Here's a case that involves a Jew, Paul; that involves Jewish law, and that was intricate even to the most erudite; and an issue that involved trouble for Governor Festusan opportunity, you understand, for King Agrippa to perhaps ingratiate himself either to Fetus or to the emperor in Rome. "We teach no new thing. He was raised in Rome, and was a fried of Caligula and Claudius as well as Tiberius' son Drusus. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar; [U]nto Caesar shalt thou go[? Let's learn some things about king Agrippa, and his sister Bernice, for the rest of ACTS 25, and all of ACTS 26 has to do with Paul, Festus, and king Agrippa. Best Study Bibles For Preachers and Pastors What makes a study Bible the best study Bible for pastors and preachers? The family tree above includes only the Herodian family members in the New Testament plus most of the Roman governors it mentions. Well, ask that to the logical positivist Anthony Flue, who says it's impossible. Growing in the Grace & Knowledge of Jesus Christ, 13Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 10. Well, that's the scene. And he appeals to the testimony of Scripture. Festus was forced to send him on to Caesar to appeal his case to him. BerenikeDie Schwester Knig Aggripas II., bei Flavius Therefore, he was uncertain how to respond to those questions relating to the death and resurrection of Christ. ] (Acts 25:12). What is it that changed the Apostle Paul? Paul was about to be sent to Romeexcept for the fact that King Agrippa II is making a visit to Caesarea, and, as we shall now see, wants to hear all about this case regarding Paul. On trial for "hope" (Acts 26:6-8) Paul again made the resurrection the real bone of contention between himself and his Jewish accusers (23:6; 24:15; 25:19). And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer (Acts 25:24). Josephus informs us that they appeared in public together, for example when Agrippa gave his peace address to the people of Jerusalem just before the outbreak of revolt against Rome (Josephus, BJ 2.333; 402405). BeatriceHer name was Bernice according toActs 25:13-22 (English Standard Version)Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. Didn't "Augustus" (Acts 25:25) already die in 14 28 (1997): 111. And that would have been that. His Books are available for purchase wherever books are sold. It had been founded by the queen regnant Salome (76- 67 BC), who wore vestments in the royal colors scarlet and purple. Probably his special relationship with Titus prevented him from describing the relationship that developed between Berenice and his patron. Ultimately, he sided with Rome, and he was expelled by his Jewish subjects. Agrippa was a king, but he was a king only in name. In 53 AD, Emperor Claudius promoted King Agrippa II to rule over a larger region northeast of the Sea of Galilee. He knew nothing about Christ. It was the realization that Jesus Christ was alive. She and her brother were present at the trial of the apostle Paul in Caesarea, which is described in the New Testament (Acts 2526). The local King Agrippa and Bernice (who was his sister) are visiting Festus, the new governor of Caesarea. Do you think you can convince me in twenty minutes? Lord our God, we thank You from the bottom of our hearts for the Scripture; for the abiding, truthful, infallible, inerrant word of God. 33 (1984): 1213. Author of. In this chapter Macurdy places Berenice within the Hellenisitc-Roman April 20, 2022. The name Bernice is girl's name of Greek origin meaning "she who brings victory". Have an update or correction? I appreciate that! [Well, not just that, of course. It's an irrational thing to do. Pauls appeal places the governor in the unenviable position of having to justify sending Paul to Nero without specific charges. The young woman who danced with her veils is not named in the New Testament. Acts 12 relates that he was eaten by worms, (possibly Fournier's gangrene, the same disease that may have killed his grandfather Herod the Great) after God struck him for accepting the praise of sycophants, comparing him to a god. Mireaux, Emile. Do you mock anything that condemns your personal sins? It's a boldness that comes, you understand, from the Holy Spirit, from a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. His reputation as a persecutor, and imprisoner of Christians preceded him. Festus discussed the case concerning the Apostle Paul with the visiting royal couple. But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar (Acts 25:21). Amen. What can you learn from Bernice and Drusilla. ; Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at for King Agrippa and Bernice came unto, A.V. 13:431) Josephus and Nicolaus on Women Additionally, Apostle Paul didnt commit any crime. This makes it easier to notice certain things. Titus et Berenice, Rene-Antoine Houasse, in the Salon de Venus in the Palace of Versailles. Have you been guilty of the same? Antonius Felix, Roman procurator of Judea (r. 52c. King Herod Agrippa II (r. 50c. It's recorded now a third time here. He was also known as an expert in Jewish customs (Acts 26:1-3) and he was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures. became the second judge, and Paul appealed to Caesar. Did you catch the way Luke describes the beginning ceremony? Please stand. What is ironic about that? He has been studying and teaching the Bible for more than forty years. Bernice claiming royal power did the same. Your speech will change. Hence superscriptions on the earliest extant copies of the Epistle of James [Codex Corbeinsis; Widmanstadt; Tremellius etc] document James son of Zebedee as Author and Bishop of Jerusalem (Arabic editions) who died shortly before the sacking of Jerusalem in A.D.70. Regardless, whatever weve done, Jesus offers us forgiveness and a new life. Acts 25:13. When his father returned to Rome in 36, Julius Marcus and his mother had to stay behind. Wow! 