BIBLE IN TEN

Monday, 18 March 2024   “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, Acts 26:2   The NKJV reverses the order of the words, thus confusing the flow of thought. A literal translation would be, “Concerning all which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have deemed myself blessed before you, being...

Sunday, 17 March 2024   Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: Acts 26:1   A more literal translation would be, “And Agrippa said to Paul, ‘It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul, made his defense, having stretched out the hand” (CG).   The previous verse ended Chapter 25 with Festus noting t...

Saturday, 16 March 2024   “For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.” Acts 25:27   In the previous verse, Festus noted that he had nothing certain to write to Caesar concerning Paul. Hence, he was looking for something to write based on the examination. With that, he next says, “For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to speci...

Friday, 15 March 2024   “I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. Acts 25:26   Festus just noted to Agrippa that he had found nothing deserving of death in Paul. But more, because of the situation, Paul had appealed to...

Thursday, 14 March 2024   “But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. Acts 25:25   The words are better translated as, “And I, finding nothing he has done worthy of death, and he also himself having appealed to Augustus, I judged to send him” (CG).   Festus has just explained to Agrippa that the whole asse...

Wednesday, 13 March 2024   And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer.  Acts 25:24   In the previous verse, the entrance of King Agrippa and Bernice was accompanied by much pomp. The audience included commanders an...

Tuesday, 12 March 2024   So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in.  Acts 25:23   In the previous verse, Agrippa said that he would like to hear Paul. Having said that, Festus responded that the king would hear him the next day. With that remembered...

Monday, 11 March 2024   Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” Acts 25:22   Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).   You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at "Discern the Bible" on YouTube. (Click Here...

Sunday, 10 March 2024   “But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.” Acts 25:21   In the previous verse, Festus noted that he had asked Paul whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem to be judged concerning the matters he was charged with. Festus now tells Agrippa, “But when Paul appealed to be reserved.”   The wo...

Saturday, 9 March 2024   “And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. Acts 25:20   A more literal translation is, “And I, being perplexed at the question concerning this, bid if he be willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these” (CG).   In the previous verse, Festus noted the disp...

Friday, 8 March 2024   but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. Acts 25:19   More literally, the Greek reads, “But certain questions concerning their own religion they had against him, and concerning a certain Jesus having been dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive” (CG).   In the previous verse, Festus told...

Thursday, 7 March 2024   “When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, Acts 25:18   The verbs need to be tweaked. More literally, it reads, “Concerning whom, having stood up, the accusers were bringing no charge which I was thinking” (CG).   Festus, still telling Agrippa what took place with Paul, just noted that on the next day, after Paul’s acc...

Wednesday, 6 March 2024   “Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. Acts 25:17   The Greek more literally says, “Therefore, they, having come together, having made no delay, the next, having sat on the bema, I commanded the man to be brought” (CG).   Festus had just told Agrippa that it was not the cus...

Tuesday, 5 March 2024   “To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’ Acts 25:16   Although a tad clunky, a more literal rendering is, “To whom I answered, ‘That it is not Romans’ custom to grant any man to destruction before...

Monday, 4 March 2024   “about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. Acts 25:15   In the previous verse, Festus laid Paul’s case before Agrippa the king, noting that Paul had been left by Felix. He continues the thought now, saying, “about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me.”   The words...

Sunday, 3 March 2024   When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, Acts 25:14   In the previous verse, it noted that Agrippa, the king, and Bernice came down to Caesarea to greet Festus. That continues now with, “When they had been there many days.”   The term “many days” is a comparative term. The Pulpit Co...

Saturday, 2 March 2024   And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. Acts 25:13   A more literal rendering is, “And some days having passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice came down to Caesarea, having saluted Festus” (CG).   In the previous verse, Paul was told that because he had appealed to Caesar, to Caesar he would go. Now, the narrative continues with, “And s...

Friday, 1 March 2024   “Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, ‘You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!’” Acts 25:12   In the previous verse, Paul had appealed to Caesar as was his right as a Roman citizen. With that, it next says, “Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”   Festus had...

Thursday, 29 February 2024   “For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Acts 25:11   Paul just corrected Festus’s request by noting that he stood before Caesar’s judgment, where his judgment should take place. He also note...

Wednesday, 28 February 2024   So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. Acts 25:10   The words are more literally rendered, “And Paul said, ‘I am, having stood upon the bema of Caesar, where I should be judged. I harmed Jews nothing, as you also know very well” (CG).   In the previous verse, Festus asked P...

Tuesday, 27 February 2024   But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?” Acts 25:9   The Greek more literally reads, “And Festus, intending to lay the Jews a favor, answering Paul, said, ‘Are you willing, having gone up to Jerusalem, to be judged there concerning these before me?’”...

Monday, 26 February 2024   while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” Acts 25:8   More literally, it says, “He, making defense, ‘Neither toward the law of the Jews, nor toward the temple, nor toward Caesar, have I sinned anything’” (CG).   The previous verse noted that when the Jews had come d...

Sunday, 25 February 2024   When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, Acts 25:7   In the previous verse, Festus had returned to Caesarea and sat on the judgment seat the next day, commanding Paul to be brought forward. With that remembered, it next says, “When he had come, the Jews who had come...

Saturday, 24 February 2024   And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. Acts 25:6   A literal translation would be, “And having stayed with them more than ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, the next day, having sat upon the bema, he commanded Paul to be brought” (CG).   In t...

Friday, 23 February 2024   “Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.” Acts 25:5   A literal translation would be, “‘Therefore, those able among you,’ he says, ‘having descended together, if anything is wrong in the man, accuse him’” (CG).   The previous verse revealed Festus telling the Jews that Paul was...