Passage of the Day - February 17, 2011

Acts 25:13-22

¹³Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.

 ¹⁴While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix;

 ¹⁵and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.

 ¹⁶"I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.

 ¹⁷"So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me.

 ¹⁸"When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting,

 ¹⁹but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive.

 ²⁰"Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters.

 ²¹"But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I 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."

Festus, not having a strong religious background was shocked at what the Jews were making such a brew-ha-ha about.  It is interesting how blood has been spilled over two fingers versus three for making the sign of the cross in Christianity.  I think we simply need to be aware of how odd those of us who are passionate about our faith look to those who have very little interest in theology.  That is why it can be difficult to debate them because they don't understand the passion.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)