Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. So when 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. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.”
This is such a great early record of people outside the church being confused about arguments inside the church. Notice that he doesn’t mention the claims that the religious leaders brought against Paul. Those accusations were all over the place! He almost doesn’t understand it enough to know what they’re arguing about.
I wonder how often the outside world looks at the church the same way today. If we are arguing about whether everyone will disappear before the end of the world, way before the end of the world, or after the end of the world, but we can’t even raise our kids or get our marriages straight, what do our internal arguments matter?
Note also that it seems like this guy is genuinely trying to figure something out. Aside from all of the disputes that he doesn’t understand, there is one statement that perplexes him:
a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.
This was a key part of Paul’s message and it is what Festus is kind of stuck on.
Leave it to the Lord to continue to spread out His good news, even though curious Roman rulers.
Now a decision that was left up to Felix, but then became a decision for Festus, goes to King Agrippa. Paul doesn’t mind. The more people that kick this judgment down the road, the more people Paul gets to speak to.
God is working in each of our lives. It’s not obvious, and it doesn’t say it explicitly here in Bible either, but every setback or delay is a chance for God to get some more glory. It’s easy to see it happen in the Bible and sometimes in other people’s lives. If you have some time, look and ask God where He’s using delays and setbacks in your own life to grow His glory. It is always a pleasant surprise.
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