Paul was given the opportunity to defend himself against the charges the Jewish leaders had claimed. Knowing that King Agrippa was extremely knowledgeable of Jewish history, teachings, and customs, he described his life and how he had lived according to all the Jewish customs and teachings. He went on to explain how his belief in Jesus was in keeping with Jewish teaching, although the Jewish leaders claimed that by teaching about Jesus, he violated the law and caused division among the Jewish people. The Jewish leaders had no proof of their claims against Paul, but Paul’s entire life was proof of his defense that he had lived according to Jewish teachings and that his encounter with, and belief in, Jesus was consistent with what the Bible teaches. Our lives should always be an example of what we say we believe.
As Paul describes his life to King Agrippa, he talks about when he met Jesus and how Jesus had called him to teach others about Him. So, in defending himself, Paul also shares Jesus with someone who needs Jesus. As Paul talked with King Agrippa, Governor Festus, who had never taken time to know or understand the Jews, thought Paul had lost his mind. He said this because he simply didn’t understand. This is what the Bible is talking about in 1 Corinthians 1:18 when it says the Gospel of Christ is foolish to those who don’t believe. We don’t have to get mad or aggravated when someone laughs about Jesus or makes fun of us for believing in Him; they simply don’t understand and need to learn about Him. In fact, Acts 26:28 tells us that King Agrippa was very close to believing in Jesus based on what Paul had shared.
Remember that King Agrippa was supposed to help Governor Festus write a creative letter to communicate to Caesar the dispute between Paul and the Jewish leaders and why it was so complicated that Paul was being sent to him to be heard. King Agrippa was not much help, though, because he too thought it was obvious that Paul had done nothing worthy of severe punishment and death.
Prayer: God, thank You for using Paul’s life as an example of how we should live our lives for Jesus. Help us to live according to God’s word, the Bible. Remind us to share with others about our life with Christ. Amen