Paul was given the opportunity to speak to King Herod Agrippa II to defend himself against false accusations (Acts 26:1). Instead Paul asserted his innocence and then went on to give his testimony about how He met Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul wanted Agrippa to be saved too (Acts 26:25-29).
It may seem strange that Paul spoke about the Lord's commission to 'open eyes', when he was speaking to King Herod Agrippa about his conversion (Acts 26:1-3). Strange, because the Lord blinded him by a very bright light on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-4).
King Herod Agrippa II was not uneducated, nor was he uninformed about God (Acts 26:2-3). He knew the Scriptures and the promise of the Messiah (Acts 26:26-27) but he was disobedient. So, Paul contrasted his personal response to Jesus by telling the King, "I was not disobedient …".
Festus, the new Governor in Caesarea, was visited by his senior officer, King Herod Agrippa II (Acts 25:13-15). Paul had been left in prison there by the previous Governor, Felix, who did not know what to do with the apostle. Felix and Festus both feared that releasing Paul would precipitate public disorder, which would be bad for their reputation as the military controller of the area.
When King Herod Agrippa had heard all Paul had to say, he stood up to leave the great hall of the fortress-palace in Caesarea Maritima. It was a ceremonial departure accompanied by Bernice, his incestuous sister-queen-wife, Governor Festus and the senior military and civic officials. Those left in the hall would have wondered if Paul's fate had been decided. It had been, but not by Agrippa or Festus.
Even though King Herod Agrippa decided that Paul had not done anything wrong, Festus had to send the Apostle to Rome because Paul had exercised his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar (Acts 26:30-32). Several prisoners were to travel together, escorted by a centurion and his soldiers (Acts 27:42).
This was to be Paul's last sea journey. He was sailing to Caesar's court in Rome, in company with indicted criminals, escorted by a centurion and soldiers. Paul had not been charged with any crime so he was allowed travelling companions, among whom was Aristarchus (Acts 27:2) and the physician-historian Luke (note: 'we' in Acts 27:1-28:16).
Paul's sea journey to Rome was about to go badly wrong. Travelling in a grain-carrying commercial ship with 276 people on board (Acts 27:37), Paul was a prisoner. As he had not been charged with any crime, friends could travel with him including Luke, who gives us a vivid eye-witness description of the terror and despair on board as the storm increased its fury.
The situation was hopeless. The ship on which Paul was being taken to Rome was being driven westwards from Crete by a very powerful storm with huge waves. The sailors and passengers had done all they could to make the ship buoyant, throwing the grain cargo overboard, and cutting the rigging to release masts and spars. The sea was an inferno with no relief for many days, doubtless with much seasickness and no food.
For two weeks, Paul's ship, with 276 people on board (Acts 27:37), was battered by huge seas, unrelenting wind and a dark, threatening sky. All strength was gone, nobody felt like eating and they despaired of their lives (Acts 27:20). But the Lord spoke to Paul one night, assuring him that although the ship would be lost, everybody would make it safely to land.
