In brief
Bernice and Drusilla are two women of high rank who appear in Acts during Paul's captivity at Caesarea. Drusilla, the Jewish wife of the governor Felix, hears Paul speak of faith in Christ (Acts 24:24). Bernice accompanies King Agrippa when Paul defends himself before him (Acts 25 and 26). Both hear the gospel from the apostle himself, but the Bible reports no response from either. What we remember is the danger of hearing the truth without responding to it.
What does the name Bernice and Drusilla mean?
Drusilla is a Latin name, a feminine diminutive of Drusus; Bernice is a Greek name generally linked to the meaning “bringer of victory.” The Bible does not explain these names and does not specify their family ties, which the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus presents as two sisters, daughters of King Herod Agrippa I.
The story of Bernice and Drusilla
Drusilla and Felix listen to Paul
Acts 24:24A few days after Paul's hearing before the governor Felix, the governor comes with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and sends for the apostle. The couple hear him speak about faith in Christ. Drusilla thus finds herself before the gospel, announced by a prisoner who has nothing to gain by pleasing them.
Righteousness, self-control and judgment
Acts 24:25-27Paul speaks about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. Felix, terrified, sends him away, putting off the rest until later. In reality he hopes to receive money from Paul, and he leaves him in prison for two years to please the Jews. The text says nothing about Drusilla's reaction.
Bernice arrives in Caesarea
Acts 25:13-22Porcius Festus succeeds Felix. Shortly afterward, King Agrippa and Bernice come to Caesarea to greet him. Festus lays Paul's case before the king: a religious dispute about a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirms to be alive. Agrippa then asks to hear the man himself.
A hearing with great pomp
Acts 25:23; 26:1-23The next day, Agrippa and Bernice enter the audience hall with great pomp, accompanied by the commanding officers and the leading men of the city. Paul tells of his life as a Pharisee, then of his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. He declares that the Christ had to suffer and, by rising first from the dead, would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles.
They rise and withdraw
Acts 26:24-32Festus calls Paul crazy, and Agrippa answers: “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?” Paul wishes that all his hearers might become as he is, except for his chains. Then the king, the governor, Bernice and the others rise. They acknowledge that Paul is innocent, but the text reports no commitment on their part.
What Bernice and Drusilla teaches us
- Hearing the gospel, even from the mouth of an apostle, is not enough: God expects a response of faith.
- Prestige, wealth and power take nothing away from the need for a Savior.
- Putting off the decision to follow Christ is a dangerous trap.
- A believer, even in chains, can testify with confidence before the great of this world.
Key verses
Paul speaks of righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come before Felix and Drusilla. Felix is terrified, but he puts the decision off until later.
Paul wishes that all who listen to him, Bernice included, might become as he is, except for his chains. His deepest desire is their salvation.
The king, the governor and Bernice rise and acknowledge that Paul has done nothing worthy of death. They judge the man without responding to his message.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Drusilla in the Bible?
Drusilla is the wife of the Roman governor Felix. Luke specifies that she was Jewish (Acts 24:24). With her husband, she has Paul sent for and hears him speak about faith in Christ, then about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. The Bible reports no word from her and no personal reaction.
Who was Bernice in the Bible?
Bernice accompanies King Agrippa on his visit to the governor Festus at Caesarea (Acts 25:13). She attends Paul's defense in Acts 26 and rises with the king and the governor at the end of the hearing. The Bible does not specify her relationship to Agrippa; Flavius Josephus presents her as his sister.
Where are Bernice and Drusilla found in the Bible?
Drusilla appears in Acts 24:24, during Paul's captivity under the governor Felix. Bernice is mentioned in Acts 25:13, 25:23 and 26:30, during King Agrippa's visit to Festus. For the context, read chapters 24 to 26 of Acts, which tell of Paul's trials at Caesarea.