"I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning [Paul]. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa"
Acts 25:26a
Fetus fully intends to honor his commitment to send Paul to Nero. But he has a problem. Paul's appeal places the governor in the unenviable position of having to justify sending Paul to Nero without specific charges," Dr. Simon Kistemaker notes in his Acts commentary. "Nero and his official would not take kindly to a governor who showed incompetence in judging trivial matters... [But Fetus] was unable to formulate a charge against Paul because the accusations of Jews pertained to religious matters that had nothing to fo with Romans law."
At this point, King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice come to visit Fetus and welcome him to his new post. Agreat-grandson of Herod the Great and son of Herod Agrippa I (see Acts 12), he ruled the northern half of Palestine. Kistemaker notes that Agrippa"was known as an expert in Jewish customs and conflicts (26:3), and he was well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures." During tjis visit, a friendship grown up between Agrippa and Fetus, and the governor sees an oppurtunity to get advice in Paul's case from a Roman official who understand the Jews motives. He therefore relates what he knows to the king, noting that the Jews had demanded that he find Paul guilty, something Roman law did not permit him to do without granting Paul a trial. In Fetus' view, the Jews case against Paul comes down to "'some question against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive."'
Intrigued, Agrippa asks to hear Paul. Thus, on the following day, the royals, along with military and civic leaders, enter Fetus' audience chamber, where Fetus honors Agrippa by yielding the judge's seat, allowing him to speak and rise first (26:1,30). Though this is not a firmal hearing ir trials, Fetus calls it an "'examination"' (v.26), noting that he has "'nothing certain to write to my lord concerning [Paul]"' and appealing for assistance in formulating charges against him. As he himself notes, "'it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."' This is a understatement, for Nero does not trifle with matters his underlines should handle. With the word unreasonable, says, Kistemaker says, "the governor means to say that no one in his right mind would do such a thing."
Acts 25:26a
Fetus fully intends to honor his commitment to send Paul to Nero. But he has a problem. Paul's appeal places the governor in the unenviable position of having to justify sending Paul to Nero without specific charges," Dr. Simon Kistemaker notes in his Acts commentary. "Nero and his official would not take kindly to a governor who showed incompetence in judging trivial matters... [But Fetus] was unable to formulate a charge against Paul because the accusations of Jews pertained to religious matters that had nothing to fo with Romans law."
At this point, King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice come to visit Fetus and welcome him to his new post. Agreat-grandson of Herod the Great and son of Herod Agrippa I (see Acts 12), he ruled the northern half of Palestine. Kistemaker notes that Agrippa"was known as an expert in Jewish customs and conflicts (26:3), and he was well versed in the Hebrew Scriptures." During tjis visit, a friendship grown up between Agrippa and Fetus, and the governor sees an oppurtunity to get advice in Paul's case from a Roman official who understand the Jews motives. He therefore relates what he knows to the king, noting that the Jews had demanded that he find Paul guilty, something Roman law did not permit him to do without granting Paul a trial. In Fetus' view, the Jews case against Paul comes down to "'some question against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive."'
Intrigued, Agrippa asks to hear Paul. Thus, on the following day, the royals, along with military and civic leaders, enter Fetus' audience chamber, where Fetus honors Agrippa by yielding the judge's seat, allowing him to speak and rise first (26:1,30). Though this is not a firmal hearing ir trials, Fetus calls it an "'examination"' (v.26), noting that he has "'nothing certain to write to my lord concerning [Paul]"' and appealing for assistance in formulating charges against him. As he himself notes, "'it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."' This is a understatement, for Nero does not trifle with matters his underlines should handle. With the word unreasonable, says, Kistemaker says, "the governor means to say that no one in his right mind would do such a thing."
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