Acts 25:13–22 (ESV)
Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and
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. 16 I 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 concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers
stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to
investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But 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.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
They want to kill Paul, but it seems that almost everybody
is seeing through their charges and they don’t see Paul as having done something worthy of the charges being brought against him. They just don’t give up. Even today, people will often trump up charges to try and get a person fired
at work, simply because they don’t like them or they do not support their Christian beliefs. I know I actually had this happen to me before the ministry... but the truth came out several years later. When we are persecuted for our beliefs,
we must hold to and boldly pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Even though we have been wronged, we are to be forgiving people.
I pray: O Lord, Paul
had to endure trumped up charges because of his faith, and sometimes we do too. Help us to be a forgiving people and to keep our eyes focused on you. Jesus forgave us, and we are to forgive others. Amen.