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Acts 25

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Festus Assumes Office and Meets Jewish Leaders 1–5

1
Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ​
2
Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,
3
And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in 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 them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.

Paul's Trial Before Festus 6–12

6
And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
7
And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. ​
8
While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. ​
9
But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, 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 be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these 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. ​

Festus Consults King Agrippa 13–22

13
And after certain days 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 at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.
16
To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. ​
17
Therefore, when they were 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 none accusation of such things as I supposed:
19
But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ​
20
And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.
21
But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. ​
22
Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

Paul Addresses Agrippa 23–27

23
And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. ​
24
And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
25
But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
26
Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. ​
27
For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 25

Verse 1

after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem — Festus ‘came into Felix’ room’ after the two years of Acts 24:27, and went up to Jerusalem within three days of entering the province (eparchia, as in Acts 23:34). There ‘the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul’ (v.2), two years after the plot of Acts 23:12–15.

Verse 3

desired favour against him — Charis, favour, the word usually rendered ‘grace’, is the word for the ‘pleasure’ Felix wished to show the Jews (Acts 24:27) and for Festus’s own in v.9. Enedra, ‘laying wait’, is an ambush: the request to send Paul to Jerusalem was a plan to kill him on the way.

Verse 4

Paul should be kept at Caesarea — ‘Kept’ is tereo, the verb of Acts 24:23, where Felix ‘commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty’. Festus says he ‘would depart shortly thither’, and v.6 records that he stayed ‘more than ten days’ in Jerusalem before going down. He then sat on the judgment seat.

Verse 7

many and grievous complaints — Aitioma is a charge, found only here, and barys, ‘grievous’, is the word for the ‘grievous wolves’ of Acts 20:29. Paul had already said before Felix, ‘Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me’ (Acts 24:13). The charges put to Felix were sedition, leadership of the sect of the Nazarenes, and profaning the temple (Acts 24:5–6).

Verse 8

Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar — Three denials answer three charges: the law (Acts 21:28), the temple (Acts 24:6) and sedition (Acts 24:5). ‘Answered for himself’ is apologeomai, the verb behind the ‘defence’ of Acts 22:1. ‘Offended’ is hamartano, the ordinary verb ‘to sin’.

Verse 9

willing to do the Jews a pleasure — The word is charis again, as in Acts 24:27 and v.3. Festus’s offer, ‘Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged’, would put Paul again within reach of the men who, in v.3, wanted him sent to Jerusalem so that they could kill him on the way. ‘Before me’ keeps the judgment with Festus, and Paul answers in v.10.

Verse 10

I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat — Bema, the judge’s seat, is where Pilate sat (Matt 27:19) and where the Jews brought Paul before Gallio at Corinth (Acts 18:12). Festus sat on it for this hearing (v.6). Paul asks to be judged where Rome’s authority sits, and adds ‘to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest’.

Verse 11

no man may deliver me unto them — ‘Deliver’ is charizomai, to give as a favour, the verb related to charis in vv.3 and 9. Paul refuses to be given away for a favour. ‘I appeal unto Caesar’ uses epikaleomai, to call upon, found again in vv.12, 21, 25, Acts 26:32 and Acts 28:19, where he says he was ‘constrained’ to it.

Verse 12

when he had conferred with the council — Symboulion, counsel, is used in the Gospels of the councils against Christ (Matt 12:14) and here of the governor’s advisers. ‘Unto Caesar shalt thou go’ brings the Lord’s word of Acts 23:11 to pass, ‘so must thou bear witness also at Rome’. Paul later wrote that his troubles had ‘fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel’ (Phil 1:12).

Verse 13

king Agrippa and Bernice — Agrippa is the ‘king’ (basileus) before whom Paul speaks in ch.26. Bernice is named only in Acts 25:13, 23 and 26:30. ‘To salute’ is aspazomai, a courtesy visit to the new governor. Paul says of Agrippa, ‘I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews’ (Acts 26:3).

Verse 16

It is not the manner of the Romans — ‘Manner’ is ethos, custom, the word of the ‘customs’ Paul was accused of overthrowing (Acts 21:21). The rule that the accuser meets the accused matches Moses: ‘both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the LORD’ (Deut 19:17), and Prov 18:17, ‘his neighbour cometh and searcheth him’.

Verse 19

one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive — Festus puts the whole case in one clause. ‘Questions’ is zetema, as in Acts 18:15 and 23:29, and ‘affirmed’ is phasko. It is the matter Paul had named himself: ‘Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day’ (Acts 24:21).

Verse 21

the hearing of Augustus — Sebastos, the Greek form of the title Augustus, is found only here, in v.25 and in Acts 27:1. Diagnosis, ‘hearing’, occurs only here. Festus ‘commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar’, and the voyage begins in Acts 27:1 when ‘it was determined that we should sail into Italy’.

Verse 23

with great pomp — Phantasia, display, and akroaterion, ‘place of hearing’, each occur only here. The ‘chief captains’ are the chiliarchoi, commanders of a thousand, as in Acts 21:31. Paul stands before a king and a governor, as the Lord had said he would, ‘to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings’ (Acts 9:15).

Verse 26

no certain thing to write unto my lord — ‘Certain’ is asphales, as in Acts 21:34 and 22:30: Lysias, and now Festus, could find no certain charge. ‘Lord’ (kyrios) is here a title for the emperor, the same word that Peter used of Christ at Pentecost (Acts 2:36). ‘Examination’ is anakrisis, found only here.