25th Chapter of the book of Acts
Christ Community Gainesville
Scene 1 In Jerusalem, Festus gets his bearings
Scene 2 In Caesarea, Paul’s 2nd trial on the same charges… this time before Festus
The appeal:
“If Festus began by making a concession to the Sanhedrin, he might be inclined to make further concessions even more prejudicial to Paul’s safety. Felix had been an experienced administrator of Judea when Paul’s case was submitted to him, but Festus was a novice, and the Sanhedrin might well exploit his inexperience to Paul’s disadvantage. There was one way open to Paul as a Roman citizen to escape from his precarious situation, even if it was a way attended by special risks of its own...appeal to Caesar”. --F.F.Bruce
Scene 3: Festus seeks the counsel of Agrippa
Agrippa II “had a reputation of being an authority on the Jewish religion [see 26:3], and Festus decided that he was the man who could best help him to frame the report which he had to remit to Rome in connection with Paul’s appeal...” --F.F.Bruce
Agrippa's opinion concerning Paul's case would be well informed and persuasive to the Emperor, to whom Festus needed to write a report of the charges. --Dennis Johnson
Scene 4: The Big Show! Paul before Agrippa, Bernice & the other notables
this is a very dramatic opportunity for the gospel, because here we see a face to face confrontation with the leaders of two completely opposed spiritual “kingdoms”. The Herods were the powerful royal family who, though professing the Biblical faith, had lived lives of violence and corruption for generations, mimicking the ways of the ruling classes of the world. Herod the Great had slaughtered many in an effort to kill Jesus. His son Herod Antipas had executed John the Baptist, his grandson Herod Agrippa I had killed the apostle James. Now Paul has the opportunity to clearly present the gospel which this family had been opposing for generations.
“[Paul’s appeal to Caesar] was not because he had lost confidence in Roman justice, but because he he feared that in Jerusalem Roman justice might be overborne by powerful local influences.” (F.F.Bruce, p. 478).
http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:XCCVsRdqhBEJ:www.arches.uga.edu/~bananna/paper.txt+revelation+flannery+white+trash&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=8&client=firefox-a
And finally, with a great surge of fury, she looks into the sky and roars, "Who do you think you are?"
And suddenly a light appears in the sky. Mrs. Turpin, in O'Connor's words, "saw the streak as a vast swinging bridge extending upward from the earth through a field of living fire. Upon it a vast horde of souls were rumbling toward heaven.
"There were whole companies of white-trash, clean for the first time in their lives, and bands of black niggers in white robes, and battalions of freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and leaping like frogs.
"And bringing up the end of the procession was a tribe of people whom she recognized at once as those who, like herself and Claud, had always had a little of everything and the God-given wit to use it right. She leaned forward to observe them closer.
"They were marching behind the others with great dignity, accountable as they had always been for good order and common sense and respectable behavior. They alone were on key. Yet she could see by their shocked and altered faces that even their virtues were being burned away."
LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning 5
If I lack'd anything.
'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:'
Love said, 'You shall be he.'
'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear,
I cannot look on Thee.' 10
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
'Who made the eyes but I?'
'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.'
'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?' 15
'My dear, then I will serve.'
'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.'
So I did sit and eat.
