Commentary – تفسير

12. Paul Before Agrippa II and His Royal Retinue (Acts 25:13-26:32)

13And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.14When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix,15about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him.16To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’17Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in.18when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed,19but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.20And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.21But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.”22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

Kings visit each other, and princes present each other precious presents. Each one honors his equal so that they may cooperate with each other. A simple man among the strong is but a grain of wheat between millstones.
Agrippa II, the son of King Herod Agrippa I, (chapter 12) was a brother of Drusilla, the wife of Felix the Roman governor, who had left Palestine. Agrippa II visited Festus, the new governor, accompanied by Bernice, his incestuous sister. This king did not enjoy many rights or possess significant authority, but was entrusted with both the right to appoint the high priest, as well as the right to remove him from office. Such a privilege involved great significance with respect to Paul’s case.
Festus, the active governor, told King Agrippa the strange story of Paul, a story difficult for any Roman to understand. The highest council of the Jews had incessantly asked the governor to sentence Paul to a quick death, as a guarantee and sign of his preparedness to cooperate with the citizens. But the sense of justice in the Roman governor opposed this insistence, and he demanded that an official trial be held, in which both prosecutors and defendants would appear. The Jews could not fasten any civil accusation on Paul. Thus Paul appeared truly righteous and innocent.
But the new governor soon recognized, as the old governor did, that the disagreement between both parties was a doctrinal one, which had nothing to do with theft, sedition, or murder. As a consequence of both the complaint and the defense, it became crystallized in the governor’s mind that all the questions were centered on a person named Jesus of Nazareth, who had died, but of whom Paul asserted was still living. How astonishing! Festus, the earthly man, soon understood the heart of the Gospel. This is our confession and the essence of our faith: that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, and now lives forever. Is this historical truth your faith too? Do you find in the death and resurrection of Him who was crucified your salvation, your hope, and your strength? Or are you still blind like the educated governor, who recognized the heart of the matter, but indeed did not recognize the essence of Jesus?

Question

Why did Festus, the governor, not recognize the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection?