As I read through Acts, one thing that's a little difficult to wrap my brain around is the political structure of the era. We have an Emperor in Rome (aka Caesar), some governors spread throughout the empire, and now, we meet a king named Agrippa. Agrippa is the last in the line of the various King Herods that we read about in the New Testament. We don't learn this in the biblical account, but history tells us that Agrippa was also the brother of Drusilla, Felix's wife at the time. Although at this point, Felix has been replaced by Festus as governor or procurator of the region.
Paul is given permission to state his case and plead his innocence, and in verses 2-23 he tells his story, going all the way back to his childhood. He acknowledges the evil he's done in persecuting the church (v. 10), and tells the story of his conversion and mission since "seeing the light" (v. 12-17). Finally, after an interruption from Festus, Paul appeals to Agrippa's knowledge of the Old Testament and prophecy about the coming of Christ. After Agrippa's question in verse 28, Paul's answer is just awesome. "Short time or long -- I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, apart for these chains." You have to love Paul...a man who exhibits humility in all he does, and yet understands that God has made him something special. And what's more, rather than bask in his specialness, he earnestly desires and labors so that all might become what God's grace has enabled him to become.
The chapter ends with the ominous quote, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
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