1. Trial before Festus (verses 1-12)
2. Pre-trial before Agrippa (verses 13-27)

This morning we will be looking at Acts 25, the entire chapter. The chapter includes the story of Paul standing trial before Festus. And then, the preparation for Paul to stand before Agrippa the king.

As I have planned to preach this passage, one looming question has come before my mind. (This is probably not a question that you are asking of this passage, but as I have come to this passage, and have prepared to preach it for you this morning, it is my question). Here it is: Why is this passage in the book of Acts?

In fact, my question goes through much of this last section in the book of Acts (I’m talking back through chapter 21). In chapter 21, Paul arrives back in Jerusalem after many years away, and offers up a purifying sacrifice in the temple (chapter 21). When the Jews in the temple recognize him, they form a mob and try to kill Paul. (It is only the Roman authorities who save his life).

Soon, he is brought before the Roman authorities (chapter 22), who are trying to figure out why the Jews hate this man so much that they would try to kill him. It was inconclusive. When the Romans heard about a plot to kill him, they sent him to Caesarea (chapter 23) to stand before Felix, the governor. Chapter 24 is all about Paul’s defense before Felix. Though the Jews accused him of wrongdoing, Felix, the governor, was inconclusive. So, Paul sat in jail, for two years.

And now, in Acts 25 (which we will look at today), after two years in prison, Paul will stand before Festus, the new governor, who will see nothing wrong in Paul. Yet, because Paul appeals to Caesar, Festus can’t release him. Festus has to send him to Caesar with some charge of wrongdoing, but can’t quite figure out what to write. King Agrippa happens to visit Festus, and so, Festus asks his advice, on what to tell Caesar. This leads us to chapter 26, when Paul gives his testimony to King Agrippa, who finds him innocent. Yet, Paul is still sent to Rome as a prisoner.

And so, my question remains: Why did Luke, the author or Acts, choose to spend so many chapters upon Paul’s trials before the Romans authorities? especially our chapter this morning, chapter 25? From best I can tell, the key comes at the end of chapter 26. Acts 26 concludes with these words:

Acts 26:30-32
Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

I believe that this is really what Luke has been aiming at since Paul was arrested in the temple in Acts 21. There was no reason for a mob to form against him, as he had done nothing wrong. And Paul’s trials before Felix and Festus and Agrippa bear this out: “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment” (Acts 26:31). Yet, he is sent off to Rome as a prisoner.

One word comes into my mind to describe it all. It is the word, “Injustice.” The Romans have declared Paul innocent. Yet, he still suffered two years in prison. Further, he had to travel to Rome as a prisoner, where he remained in prison for several more years.

Yet, this is what Paul was called to do. He was called to suffer. Do you remember when Paul was converted on the Road to Damascus? The Lord said to Ananias, “Go, [to Paul] for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15-16). We see this in our text this morning. We see Paul carrying the name of Jesus to kings. We see Paul suffering much for the sake of Jesus.

In our text, we see Paul facing suffering in much the same way that Jesus did, not by being beaten and by dying upon a cross, but by facing the injustice of a court system. though Paul and Jesus were clearly innocent, they were accused as wrong-doers.

When Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate, Pilate declared him innocent on several occasions. After talking with Jesus, he went out to the crowds and say, “I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. I will therefore punish and release him” (Luke 23:14, 16). But the crowds demanded that Jesus be crucified. To which Pilate said, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish him and release him” (Luke 23:22). But the Jewish crowds would not have it. "So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but that a riot was beginning" (Matthew 27:24), he finally gave into the crowds by handing over Jesus to be crucified. Before doing so, "he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, 'I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves'" (
Matthew 27:24).

We see something similar with Paul this morning. Paul was like Jesus. The king declared him to be innocent. The title of my message this morning is, “Innocent before Kings” as that’s what Paul was. Consider our text:

Acts 25:1-27
Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

By way of outline this morning, I simply want to divide up our text by way the trials that come in our text. We will look first at the trial before Festus (verses 1-12). Then, we will look at the pre-trial before Agrippa (verses 13-27).

1. Trial before Festus (verses 1-12)

Acts 25:1
Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

We pick up the scene at a time of political transition. We are transitioning from Felix (who was the governor in chapter 24), to Festus, whose early days of his reign are recorded in chapters 25 and 26. The date this transition took place is a bit unknown. But from the best that we can put together from secular sources, this transition took place somewhere between 58-60 A.D. This wasn’t a transition due to an election. Rather, Felix was ousted by the emperor, because, he was doing a poor job. Felix was then replaced by Festus.

