Acts 25
June 3
Reading: Acts 25
1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem-- because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly.
5 "So," said he, "let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him."
6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove.
8 Paul argued in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense."
9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?"
10 But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar."
12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go."
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar."
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself."
"Tomorrow," said he, "you will hear him."
23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.
24 And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him."
It is more than two years since Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and his enemies are still trying to get him convicted and killed. I thank God that right now I do not have enemies with that kind of tenacity. I do know some people who have such committed enemies. There are people who really hate Christians.
Now it is Festus, a self-righteous, politically savvy, pagan. This guy is a smooth and dangerous operator. Clearly, he is trying to use Paul to make friends with the Jewish leaders. Paul can see it. Twice Paul tells Festus that he is innocent, and that Festus knows he is innocent, which is true. But Paul can see that the Roman governor is going to use him as a bargaining tool with the Jews. For this reason, he appeals to Caesar. This is Paul’s legal right as a Roman citizen and Paul is being smart and shrewd.
Next, Festus is trying to make himself look good before King Agrippa, the Judean puppet king under the Roman authority, and the last of the Herods. He knows that this Herod Agrippa is likely to be curious about Paul and he is. Festus asks King Agrippa to help him understand Paul and see if there are any intelligible charges to report to Rome. He is making Agrippa feel important.
Festus should have released Paul. Festus will have to answer to God. Like Pilate before Jesus, Festus knows that Paul is innocent and yet was prepared to hand him over to death. Then, later, he pretends that he was not doing this but was simply after justice. God is not fooled.
I think of Psalm 12:2, “They speak falsehood to one another; with flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.” God is not fooled by people’s pretensions. God sees all motives. God judges the hearts of men. When you are in the grip of self-righteous people who lie to themselves and others and make life difficult for you, know that they will answer to God.
Moreover, the Lord is using all of this to get Paul to Rome and advance the gospel.