Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man for myself.
The voluptuary’s desire for a new sensation
The scene is highly characteristic. The round of festivities in honour of the illustrious visitors began to flag-some novel show would be desirable. A Jewish heretic would interest Agrippa, who was himself a Jew. Berenice was clever and cultivated, and all women loved eloquence and genius, and Paul had both; and Berenice also loved novel and strange excitements. The upper classes then, as now, sated with luxury End refinement, found a certain fascination about prison life--out-of-the-way scent connected with police courts--human crime and misery. They liked a criminal cause celebre then just as they do now. An afternoon with Paul was the very thing to suit Agrippa and Berenice. (H. R. Haweis, M. A.)
Motives for hearing
Agrippa’s desire may be understood variously--
I. As the wish of a supercilious curiosity, which seeks nothing more than a passing entertainment.
II. As the expression of a worldly desire for knowledge, which is only concerned about interesting information.
III. As the earnest desire of the seeker for salvation, who feels the need of spiritual instruction. Application to Church going, hearing sermons, reading books, etc.(K. Gerok.)
And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing.--
The vanity of regal pomp
It is at this moment more than ever we are justified in saying with the wise man, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” Where is now the splendour of the consulate? Where their brilliancy of lamps and torches; the feast of joyous assemblies? Where are the crowns and magnificent ornaments? Where the flattering reports of the city--the acclamations of the circus--the adulations of thousands of spectators? All have passed away! The wind by one blast has swept the leaves, and now they show us a dead tree torn up by the roots, so violent has been the tempest. It lies a broken ruin. Where are the pretended friends--the swarm of parasites--the tables charged with luxury--the wine circulating during entire days; where the various refinements of feasting--the supple language of slaves? What has become of them all? A dream of the night which vanishes with the day! A flower of spring, which fades in the summer--a shade which passes! a vapour which scatters! a bubble of water which bursts! a spider’s web which is torn down--“Vanity of all vanities; all is vanity.” Inscribe these words on your walls, on your vestments, your palaces, your streets, your windows, your doors; inscribe them on your conscience, in order that they may represent it incessantly to your thoughts. Repeat them every morning, repeat them in the evening, and in the assemblies of fashion, let each repeat to his neighbour, “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.” (Chrysostom.)
The worth of worldly glory
As the naturalist observes of the glory of the rainbow, that it is wrought in the eye, and not in the cloud, and that there is no such pleasing variety of colours there as we see; so the pomp, and riches, and glory of this world are of themselves nothing, but are the work of our opinion and the creations of our fancy, and have no worth or price but what our lusts and desires set upon them. (A. Farindon.)
The audience chamber of Caesarea
I. A drawing room of worldly glory, by the splendour of the assembled nobility (Act_25:23).
II. A lecture room of holy doctrine, by the testimony of the apostle (Act_26:1-23).
III. A judgment hall of Divine majesty, by the impression of the apostolic discourse which discloses the secret of the heart (Act_26:24-32). (K. Gerok.)
How the Christian is regarded by the world
There are subjects about which the world has but one opinion, and towards which it maintains a tolerably consistent attitude, but Christianity is not one of them. Ask men of the world their opinions respecting profit, pleasure, health, death, etc., and you will get but one pronouncement; ask them about the religion of Christ and the answers will be almost as various as the men who give them. But practically they may be reduced to four when severely analysed, although intermingled, and are often found in combination. The Christian and his religion are regarded with--
I. Hatred. The Jews (Act_25:24) so regarded Paul. To everything that corrupt Judaism held dear the apostle was an uncompromising antagonist. And so they cried “that he ought to live no longer”--a cry often heard since, and heard now. The money grubber, the pleasure seeker, the vicious hate the Christian and his faith. The attitude of Christianity towards the mere accumulation of wealth, towards sensuality, oppression, etc., necessarily arouses the bitterest hostility. There can be no truce between them. Victory in the one case means extermination in the other.
II. Perplexity. Festus (Act_25:26-27) was nearly worried out of his life with the problem. Paul was a standing menace to the peace of his province, and yet he was guilty of nothing, as far as he could see, which could bring him under the ban of Roman law. Hence his desire to have the case heard by such experts in religious matters as the Sanhedrin and Agrippa. And Paul having appealed to Caesar on grounds of which he was deplorably ignorant, Festus was painfully embarrassed as to what to say about him to his imperial master. Festus is not a solitary instance of perplexity about Christians and their faith, Many now can make nothing of either; but often enough are ready to consult authorities like the Sanhedrin or Agrippa, who can give no satisfactory solution of the problem. Why did not Festus give himself the same trouble as Felix did, and commune with Paul? And so the obvious question in relation to the perplexed today is, Why do they not consult Christians or their Scriptures? The unreasonableness of the position is obvious. What would be thought of a man, troubled with scientific, political, or historical questions, who never consulted the proper authorities!
III. Curiosity. Agrippa probably laughed in his sleeve at both the animosity of the Jews and the perplexity of Festus. Yet, “desiring to hear Paul for himself,” he displayed a somewhat more reasonable temper. This is all that Christianity asks, and the Christian thinks himself happy when he has the chance of answering for himself before an “expert” (chap. 26:2, 3), whatever may be the result. The result, however, is often only that reached by experts in science, etc. The Christian has to be accounted for, and when an hypothesis is framed which satisfies curiosity he is labelled, like a geological specimen, and forgotten. So he is studied by the historian, the politician, the comparative religionist, etc. That he or his principles have any interest beyond this is not admitted for a moment.
IV. Indifference and contempt. What Berenice thought is not stated, for obvious reasons. She neither hated, nor was perplexed, nor curious about Paul. The trial was a new sensation, and that over perhaps both the occasion and the apostle were dismissed from her thoughts. What cared she for theological questions or for the fate of an enthusiast. And so there are many for whom a religious ceremony may have a passing interest, but who neither know nor care about the questions involved. The sordid man of business, or a voluptuous pleasure seeker, may attend a religious pageant in aid of a religious charity, but what care they for the object promoted.
Conclusion:
1. Contact with Christianity becomes a test of character.
2. Contact with it even for once may decide a destiny. The Jews, Festus, Agrippa, Berenice--what occurred to them afterwards? What are they now?(J. W. Burn.)
