WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.019 in a year. Today's reading is from the book of 00:00:09.019 --> 00:00:14.099 Acts, chapters 25 and 26. Chapter 25. Now when 00:00:14.099 --> 00:00:16.600 Festus had come to the province, after three 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:19.960 days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:22.000 the high priest and the chief men of the Jews 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.079 informed him against Paul, and they petitioned 00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:27.859 him, asking a favor against him, that he would 00:00:27.859 --> 00:00:30.820 summon him to Jerusalem. while they lay in ambush 00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:33.679 along the road to kill him. But Festus answered 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:36.460 that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that 00:00:36.460 --> 00:00:39.259 he himself was going there shortly. Therefore 00:00:39.259 --> 00:00:42.219 he said, Let those who have authority among you 00:00:42.219 --> 00:00:44.960 go down with me and accuse this man, to see if 00:00:44.960 --> 00:00:47.700 there is any fault in him. And when he had remained 00:00:47.700 --> 00:00:50.500 among them more than ten days, he went down to 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:53.159 Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:56.000 seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. When he 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.700 had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem 00:00:58.700 --> 00:01:01.200 stood about and laid many serious complaints 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.400 against Paul, which they could not prove. While 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:06.980 he answered for himself, Neither against the 00:01:06.980 --> 00:01:09.480 law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:12.319 against Caesar, have I offended in anything at 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:15.299 all. But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, 00:01:15.480 --> 00:01:18.079 answered Paul and said, Are you willing to go 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:20.959 up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.019 concerning these things? So Paul said, I stand 00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:26.900 at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be 00:01:26.900 --> 00:01:29.620 judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as 00:01:29.620 --> 00:01:32.299 you very well know. For if I am an offender or 00:01:32.299 --> 00:01:34.519 have committed anything deserving of death, I 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:36.959 do not object to dying. But if there is nothing 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:39.599 in these things of which these men accuse me, 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.920 no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar. 00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:46.299 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:49.060 answered, You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:52.450 you shall go. And after some days, King Agrippa 00:01:52.450 --> 00:01:55.189 and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. 00:01:55.390 --> 00:01:58.549 When they had been there many days, Festus laid 00:01:58.549 --> 00:02:01.010 Paul's case before the king, saying, There is 00:02:01.010 --> 00:02:04.090 a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, about 00:02:04.090 --> 00:02:06.189 whom the chief priests and the elders of the 00:02:06.189 --> 00:02:08.830 Jews informed me when I was in Jerusalem, asking 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:11.370 for a judgment against him. To them I answered, 00:02:11.569 --> 00:02:13.750 It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver 00:02:13.750 --> 00:02:16.759 any man to destruction. before the accused meets 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.460 the accusers face to face, and has opportunity 00:02:19.460 --> 00:02:22.500 to answer for himself concerning the charge against 00:02:22.500 --> 00:02:25.180 him. Therefore, when they had come together without 00:02:25.180 --> 00:02:27.900 any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment 00:02:27.900 --> 00:02:30.159 seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:33.300 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation 00:02:33.300 --> 00:02:36.659 against him of such things as I supposed, but 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:38.919 had some questions against him about their own 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:42.039 religion. and about a certain Jesus who had died 00:02:42.039 --> 00:02:45.340 whom Paul affirmed to be alive. And because I 00:02:45.340 --> 00:02:47.879 was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:50.080 he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.620 judged concerning these matters. But when Paul 00:02:52.620 --> 00:02:55.780 appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:58.240 I commanded him to be kept till I could send 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:01.240 him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus, I 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:03.740 also would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, 00:03:03.879 --> 00:03:06.250 he said, you shall hear him. So the next day 00:03:06.250 --> 00:03:08.310 when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great 00:03:08.310 --> 00:03:10.830 pomp and had entered the auditorium with the 00:03:10.830 --> 00:03:12.889 commanders and the prominent men of the city, 00:03:12.990 --> 00:03:16.289 at Festus' command, Paul was brought in. And 00:03:16.289 --> 00:03:19.229 Festus said, King Agrippa and all the men who 00:03:19.229 --> 00:03:22.330 are here present with us, you see this man about 00:03:22.330 --> 00:03:24.669 whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned 00:03:24.669 --> 00:03:27.990 me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that 00:03:27.990 --> 00:03:30.830 he was not fit to live any longer. But when I 00:03:30.830 --> 00:03:32.930 found that he had committed nothing deserving 00:03:32.930 --> 00:03:35.830 of death, and that he himself had appealed to 00:03:35.830 --> 00:03:38.650 Augustus, I decided to send him. I have nothing 00:03:38.650 --> 00:03:41.509 certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore 00:03:41.509 --> 00:03:43.770 I have brought him out before you, and especially 00:03:43.770 --> 00:03:47.030 before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination 00:03:47.030 --> 00:03:49.689 has taken place I may have something to write. 