Agrippa Ἀγρίππας

Who is Agrippa in the Bible?

Agrippa, also known as Herod Agrippa II, was a tetrarch and great-grandson of Herod the Great who ruled over territories in Judea during the first century. He appears in Acts 25 and 26 as the Jewish ruler before whom the Apostle Paul delivered his defense while imprisoned in Caesarea under Roman governor Festus. When Agrippa arrived in Caesarea with his sister Bernice to pay respects to the new governor, Festus brought Paul's case before him, and Agrippa expressed interest in hearing Paul's testimony. During Paul's defense in Acts 26, Paul recounted his conversion experience and appealed to Agrippa's knowledge of Jewish law and the prophets, directly challenging him to believe in Christ. Though Agrippa famously responded with skepticism, asking "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (Acts 26:28), he ultimately concluded that Paul had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment. Agrippa's encounter with Paul demonstrates both the spread of the gospel to the highest levels of Jewish authority and the rejection of Christ's message by those in power.