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A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold is as pictures of silver.(Prov.25:11) It is so important to speak the right words to people at the right time to produce the right results. When you think of apples of gold in pictures of silver, then you are thinking of wealth and excellence. When we speak wisdom into the lives of others we are making them wealthy. Therefore we must seek God for He is the source of all wisdom and He will give us just the right words needed at the right time.
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#Then Agrippa said unto Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered for himself: Acts 26:1
The Greek word for stretched is Ekteino, which means to extend or cast forth either to point out something. So Paul is indeed happy that Agrippa has agreed to hear his case. Thus he stretches forth with his legal limbo to tell his case to King Agrippa. Jesus had told the disciples that they would be brought before kings to be a witness before them. This is indeed the absolute will of God for Paul to stand before Agrippa to give his testimony and the Holy Spirit gives Paul the right words to speak to the king. Just as Jesus had said and I thank God for allowing us to come before kings, and magistrates to preach the gospel of the coming kingdom. For the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and He will rule them with a rod of iron. So never be afraid to say thus sayeth the Lord, for He is the King of kings and Lord of Lords. We are here to represent him as ambassadors. It is my prayer that as we are witnessing the United Kingdom mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, let us pray for King Charles III that the Lord will give him the wisdom to rule the kingdom with wisdom as his mother did and keep the Monarch alive in the twenty-first century.
#And Festus said, King Agrippa and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here crying that he ought not to live any longer. Acts 25:24
The Greek word for a multitude is Plethos which means a great number, the assemblage. And so it is that a Plethos of Jews want to see Paul ought not to live any longer, so Festus is appealing to Agrippa to hear his case. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto him to my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you and especially before thee, O king Agrippa, that after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. So we see how the Lord God is using Festus to set Paul free before Agrippa. Since the Jews cannot prove the guilt of Paul, the Roman law commands that he be set free. Truly the Lord makes all things beautiful in his time. Just as the scriptures tell us, so we too must appeal to the Lord who is the judge of all men who says whom the Son has set free is free indeed.
#And on the morrow, when Agrippa came, 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. Act 25:23
The Greek name for Agrippa was Agrippas meaning Agrippa the name of two descendants of Herod the Great. Bernice was the daughter of Herod Agrippa I. She married first her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis, and after his death Polemon, king of Cilicia. Deserting him soon afterward, she returned to her brother Agrippa, with whom previously when a widow she was said to have lived incestuously. So we see how Paul is about to be judged by these officials whose lives were in need of saving. As we remember September 11, 2001, we remember the lives of those who lost their lives from the tragic events of the airplanes flying into the twin towers. Thank God that there will be a resurrection of the just and the unjust. Paul is on trial because of his belief in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has placed Paul in just the right place to be a witness for him. We too are at the right place to witness someone who lost a loved one and needs to know that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and whoever believes in Him will not die. Many people just like Bernice need to know Jesus Christ in the pardon of their sins. Tell them there is no secret what God can do, as the great hymn of the church goes. God is able. This is the good news that Jesus Christ gives us when we repent of our sins and turn to faith in Him.
#Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: but had certain questions against him of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Acts 25 18, 19
The Greek word for superstition is Deisidaimonia meaning religion in a good sense, reverence for the gods, and piety according to Polybius. So we see the Jews were religious but they were divided over Paul's belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, Paul affirmed to them that Jesus was indeed alive and had saved him on the Damascus road. All the graves of the religious leaders who have died still have the bones of them there, but no one can find the bones of Jesus. He is alive forevermore and has the power over death and the grave. He has risen just as he said and Paul is a witness to this fact. And because I doubted such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters. But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. What a blessing as we are the aroma of Christ everywhere we go, to those who believe we are the aroma of life, but to those who believe not the aroma of death.
