kings, of Romans and of Jews, he was ready to pour forth irresistible eloquence and argument in defence of the truth. Who would not rather be Paul than either Festus or Agrippa? Who would not rather be a prisoner like him, than invested with authority like Festus, or clothed in splendour like Agrippa? And who would not rather be an honest and cordial believer of the gospel like Paul, than, like them, to be cold contemners or neglecters of the God that made them, and of the Saviour that died, and rose again? CHAPTER XXVI. VER. 1. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: Then Paul stretched forth the hand.-See Note, chap. xxi. 40. This was the usual posture of orators or public speakers. The ancient statues are commonly made in this way, with the right hand extended. The dress of the ancients favoured this. The long and loose robe, or outer garment, was fastened usually with a hook or clasp on the right shoulder, and thus left the arm at full liberty. And answered for himself.-It cannot be supposed that Paul expected that his defence would be attended with a release from confinement; for he had himself appealed to the Roman emperor. (Chap. xxv. 11.) His design in speaking before Agrippa was, doubtless, (1.) To vindicate his character, and obtain Agrippa's attestation to his innocence, that thus he might allay the anger of the Jews; (2.) To obtain a correct representation of the case to the emperor, as Festus had desired this in order that Agrippa might enable him to make a fair statement of the case, (chap. xxv. 26, 27;) and, (3.) To defend his own conversion, and the truth of Christianity, and to preach the gospel in the hearing of Agrippa and the attendants, with a hope that their minds might be improved by the truth, and that they might be converted to God. VER. 2. I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: I think myself happy.-I esteem it a favour and a privilege to be permitted to make my defence before one acquainted with Jewish customs and opinions. His defence, on former occasions, had been before Roman magistrates, who had little acquaintance with the opinions and customs of the Jews, who were not disposed to listen to the discussion of the points of difference between him and them, and who looked upon all their controversies with contempt. See chap. xxiv. XXV. They were, therefore, little qualified to decide a question which was closely connected with the Jewish customs and doctrines; and Paul now rejoiced to know that he was before one who, from his acquaintance with the Jewish customs and belief, would be able to appreciate his arguments and motives. Paul was not now on his trial; but he was to defend himself, or state his cause, so that Agrippa might be able to aid Festus in transmitting a true account of the case to the Roman emperor. It was his interest and duty, therefore, to defend himself as well as possible; and to put him in possession of all the facts in the case. His defence is, consequently, made up chiefly of a most eloquent statement of the facts just as they had occurred. I shall answer.-I shall be permitted to make a statement, |