26:26-29
Agrippa was aware if the things that had happened during Jesus’ ministry, the cross and the resurrection. When we read the New Testament, particularly the events based in Israel, we need to remember that the message of the gospel is given in an environment where people knew, and had maybe actually seen, the events that the New Testament speaks of. Then Paul directs Agrippa to the prophets. Agrippa recognises that Paul is trying to convert him. Technically it was Paul who was “on trial”, but in reality it was Agrippa and those with him who were no trial. The same is true whenever the gospel is attacked in some way, it is the critics or opponents who are really on trial. They are the ones who have a charge to answer.
26:30-32
The king and Bernice rose to consider the matter. Bernice gets mentioned but her role in these things is unclear. In Luke we read that Pilate’s wife spoke to him about her misgivings. Agrippa and his advisers recognised that Paul, like Jesus, had done nothing wrong, nothing deserving of death or imprisonment. If Paul had not appealed to Caesar he could have been set free. We might think it a great pity that Paul had appealed to Caesar, but if he had not he might have been killed earlier by the Jews. Being “free” in Jerusalem was not a safe place for Paul. Most importantly, Paul knew that God wanted him to go to Rome. We can have regrets about life, and, of course, we do get some things wrong, but we should not dwell on regrets, and God’s plan and purpose runs far deeper than our limited understanding.
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