Festus was a happy replacement for the Jews. Simon Kistemaker said, “Whereas Felix had been greedy and evil, Festus was wise and honorable. From Felix he inherited a nation that was marked by the absence of law and order.”^[1] Josephus, the Jewish historian of the day, described it this way, “Upon Festus's coming into Judea, it happened that Judea was afflicted by the robbers, while all the villages were set on fire, and plundered by them.”^[2] Josephus then proceeds in his text to tell of how Festus quickly clamped down on lawlessness in Judea.

Right off, we get to see a bit of the difference from Felix and Festus. Felix was a man of indecision, governed by the political pressure of the Jews. But Festus was a man of decision. He was a man of action. We see this within three days of the beginning of his administration. He sensed the tension between the Romans and the Jews, and made the trip up to Jerusalem, the most important city in his jurisdiction. Verse 2 tells us what took place when Festus arrived in Jerusalem.

Acts 25:2
And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul,

Here is an introductory meeting between Festus and the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. One of the first things that they bring up is Paul, the man who was a prisoner in Caesarea. Paul has been in prison in Caesarea at this point for two years.

If you remember, Paul was charged with being a disturber of the peace, a leader of a false religion, and a profaner of the temple. You would think that two years in prison was enough of a punishment for Paul’s crime. But no. The Jews didn’t want Paul in prison. They wanted Paul dead.

Acts 25:2b-3
and they urged him, asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.

These Jewish leaders weren’t seeking to put Paul to trial. They were seeking to kill him on the way to Jerusalem. Do you remember the other plot to kill Paul two years earlier? Here is the account:

Acts 23:12-15
When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul. Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

Obviously, they were not successful in their attempts to kill Paul. (There were some very hungry people in Jerusalem.) In two years, the plot never changed. Such is the level of hatred that the Jewish leaders had against Paul, and against Christianity.

This is one of the keys why Luke, the author of Acts, is going through such detail of Paul’s trials in this section of Scripture. Because it’s not merely Paul who is on trial. but Christianity itself is on trial.

You have to remember, when Luke was writing these things, Christianity was new. It had not yet stood the tests of time. People didn’t quite understand what it all meant, to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, crucified in Jerusalem, and raised from the dead. It was important for Luke to expose the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders. Religious leaders are seeking to kill Paul, an innocent man. As David Guzik said, “If your religion makes you a liar and a murderer, there is something wrong with your religion."^[3]

It was also important for Luke to justify Christianity, that Paul’s suffering was unjust. Luke wanted to show that there was no merit in what the Jews were accusing him of doing. This, by the way, is the plight of Christians, to suffer injustice for our faith. Jesus suffered great injustice on the cross, dying as an innocent man. Paul, though innocent, suffered great injustice at the hands of these kings, who kept him imprisoned for so many years. So also is the call of all followers of Christ.

Anyway, Festus didn’t agree to their deal. Paul was in Caesarea. and the Jews would need to go to Caesarea to try him.

Acts 25:4-5
Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

This is what the Jewish leaders did. Festus stayed in Jerusalem another week or so, then he returned to Caesarea. The Jews followed. Then, Paul had another trial. We read all of this beginning in verse 6.

Acts 25:6-7
After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.

If you are counting, this is the 3rd time that Paul stood trial so far. The first was in chapter 23, when standing before the Sanhedrin. The second was in chapter 24, before Felix. This third time, Paul is standing trial before Festus. It was the same old story. Though verse 7 doesn’t list the charges, they are surely the same old, two-years old, trumped up charges. that Paul was a disturber of the peace, a leader of a false religion, and a profaner of the temple.

Verse 7 says that “they could not prove” these charges. and that’s the whole point of the section of the book of Acts. The charges against Paul were not true! He was suffering unjustly. In verse 8, we see Paul defending himself, once again.

Acts 25:8
Paul argued in his defense, “Neither (1) against the law of the Jews, nor (2) against the temple, nor (3) against Caesar have I committed any offense.”

Paul’s defense was pretty simple (if not exhaustive). He didn’t transgress the law of the Jews. He didn’t defile the temple. He was not a disturber of the peace, which would have been an offense against Caesar.

Once Paul had finished his defense, I’m sure that Festus discerned rightly that Paul had done no crime worthy of punishment in a Roman court. Yet, he also understood that the Jews were upset at something that he had done. So, since Rome had no quarrel with Paul, Festus proposed that he be sent back to Jerusalem to be tried by the Jews.

Acts 25:9
But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?”

Paul knew the death trap that was awaiting him in Jerusalem. So, he refuses to go to Jerusalem.

Acts 25:10-11
But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.”