#Therefore, when they have come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Acts 25:17
The Greek word for judgment seat is Bema which is by implication a tribunal. Used of the official seat of a judge. This will be the Bema seat where we Christians will stand before the Lord Jesus in heaven to answer for our works after salvation. II Cor. 5:10 So Paul is to be arraigned on the Bema seat on the morrow because of his faith in the resurrection. Jesus told us that if we would be ashamed of Him before men, then the Lord would be ashamed of us before the Father and His angels in heaven. So Paul is bold as a lion and will speak of his faith. We can learn a lot from this lesson as we prepare for our day to be a witness for our Lord. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: But had certain questions against him of their own superstition and one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Yes, He is risen indeed as since the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ these apostles have been turning the world upside down for Him. For He was resurrected by many infallible proofs and we too stand in awe at the fact that He has risen and my life is transformed. Just like Paul was transformed on the Damascus road when he met the risen Savior, the former persecutor is now praying. If any man is in Christ Jesus he is a new creature, for old things are passed away and all things have become new.
Our prayers go out for the United Kingdom in the passing of Queen Elizabeth II she will be greatly missed and we thank the Lord for her 70 yr. reign and she truly gave peace and security to the world. Truly she is at peace in heaven now once again united with Prince Phillip her husband. God save the new King Charles III may he be inspired to continue the reign in peace.
#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 the license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Acts 25:16
The Greek word for face-to-face is Kata. which we would call today a sworn statement of facts by the accuser under penalty of perjury. Paul as a Roman citizen is innocent until proven guilty by a jury of his peers. Today bail is given to the defendant accused of a crime to hire counsel to defend themselves. If the defendant is too poor to afford counsel, then the court will appoint a public defender to adjudicate the case. I was once falsely accused of a crime, and the accuser was not willing to give a sworn statement of facts, so the case against me was moot, and thrown out. What a blessing to be an American citizen and also a citizen of heaven as we have the best defense attorney in the Lord Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven interceding for us. Who shall lay any cause to God's elect, for Christ Jesus died, and rose again for our justification. There is therefore no condemnation of those who are in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
#Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go. Acts 25:12
The Greek word for conferred is Syllaleo which means to talk together. So it was that after conferring with Paul, Festus conferred with the council and asked hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Since they did not respond in the affirmative he said unto Caesar shalt thou go. Thank God that the legal system has checks and balances so the council has to go through them to accuse Paul before the highest power in the land of Caesar. And after certain days king, Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. 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: About whom when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have a judgment against him. In the legal system, these are called interrogatories, which are the pre-trial motions before the case goes before Caesar. Thank God that there must be discovery done by both sides to see if the case against Paul has merits. So this is why Festus disclosed the facts to king Agrippa and Bernice about what Felix had done unto Paul by leaving him in bonds.
#For if I am an offender, or have committed anything 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 Caesar. Acts 25:11
The Greek word for appeal is Epikaleo which means to call upon by implication, invoke. James 2:7 Paul is very wise for he says if I have done anything worthy of death, then I will not refuse to die. But he argues that for what these are accusing me of, no man can deliver unto them. Therefore I appeal or invoke myself to Caesar. Jesus said to render unto God the things that be of God and to render unto Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. Since subject matter jurisdiction is in the hands of Caesar, Paul refuses to be sent away from him. Paul realizes that he has an obligation to obey God more than man, and yet God tells us to submit to the Government as long as it is not in opposition to God. Xenophon, Plato, and others did the same. So Paul is using the wisdom that is given to him by the Holy Spirit. Paul is acting Hebraistically to call upon by pronouncing the name of Jehovah as an invocation of the divine name. What a beautiful thing this is for Christians as our citizenship is in heaven, and we look to Jehovah God to vindicate us on this earth when we are wrongly accused, as God says vengeance is mine, I shall repay. Paul knows the Jews are trying to kill him falsely so he appeals to Caesar knowing that God almighty will hear his case and overrule what the Jews have planned to do unto him.
#And when he has come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. Acts 25:7
The Greek word for grievous is Baros which means weighty, i.e. burdensome or imposing the weightier precepts of the law. Matt, 23:23 The Greek word for complaints is Aitia which means a thing charged or an accusation of guilt. So it was that for all the charges that they made against Paul they were not able to prove it according to the law. While Paul answered for himself, neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple nor yet against Caesar, have I offended anything at all? What a profound question that the Jews could not answer. But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? This is a common political stance to take as to not offend the Jews. Then Paul said I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. Paul knows that Caesar's court has jurisdiction over his case and that he cannot be proven guilty by the Jews. We need to be well versed in the Law of man, as well as the law of God. Since the Jews cannot exhibit or demonstrate their guilt, they must be set free according to Roman law.
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