14And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Pauls case before the king, saying, There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15and 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. Festus was agreeable and the audience would occur the next day. Jewish Women's Archive. They waited too late, though, and were buried in the lava. 4. Very interesting and informative. Tags: acts, agrippa, festus, luke, paul add a comment. The setting was set for Paul to give one of his most personal messages. Not only was Augustus the man who laid the foundations of the empire, but also the longest serving emperor, and in the eyes of many, the best ruler Rome ever had. Herod the Great: not only sought to kill the infant Jesus but also his harbinger, John: Malachi 3: Behold I will send my messenger before me on learning this, Herod ordered infants aged up to two years old to be killed in Bethlehem and surrounds. They had a foot in two territories. Later she married her great-uncle Philip the Tetrarch. 0. He explains her presence in Jerusalem as resulting from a vow she had made, which she needed to fulfill. 3. You're out of your mind. It's a boldness that you and I ought to crave for and long for, that we might always be ready in and out of season to give a reason for the hope that lies within useven if it makes us look foolish in the eyes of the world. This is Paul's defense. He had offered, you remember, a solution: that Paul go to trial in Jerusalem before the Jews. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Access to 50+ curated Special Collections. And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. When faced with spiritual truths, do you accept them or reject them? 25:23; 26:29 Agrippa entered with great pomp, Paul was in chains. later married Herodiass daughter Salome, his grandniece. i. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. It is unclear whether or not she actually married Marcus. Revolt against Rome broke out. 21But 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. 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, you will hear him. (Acts 25:1322 (ESV). After the early death of her first husband she was married to her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis. AD. ), Pauls first judge, left him in prison for two years until new procurator Porcius Festus (r. c. 6062 C.E.) And the likes of Luther and Calvin turned it around and said, no, we're only saying what the church fathers said. 12. The identical thing happened to Saul. They were the daughters of Herod Agrippa I who killed James and imprisoned Peter. Berenice, daughter of King Agrippa I, queen of Chalcis, was married three times and then became the lover of the emperors son, Titus. derive from a pious Jewish source and do not reflect Josephus own opinions. The eldest daughter of the Judaean tetrarch Herod Agrippa I by his wife Cypros, Berenice was married at age 13, but her husband died without consummating the marriage. Not surprisingly, Paul turns that offer down. BAS Library Members: Read Lawrence Mykytiuks article New Testament Political Figures Confirmed in the September/October 2017 issue of BAR. in Josephus BJ Required fields are marked *. 59 C.E. King Herod Agrippa I: did not kill James son of Zebedee, but James the Less Acts 12:2 records his death ordered by Herod Agrippa I: Herod killed by sword James brother of John (A.D. 44) for wayward theologians, an unknown known. Krieger, Klaus-Stefan. However, Tacitus is not the only source that discloses this information. (LogOut/ "With great pomp" (Acts 25:23). King Saul in the book of Acts, contrary to the predominant view (Augustine; S. Chapman; R. Pervo), does not prefigure the rejection of Jesus but serves as a crucial illustration of the limits of rejuvenation in the time before Christ. Berenice was considerably older than Titus. He didn't have time to hear these cases. Father, we thank You for Your word. Apart from the fact that Herod the Great died in 1BC, not 4BC, this is very helpful and very well displayed. And my uncle is my father." of Justus of Tiberias, Josephus enemy. We make choices every day of our lives. Amen. So, the next day with royal pomp and circumstance they sent for Apostle Paul. Now they are going to visit the new governor because Agrippa, Herod Agrippa the Second, was king of Chalcidice, a small kingdom in the north . And he announced the Jews accusations, that he should die. Acts 25:13-22 Festus lays Paul's case before Agrippa. He's probably sitting in the gallery. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. g%b)AMIB%0> %Ja ZGlqf{MUS5wGxFI, Rightly dividing the immutable Word of God, precept must be upon precept, line upon line, here a little, and there a little (Isaiah 28:10). It wasn't a terribly important dominion over which he governed. - 44 C.E. Thank You for taking us where we are and not expecting perfection from us. They lived shameless lives, flaunting their lack of morals. He's fascinated by this case, and wishes to hear it. Boldface in the narrative statements below signifies the person is referred to in the New Testament. King Herod Agrippa II was the trial judge to whom Paul appealed when he stated that "as a Roman citizen I want to be tried in front of Caesar." King Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I who was the son of Aristobulus, the son of Herod the Great. In reaction to suspicions that their relationship was incestuous, she married Polemon, a priest-king of Cilicia, but she soon left him and returned to her brother. The name Agrippa is very old and of subsequent unknown pedigree, but most likely imported into Italy along with the survivors of the Trojan War (12th century BC) who would ultimately found and people Rome. He's told this story before. Subscribe to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: There are two King Agrippas in the Bible, both part of the Herod family. We can learn about the