“But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.” Acts 25:25-27
The case against Paul was political and procedural not criminal. It was anything but open and shut or air tight. At the end of the day, the Romans kept having to justify why they were doing what they were doing. They were looking for the proverbial smoking gun and couldn’t find it. They figured the more they let the Apostle talk, the more chance they’d have for him to implicate himself.
Normally, one would crumble addressing the king, but Paul reveled in the opportunity to make his defense to the higher ups. It was used as a golden opportunity not for personal gain, but to share the cause of Christ. He was in the process of fulfilling the prophecies regarding his future. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, and was empowered by the certainty, that he was squarely in the Lord’s will.
But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. Acts 9:15
Rest assured that if you are ever in such a situation as was Paul, when all may be lost, including your head, to speak for the cause of Christ, to give a reason for the hope that resides within you (Colossians 1:17) that you make the most of the opportunity, calling down wisdom from above as you speak, not shrinking but sharing all that is the truth, and let the chips fall as they may. The worse case will be the best case in God’s eyes, and your fate will be held tightly in His hands.
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Colossians 4:2–6
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