Paul knew that the facts of his case would vindicate him in any fair court of law. But his trial would not be fair in Jerusalem. So, he appealed to Caesar, that is to the highest court in the land.

Acts 25:12
Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

This statement sets the trajectory for the rest of the book of Acts. Paul heads off to Rome, the capital city of the Roman Empire. We see Paul traveling there in Acts 27. We see him there in Acts 28, awaiting yet another trial.

This has been the plan for Paul all along. Back in chapter 19, verse 21, we read, "Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” Now, I’m not sure that Paul anticipated that he would be travelling to Rome as a prisoner. But that’s how he would arrive in Rome: as a prisoner.

It is all incredibly unjust. Yet, as we see in the apostle Paul, this is often our lot as Christians. We will be misunderstood. We may be mistreated. This was the case for our leader, Jesus. He faced the injustice of the world against him.

In fact, if you look at the last day of his life, it was spent in court. Tme after time after time, Pontius Pilate could see no ground of guilt in him. Yet, Jesus was sent to the cross as a criminal. That was injustice. and we are called, as his believers, to follow in his steps. "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:21-23).

See, our ultimate court of appeal, isn’t the law of the lands. It’s not found in the civil courts, or in the state court, or even in the Supreme Court of the United states. Our ultimate court of appeal, is before the Almighty God. The promise of Scripture is that God will judge justly. So we need not over-burden ourselves with the injustice that we might face for following Jesus. If you faithfully follow Christ, you will face injustice. The people of the world will hate you, because you follow Jesus. When you face your injustice as Paul did here, entrust yourself to God, who judges justly (1 Peter 4:19).

Well, picking up the story in Acts 25, we see a transition in scene. Two people come to town.

Acts 25:13
Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.

This leads into the second point of my message this morning.

2. Pre-trial before Agrippa (verses 13-27)

Agrippa here is simply identified as “the king.” Agrippa ruled over Galilee and portions of Perea, adjacent to the territory governed by Festus. So these men, Festus and Agrippa, were colleagues, if you will. It’s as if the governor of Illinois were to spend some time with the governor of Wisconsin. Bernice was his sister (rumor had it that they lived together as husband and wife).

Agrippa and Bernice came from a line of rulers, rulers that we have seen in the New Testament. Their great-grandfather was Herod the Great, who tried to kill Jesus, by ordering the deaths of all the male children in Bethlehem (Matthew 2). Their uncle was Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist (Matthew 14). Their father was Herod Agrippa I, who ordered the death of James (Acts 12). So, they come with some political clout, and with some experience with dealing with the Jewish nation.

Over the course of their conversation, Festus came to realize their vast political experience. So, Festus asked their advice.

Acts 25:14-18
And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.

Up to this point, this is merely a re-hashing of the events that took place in the first 12 verses of this chapter. Festus had gone to Jerusalem and heard about this prisoner left over from the reign of Felix, against whom the Jewish authorities had brought charges. So, Festus invited the Jews to come to Caesarea and he would hear their case. And upon hearing their case, Festus was unimpressed. Festus had supposed that this man was some great criminal. But such proved not to be the case. Festus continues in verse 19.

Acts 25:19
Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.

It’s at this point that we see some more facts of the case. When we heard about the trial the first time, all that Luke recorded was one sentence of Paul’s defense. He had argued: "Neither (1) against the law of the Jews, nor (2) against the temple, nor (3) against Caesar have I committed any offense” (Acts 25:8).

Yet here, as Festus relates the story to Agrippa and Bernice, he speaks nothing of Paul’s denials of the Jewish accusations against him. Rather, he adds some more details. He said that there was this dispute about a “certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive” (verse 19). That’s a great summary from someone who doesn’t quite understand the Christian message.

The Christian message is about a “certain Jesus,” a Jew who lived in the land of Palestine. who had been put to death upon the cross, as a criminal, but who had conquered death, by raising from the dead. And our hope is in him! That as we trust in him, we too can conquer the grave! This is our message! Our message is of the resurrection of Jesus!

Festus knew little of this redemption story. The mere fact that Festus called Jesus, “A certain Jesus,” demonstrated his ignorance of the gospel. It seems as if he had never before heard the name of Jesus.

Isn’t this amazing? From our reading of the New Testament, it seems as if the whole world knows about Jesus. Because, that’s all we read about. We read about Jesus making an impact upon the land of the Jews in his day. We read about the apostles preaching Jesus, in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and throughout the inhabited world. Yet, the reality here, some 30 years after Jesus died and rose again, an educated Roman ruler was practically ignorant when it came to the life and death of Jesus.