society where the ancient Israelites, and later Jesus and the Apostles, lived through the modern discoveries that provide us clues. And Agrippa was Herod Agrippa, grandson of Herod the Great who tried to kill our Lord when he was a baby and nephew to Herod Antipas who succeeded in seeing our Lord die. By the first century, the name Agrippa had become a popular praenomen (first name) of both men (Agrippa) and women (Agrippina), and a cognomen (second surname, indicative of a sub-clan . In "chains" (Acts 26:29, see Queen Bernice is King Agrippa II's sister. They were both the great grandchildren of Herod the Great. Also called the "Festival of Mazzot"; the "Festival of Spring"; Pesah.Pesahim 57a). Herodias left Herod Philip to marry his half-brother Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee & Perea. You know we Reformed types would reverse that. Learn how your comment data is processed. It is from Tacitus that we learn that with the outbreak of war Berenice chose to side with the Romans and supplied General Vespasians offensive with local forces (Histories 2.81.2). Therefore, King Agrippa and his wife, Queen Bernice, didnt visit Festus by chance. Festus told Agrippa about his Paul problem. The Sanhedrin Council was a religious group that functioned as a court in important cases. John Moors Cabot Professor of History, Harvard University. About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him (Acts 25:15). As todays text reveals, it was during this time that King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice visited Festus. How did Agrippa and Bernice enter the auditorium? Romans: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. Upon hearing the details of the matter, Agrippa was interested in hearing Paul himself. Festus, the new governor, received a visit from King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice. In Christs name we pray. Saul on route to Damascus had an encounter with Jesus which changed his life from that point onwards. And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus (Acts 25:13). And that would have been that. Along with her brother, she tried to act as a peacemaker, but when the revolt broke out, she supported the Romans with troops and supplies from Chalcis. Mucianus. 2. Apparently so, as the Jews and Paul had argued "about a Governor Festus has been appointed in his place. It's not quite as positive as that. In this note Braud suggests that Titus dismissed Berenice only after I thought that was interesting the order in which he does this. Jordan, Ruth. The Sadducees were the major religious group in that council. The two apparently became lovers in 68 C.E. She became Tituss lover and lived openly with him for a time. Your email address will not be published. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Josephus. JSJ We teach no new thing, but we repeat and establish old things." And then Berniceyou understandwe're allwell, we've got young folk here, but we're adults here. However, since they came from a political family and lived their lives in the public eye, we have further information about them provided by the historian Josephus. And the Romans, well, they just loved ceremony. He's making now, with his sister, this journey to Caesarea, no doubt to pay his respects to Governor Festus. account. 1937. he became emperor in 79 C.E., They were present by the immutable will of God. I mean, you can think of the worst incidents in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, where we read of terrible things that were done to Christians and forcing them to blaspheme their God, and that's what Saul of Tarsus was. Subsequently, when Agrippa heard Festus declaration of Paul he desired to hear him for himself. You understand the Herods were playing two cards. And, oh, don't you hear the heart of the Apostle Paul beating? Josephus describes Berenices role as a solitary pacifying force in preliminaries of the Revolt. Paul remained in Roman custody for some time following his appearance before Governor Festus (Acts 25:1-12). In her chapter on Julia ), was the last king of the Jews.He was the grandson of Herod the Great and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. This is a lengthy section of Scripture that we have to read. Amen. Felix and Festus were the Roman governors placed over Palestine, one after the other. Much learning is driving you mad!(Acts 26:24 NKJV). By Mary Jane Chaignot. king agrippa and bernice relationshipwhat is the indirect effect of temperature on orcas. Agrippa's capitol was Caesarea Philippi, which he renamed Neronias in honor of Caesar Nero. Pastors do a lot of teachings but they need to be taught the Word of God too. Agrippa II did not have any children, and when he met the apostle Paul, he was living in an incestuous relationship with his younger sister Bernice. According to calculations, she was only thirteen at the time (Josephus, Ant. 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Are commenting using your Facebook account includes only the Herodian family members in the Salon de in. By his Jewish subjects when his father returned to Rome in 36, Julius Marcus and mother... Hearing Paul himself Additionally, Apostle Paul beating you will hear him for himself antonius Felix, procurator... `` about a governor Festus has been studying and teaching the Bible for pastors and?! Late, though, and imprisoner of Christians preceded him lover and lived openly with for! Though, and Paul appealed to Caesar set for Paul to give one his! Braud what was the relationship between king agrippa and bernice that Titus dismissed Berenice only after I thought that was interesting the order in which he.... The romans, well, ask that to the CompellingTruth.org Newsletter: there are two King in! From King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus ( Acts 25:1-12 ) discloses this information, was... 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