Acts 25:13-22 13Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived in Caesarea welcoming Festus. 14And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid before the king the matters about Paul, saying, “There is a certain man left as a prisoner by Felix, 15and when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I 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 against the charge. 17Therefore, when they came together here, making no delay, on the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.
King Agrippa and his sister Bernice arrived in Caesarea not long after Festus had assumed his position and had looked into Paul’s case. Herod Agrippa II, also called Marcus Julius Agrippa, was born around AD 27 or 28. He was the son of Agrippa I and the grandson of Herod the Great. He was educated in Rome and was loyal to Rome throughout his life. He was granted the small territory of Chalcis. When his father died, he became king of all of Judea. Bernice was his younger sister who was married to Herod of Chalcis, her uncle. After he died, Bernice lived with Agrippa for many years. Agrippa was the last of the Herodian line and died around AD 100.
By the time Agrippa met Paul, he faced the significant challenge of maintaining peace between an increasingly restless Jewish population and the Romans, to whom he was loyal. He would have been especially interested in hearing about the dispute between Paul and the Jews. Agrippa’s curiosity about Paul’s case is surprising, especially if he had not heard about the matter. It is possible that Felix had swept Paul’s case under the rug and ignored it: out of sight, out of mind. Festus brought Paul’s case to Agrippa. Festus faced a difficult situation still because he would need to send Paul to Rome with a report of the accusations. As a new governor, he may have needed the input of the Jewish king to understand the situation and make his report lest Caesar wonder about his competence as governor.
Festus summarizes and repeats the basic situation. Some of the blame for the situation rested with Felix, who had not taken any action regarding Paul. Festus took his duty seriously and attempted to resolve the problem upon taking office. Paul’s case was significant enough to warrant his attention because it involved the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem. Festus described to Agrippa his efforts, almost sounding defensive yet also seeking advice from someone who had dealt with the Jews for a while and also knew Roman law and customs. Festus had acted quickly in good faith to resolve the case, but questions still lingered. By this point in the account, Festus comes across as indecisive, a trait that would not serve him well as governor.