00:03:49.830 --> 00:03:52.949 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner 00:03:52.949 --> 00:03:59.900 and not to specify the charges against him. Then 00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:02.219 Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak 00:04:02.219 --> 00:04:04.939 for yourself. So Paul stretched out his hand 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:08.039 and answered for himself, I think myself happy, 00:04:08.139 --> 00:04:10.659 King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for 00:04:10.659 --> 00:04:13.780 myself before you concerning all the things of 00:04:13.780 --> 00:04:16.660 which I am accused by the Jews, especially because 00:04:16.660 --> 00:04:19.939 you are expert in all customs and questions which 00:04:19.939 --> 00:04:22.319 have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:25.240 to hear me patiently. My manner of life from 00:04:25.240 --> 00:04:27.480 my youth, which was spent from the beginning 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:30.540 among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews 00:04:30.540 --> 00:04:33.959 know. They knew me from the first, if they were 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.800 willing to testify that according to the strictest 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.959 sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:43.139 now I stand and am judged for the hope of the 00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:46.579 promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise 00:04:46.579 --> 00:04:49.699 our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:52.800 and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake. 00:04:53.129 --> 00:04:56.410 King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should 00:04:56.410 --> 00:04:59.170 it be thought incredible by you that God raises 00:04:59.170 --> 00:05:02.769 the dead? Indeed, I myself thought I must do 00:05:02.769 --> 00:05:05.329 many things contrary to the name of Jesus of 00:05:05.329 --> 00:05:08.290 Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many 00:05:08.290 --> 00:05:11.069 of the saints I shut up in prison, having received 00:05:11.069 --> 00:05:13.569 authority from the chief priests. And when they 00:05:13.569 --> 00:05:16.269 were put to death, I cast my vote against them, 00:05:16.350 --> 00:05:18.730 and I punished them often in every synagogue 00:05:18.730 --> 00:05:22.120 and compelled them to blaspheme. and being exceedingly 00:05:22.120 --> 00:05:25.000 enraged against them, I persecuted them even 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.180 to foreign cities. While thus occupied, as I 00:05:28.180 --> 00:05:30.639 journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.860 from the chief priests, at midday or king, along 00:05:33.860 --> 00:05:36.439 the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:39.459 than the sun, shining around me and those who 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:41.959 journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen 00:05:41.959 --> 00:05:44.240 to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:46.740 and saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, 00:05:46.939 --> 00:05:50.100 why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you 00:05:50.100 --> 00:05:53.100 to kick against the goads. So I said, Who are 00:05:53.100 --> 00:05:56.259 you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you 00:05:56.259 --> 00:05:59.160 are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet, 00:05:59.319 --> 00:06:01.680 for I have appeared to you for this purpose, 00:06:01.879 --> 00:06:04.720 to make you a minister and a witness, both of 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:07.220 the things which you have seen and of the things 00:06:07.220 --> 00:06:09.980 which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver 00:06:09.980 --> 00:06:12.420 you from the Jewish people, as well as from the 00:06:12.420 --> 00:06:15.620 Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their 00:06:15.620 --> 00:06:18.240 eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light. 00:06:18.589 --> 00:06:21.129 and from the power of Satan to God, that they 00:06:21.129 --> 00:06:23.730 may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance 00:06:23.730 --> 00:06:26.910 among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 00:06:27.410 --> 00:06:30.089 Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:32.470 to the heavenly vision, but declared first to 00:06:32.470 --> 00:06:35.410 those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout 00:06:35.410 --> 00:06:38.509 all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, 00:06:38.569 --> 00:06:41.189 that they should repent, turn to God, and do 00:06:41.189 --> 00:06:44.170 works befitting repentance. For these reasons 00:06:44.170 --> 00:06:46.850 the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to 00:06:46.850 --> 00:06:49.730 kill me. Therefore, having obtained help from 00:06:49.730 --> 00:06:53.149 God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to 00:06:53.149 --> 00:06:56.170 small and great, saying no other things than 00:06:56.170 --> 00:06:59.069 those which the prophets and Moses said would 00:06:59.069 --> 00:07:01.910 come, that the Christ would suffer, that he would 00:07:01.910 --> 00:07:04.189 be the first to rise from the dead, and would 00:07:04.189 --> 00:07:06.750 proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the 00:07:06.750 --> 00:07:10.089 Gentiles. Now as he thus made his defense, Festus 00:07:10.089 --> 00:07:12.790 said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside 00:07:12.790 --> 00:07:15.879 yourself. Much learning is driving you mad. But 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:18.740 he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but 00:07:18.740 --> 00:07:21.379 speak the words of truth and reason. For the 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:24.300 king before whom I also speak freely knows these 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:26.920 things. For I am convinced that none of these 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:29.920 things escapes his attention, since this thing 00:07:29.920 --> 00:07:33.120 was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:35.699 believe the prophets? I know that you do believe. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:39.139 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade 00:07:39.139 --> 00:07:42.220 me to become a Christian. And Paul said, I would 00:07:42.220 --> 00:07:45.439 to God that not only you, but also all who hear 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.420 me today might become both almost and altogether 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:52.199 such as I am, except for these chains. When he 00:07:52.199 --> 00:07:54.720 had said these things, the king stood up, as 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:57.079 well as the governor and Bernice, and those who 00:07:57.079 --> 00:07:59.420 sat with them. And when they had gone aside, 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:02.459 they talked among themselves, saying, This man 00:08:02.459 --> 00:08:05.019 is doing nothing deserving of death or chains. 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:08.519 Then Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have 00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:11.720 been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar. 00:08:16.939 --> 00:08:19.000 I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.120 I did and I look forward to seeing you again 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:23.540 tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless 00:08:23.540 --> 00:08:24.620 you and have a great day.