The application is plain to us. We need to tell others about Jesus, because so few people really know who he is. I wouldn’t be surprise if there are people in our relational circles who know about as much about Jesus as Festus did. If the book of Acts is calling us to be witnesses for Jesus, perhaps this begins simply by telling people about who Jesus is.

How about this challenge? Try talking with someone this week, who is not religious, who doesn’t attend church. Ask them if they know anything about Jesus Christ. I’m going to take up this challenge this week. By God’s grace, I’m going to ask some people this week about what they know about Jesus. You can even ask this to a complete stranger at Costco or Walmart or Home Depot, “I have a very strange question for you. I went to church this past Sunday. And I was told that people in our society may not know much about Jesus. I’m curious. Do you go to church? Can you tell me anything about Jesus Christ?”

At any rate, Festus didn’t know anything about Jesus until Paul told him (verse 19). All he knew was that there was "a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive." Certainly, there are many in our culture today, who are practically ignorant about Jesus. May the Lord give is wisdom and courage this day to be his witnesses.

Anyway, Festus continues with his summary of Paul’s case to Agrippa and Bernice with these words:

Acts 25:20-21
Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.”

Essentially, Festus was asking Agrippa for some counsel and some advice, especially since Agrippa would certainly know and understand a bit more about these things, being a Jew.

Acts 25:22
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

Agrippa here sounds much like his uncle, king Herod. Do you remember the trials of Jesus? Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, who determined his guilt. Then, Jesus stood before Pilate, who couldn’t quite figure out what to do with him, because he appeared to be innocent. While Jesus was before Pilate, king Herod (Agrippa’s uncle) was in town. and Pilate had sent Jesus over to him, to try to figure out what to do with Jesus. We read in Luke 23:8, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.” Now, Herod was disappointed at meeting Jesus, because Jesus said not a word to him, even when Herod, “questioned him at length” (Luke 23:9). Even when “the chief priests and the scribes [were] accusing him” (Luke 23:10), Jesus was silent.

So likewise here, Agrippa was very eager to meet Paul and hear from him. Perhaps Agrippa had heard his uncle tell stories about this strange man who stood silent before him. This man gave no answer, even when the chief priests and scribes were accusing him strongly. Now, Agrippa had an opportunity to hear about this Jesus. When Festus told Agrippa, "Tomorrow you will hear him," the date was set.

Acts 25:23
So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

Picture the scene, you have the highest government officials in the land, urrounded by the military officers, decked out in their military uniforms and “the prominent men of the city.” They were all present with “great pomp.” That is, it was all fancy-like. The red carpet had been rolled out. The trumpets had played. The entrance announcements had been made, “Ladies and Gentlemen, King Agrippa and Bernice!” <Bum-dum-ba-dum-da> They entered with their royal garb to great applause! Then, comes in a prisoner, the apostle Paul, bound with chains, dressed in his orange prison jumpsuit with flip flops on his feet.

Acts 25:24-27
And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

Basically, Festus announced to all the crowd, "I'm stupid! I don't know what to write. I need your help! I'm sending Paul to Nero! But I need to send him with a good accusation! So, with all of you here with your collective wisdom, please help me to know what to write!" That's the fundamental reason why all of these people were gathered together: to figure out what Festus should write to the emperor regarding charges against Paul.

As I close, I want for you to see how ironic all of this is. These rulers and kings all thought themselves to be something special and of high importance. Yet here we are two thousand years later and of who does the world remember most? Paul, the prisoner. There is a bit of awareness of name of Herod because of the Christmas story. You probably knew little of Bernice, as this scene is the only time that she is ever mentioned in the Bible. There is little mention in culture about Festus. But we know much about the apostle Paul, the prisoner, the one falsely accused!

This teaches us a bit about insignificance. Paul was the lowly prisoner. Yet we still read his writings today, almost every Sunday in church. We have memorized his words and meditated upon them often. Such are the ways of God.

Paul was "Innocent before Kings." He will give his testimony in chapter 26, which we will look at next week. This is the testimony that will endure through time. It's the testimony of God's mighty work in his life on the road to Damascus, which is given to us in Acts 9. We read of it in Acts 24. We will read of it again in Acts 26. It is God who gets the glory, because it is God who does this work through Paul.

This sermon was delivered to Rock Valley Bible Church on February 5, 2023 by Steve Brandon.
For more information see www.rockvalleybiblechurch.org.

[1] Simon Kistemaker, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001), 859.

[2] Josephus, Antiquities, 20.8.10.
 
[3] David Guzik, https://youtu.be/TjHUK9smgUw?si=tEU770W8emwS0zXb&t=420 at the 7:00 minute mark.