Paul before governor Festus
25
📚Now three days after Festus came to the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 25:1 We know little about Festus apart from what is here in Acts. He became governor sometime about 60 AD and died less than two years later.⚜
2 📚Then the high priest and the leaders of the Jews informed him against Paul, and pleaded with him, 3 📚asking the favour against Paul, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, while they waited in ambush along the way to kill him. 4 📚But Festus replied that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would go there soon. 5 📚“Therefore”, he said, “let those among you who are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there is any wickedness in him”.
6 📚And when he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7 📚And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood around, and brought many serious charges against Paul, which they could not prove.
8 📚And he answered for himself, “I have not in any way offended against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar”.
9 📚But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favour, answered Paul and said, “Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged about these things before me?”
10 📚Then said Paul, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know.
25:10 Caesar was the Roman emperor. Rome ruled Judea and the Roman governor was the judge in criminal cases.⚜
11 📚For if I am doing wrong, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not ask to avoid death. But if there is nothing to any of these accusations they bring against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar”.
25:11 At any stage in the trial of a Roman citizen he had the right to demand that his case be heard before the emperor in Rome, and that the emperor himself should give the verdict (v 21). Paul now did this because he saw that there was little chance of a just decision. Felix wanted to please the Jews. Also Paul knew that the Lord was sending him to Rome (Acts 23:11).⚜
12 📚Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “Have you appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you will go”.
13 📚And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
25:13 This Agrippa was the son of the Herod Agrippa of Acts 12:1. He was king over some areas to the north of Judea. Bernice was his younger sister.⚜
14 📚And after they had been there many days, Festus set Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left imprisoned by Felix, 15 📚about whom the chief priests and the Jewish elders informed me when I was in Jerusalem, asking me to make a judgment against him.
16 📚“I replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand anyone over to death before the one accused has seen his accusers face to face, and had opportunity to answer for himself concerning the crime charged against him. 17 📚Therefore, when they had come here, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him about such things as I had supposed, 19 📚but had some questions against him about their own religion, and about a certain Jesus, who had died, who, Paul declares, is alive.
25:19 Festus had no understanding of the gospel, was ignorant of the most important issues facing mankind.⚜
20 📚And because I was in doubt about such questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there about these matters. 21 📚But when Paul appealed to be kept for the decision of Augustus, I ordered him to be kept here until I could send him to Caesar”.
22 📚Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would also like to hear the man myself”. “Tomorrow”, Festus said, “You will hear him”.
Paul before King Agrippa
23 📚And the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp and entered the place for hearing the case, along with the commanders and leading men of the city, Paul was brought in at the order of Festus. 24 📚And Festus said, “King Agrippa, and everyone here present with us, you see this man about whom all the Jewish people have entreated me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. 25 📚But when I found that he himself had done nothing worthy of death, and that he had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him there. 26 📚But I have nothing certain about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this investigation takes place I might have something to write. 27 📚For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner, and not indicate the charges against him”.