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| Chapter 25 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him, 3 desiring a favor against him: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem, so that they might lie in wait on the way to kill him. 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. 5 "Let those therefore," he said, "who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him." 6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea. And the next day, sitting in the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8 while Paul answered for himself: "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all." 9 But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?" 10 Then said Paul, "I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. 11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I should not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar." 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go!" 13 ¶ Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. 14 And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, "There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix, 15 about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. 16 To them I answered, ’It is not in the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he who is accused has the accusers face to face, and has license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.’ 17 Therefore when they had come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought forth, 18 against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed, 19 but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition and of one Jesus, who was dead and whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And because I was in doubt as to this manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged on these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be reserved for a hearing by Augustus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar." 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, "I would also hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," said he, "thou shalt hear him." 23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought forth. 24 And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he hath committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. 26 Of him I have nothing certain to write unto my Lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after we have examined him I might have something to write. 27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to specify the crimes laid against him." |
Festus seems to have taken up his duties more than Felix, after three days he goes to Jerusalem, but he soon comes across the Jewish politics. The Jewish leaders, with high priest Ismaeli, soon brought Paul to his attention. Still trying to kill Paul they try to persuade Festus to bring Paul to Jerusalem. Festus has a problem, if he releases Paul he would have a serious Jewish problem, if he keeps Paul in prison, he has a Roman citizen, in prison, with no official charge. Moving Paul to Jerusalem would have been to obvious, but Festus chose to hold the trial in Caesarea, did he know of the previous problems? Though there is no evidence that he did. v7,8 When the Jews presented their accusations, they were numerous, but none could be proved and Paul said that he was innocent of any of the charges. v9-12 Festus, try to please the Jews and remove the problem, suggests to Paul that he returns to Jerusalem to have the trial. A Roman judge was not allowed to move the trial without the prisoners permission and Paul refused to go, instead he claimed the right of every Roman citizen to be judged by Caesar. It must have made the Jewish leaders very angry as this action took the chance to destroy Paul completely away from them. Why did Paul make this decision? First, God had told him that he was going to Rome, not Jerusalem. Second, This action has forced the Romans to protect him from the Jews. Third, a trial in Jerusalem would be fixed, not a fair and truthful trial. v13-22 Festus and Agrippa. Festus still has a problem, he has no legal charge against Paul to send to Nero, so when king Herod Agrippa II and sister, Bernice, made a state visit he discussed the situation with him. This was the great-grandson of the Herod who killed the babies in Bethlehem. Rome had given Herod Agrippa II the legal control of the temple in Jerusalem. Festus had already realized that the charge of the Jewish leaders against Paul was a " religious charge," nothing to do with the civil laws. Festus understood that the major problem was to do with the resurrection of a man Jesus, v19. King Herod was an expert in the Jewish way of life and had probably known about Jesus, Paul and this new sect, the "Christians" Acts 26:2-3. Acts 25:23 to Acts 26:32 Festus,Agrippa and Paul meet. This trial starts with much show and ceremony. There are also present many Roman chief captains and important men from the city. See Acts 9:15. v26 suggests that Festus wanted Agrippa to be the judge and examine Paul but there is no record of this, by the end of the trial Paul seems to become the "judge" of the lives of Festus, Agrippa and Bernice. |
Easy English Translation
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