Acts 25:13-27, Paul Speaks to Agrippa and Bernice

13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus. 14They had been there for several days, when Festus told the king about the charges against Paul. He said:


Felix left a man here in jail, 15and when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders came and asked me to find him guilty. 16I told them that it isn't the Roman custom to hand a man over to people who are bringing charges against him. He must first have the chance to meet them face to face and to defend himself against their charges.


17So when they came here with me, I wasted no time. On the very next day I took my place on the judge's bench and ordered him to be brought in. 18But when the men stood up to make their charges against him, they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I thought they would. 19Instead, they argued with him about some of their beliefs and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul said was alive.


20Since I did not know how to find out the truth about all this, I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be put on trial there. 21But Paul asked to be kept in jail until the Emperor could decide his case. So I ordered him to be kept here until I could send him to the Emperor.


22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear what this man has to say."


Festus answered, "You can hear him tomorrow."


23The next day Agrippa and Bernice made a big show as they came into the meeting room. High ranking army officers and leading citizens of the town were also there. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in 24and said:


King Agrippa and other guests, look at this man! Every Jew from Jerusalem and Caesarea has come to me, demanding for him to be put to death. 25I have not found him guilty of any crime deserving death. But because he has asked to be judged by the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.


26I have to write some facts about this man to the Emperor. So I have brought him before all of you, but especially before you, King Agrippa. After we have talked about his case, I will then have something to write. 27It makes no sense to send a prisoner to the Emperor without stating the charges against him.

The earth is warming...for now.

Some of us want to call this a normal cycle of climate change that goes back thousands of years and is not a function of human habitation. Others want to call it a man-made phenomena that is destroying our plant.

Facts are inconvenient things...They are indisputably true whether we like them or not. They are not subject to hope and dreams. They are not subject to preferences. They are not subject ideology. They are what they are.

That said, we continually find ourselves revisiting facts in hopes that we can make them says something different. Very silly...since facts are indisputable. What has always been a matter of dispute is all the commentary that surrounds the facts. Unfortunately, we have a propensity to blur the lines between facts and opinions. Before we know it we are ardently defending opinions that may be indefensible.

Like...Jesus did not rise from the dead!

So...Paul, and several other disciples say it is an undisputably true fact that Jesus was raised from the dead. They personally witnessed his living breathing form after his crucifixion. No matter how many time the Pharisees challenge this fact...whether through Festus, or Felix, or Agrippa, or Caesar...the fact remains.

"I haven't seen Him" does not constitute evidence. Nor, is that, in itself, even a certain fact. I may have seen Him and not recognized Him.

On the other hand, what this fact means is subject to interpretation. Does it mean Jesus is the Messiah? Paul and his friends say "absolutely! What else would be the point of the resurrection?". You and I should agree this is commentary...regardless of how well-founded we believe it to be.

But...it does make a lot of sense...

Live boldly out there today...