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The Book of Acts
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BIBLE STUDY ACTS 25:1-27 REVIEW: Chapter 24 was about Paul’s time in custody under the Roman governor Felix. In the first part of the chapter, Paul’s accusers (the high priest Ananias, some elders from the Council, and their attorney, Tertullus) came to Caesarea five days after Paul had been brought there. Tertullus’ main accusation against Paul was that he had been stirring up the Jewish people by his teaching, and even by trying to profane the temple. (This would have been important to Felix, who above all else would want to keep order.) In his defense, Paul stressed that he had not been engaging in any controversial activities during his time in Jerusalem – and also noted that the accusers should have been the Jews from Asia who supposedly actually witnessed his “crimes”. Paul also stated that a main point of contention was his belief in the resurrection of the dead – a religious concern rather than anything that should involve the judgment of the Roman governor. There was obviously no secular case against Paul, but Felix did not want to offend the Jewish leaders – so he kept Paul in prison. Luke writes that he was “frightened” by Paul’s message about faith in Christ, but at the same time was also rather attracted by it and therefore would often send for him and converse with him. Luke also states that Felix was hoping that Paul would pay him money for his freedom. Finally, after two years Felix was succeeded as governor by Porcius Festus – and he left Paul in prison. CHAPTER 25:1-12 “I Appeal to Caesar” “Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him and requested, as a favor to them against Paul, to have him transferred to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, planning an ambush to kill him along the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So,” he said, “let those of you who have the authority come down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.” After he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he arrived, the Jews who had gone down from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. Paul said in his defense, “I have in no way committed an offense against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against the emperor.” But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?” Paul said, “I am appealing to the emperor’s tribunal; this is where I should be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor.” Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, “You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go.” Unlike Felix, we do not know much about Festus from secular historians. What we do know about him, however, portrays him as being a much more honorable and upright governor than his predecessor. He died after only two years in office, but he died with an untainted name. When Festus arrived as the new governor of Judea, the Jewish leaders immediately began pester him about Paul (much as Jews in Asia had tried to do with Gallio when he became the new governor in Achaia back in Acts 18:12-17). They wanted Festus to bring Paul up to Jerusalem for trial. According to Luke, their real motive was that they were planning to ambush and assassinate Paul – in the same way as others had tried to do back in chapter 23. Bringing a prisoner from Caesarea to Jerusalem, however, was highly irregular. Festus shows that he is an impartial governor in that insists upon observing the normal procedure of having the accusers come to Caesarea. From Paul’s answer we can deduce the charges that were made against him: heresy, sacrilege, and sedition. As William Barclay writes in his Daily Study Bible commentary, the first charge was true (at least from their point of view), irrelevant as it was to Roman law; but the second two about Paul’s committing sacrilege in the temple or stirring up insurrection against the Romans were deliberate lies. Festus had no desire to infuriate the Jews in the first days of his governorship, and so he offered a compromise – to bring Paul to Jerusalem but to be tried by him. Paul, however, knew that he would not receive a fair trial in Jerusalem. As a Roman citizen, he had the right to directly present his case to the Emperor if he felt that he was not getting justice in a provincial court. After Paul made his fateful appeal to Caesar, Festus had no choice but to send him to Rome. CHAPTER 25:13-22 “Festus and Agrippa” “After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. Since they were staying there several days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix. When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him and asked for a sentence against him. I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met the accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the charge. So when they met here, I lost no time, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the crimes that I was expecting. Instead they had certain points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. Since I was at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wished to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of his Imperial Majesty, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to the emperor.” Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.” Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I, whose death was recounted in Acts 12:23. This Agrippa was in A.D. 53 was granted the former tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias, to which were later added some towns in Galilee and Perea. He was also entrusted with the custody of the temple treasury and the appointment of the high priest. As the Interpreter’s Bible commentary states, he might therefore in the matter of Jewish affairs be considered a colleague of Festus – which is why Festus would consult with him about Paul. Bernice was Agrippa’s sister (actually half-sister). She lived with her brother after the death of her husband, which caused scandalous gossip in Roman social circles. Later, she became the mistress of the Emperor Titus. King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to welcome Festus as the newly appointed governor – a standard courtesy by one who owed his position to Roman patronage. What transpires here between Festus and Agrippa is classic political drama. Festus certainly knew what the charges against Paul were, but he wanted Agrippa to share in this. Why? Partly to stoke Agrippa’s vanity in that he was being asked for advice. Also, this was a way for Festus to avoid sole responsibility about Paul. Much as like Pilate had sent Jesus to Herod (Lk. 23:6-12) as a way to try to get out of a confrontation with the Jewish leaders – so now Festus does likewise in involving Agrippa. That way, perhaps the Jewish leaders would not be so upset about Paul’s being sent away to Rome (and being kept out of their hands). CHAPTER 25:23-27 “Pomp and Circumstances” “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 Festus gave the order and Paul was brought in. And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing deserving death; and when he appealed to his Imperial Majesty, I decided to send him. But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write – for it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.” Luke vividly “highlights” the drama which sets the stage for Paul’s defense in the next chapter. In this way, Jesus’ prophecy in Lk. 21:12-13 about his disciples being “brought before kings and governors because of my name” is fulfilled in Paul’s life – and that this would “give (him) an opportunity to testify.” The scene as a whole perfectly sets the stage for what Paul will say next. -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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