The Book of Acts Chapter 25

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The Book of Acts Chapter 25

Text from https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ACT.25.NIV

Paul's Witness to the Authority (2)

Paul’s Trial Before Festus

1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. (Festus visited Jerusalem and the Jewish leaders accused Paul to him.)

3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. (The Jewish leaders requested Festus to bring Paul back to Jerusalem to kill him along the way. They plotted illegal assassination while claiming to be lawful themselves. They were beautified tomb in which rotten corps inside.)

4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.

5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.” (Festus refused their request and told them to come to Caesarea for the trial.)

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. (Festus reopened the trial in Caesarea.)

7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them. (The Jews who came from Jerusalem with Festus accused Paul without evidence.)

8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.” (Paul defended his innocence in the Jewish or Roman law.)

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” (Festus asked Paul if he'd like to have the trial in Jerusalem in favor of Jews. He once rejected the request of Jews but now trying to please the Jews for his own gain. v.4-5)

10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. (Paul insisted his innocence in either courts.)

11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” (But Paul appealed his case to the emperor with the right to have trial before the emperor as a citizen of Rome. His intension in the trial, however, not to win but to have chance to proclaim the Gospel with his defence. 15:19-21, 23:11)

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” (Festus announced that Paul's case will be presented to the emperor after legal consult. So Paul became free from the hands of Jews.)

Festus Consults King Agrippa

13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice(1) arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. (When Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea, Festus discussed Paul's case reporting what had been going on so far.) He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.

15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.

17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.

18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.

21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.” (Report ends.)

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, Tomorrow you will hear him.” (There will be a hearing of the case with Agrippa's request.)

Paul Before Agrippa

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp(show up) and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. (Many highly ranked people assembled to hear Paul.)

24 Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. (Festus presented imprisoned Paul to the people.)

25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, (Felix thought Paul was innocent.) but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. (But Paul's case will be presented to the emperor as Paul's request. Paul's intension was not to win but to share the Gospel to the higher Roman authorities.)

26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write.

27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.” (Felix tried to have some opinion for his plausible letter to the emperor.)

(1)King Agrippa and Bernice (Google AI)

King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice are significant figures in the Bible's Book of Acts, known for their prominent attendance at the Apostle Paul's trial in Caesarea, where Paul defended his faith and mission to the Gentiles, leading to Agrippa's famous remark, "In a short time, are you persuading me to become a Christian?" (Acts 26:28). They were members of the Herodian dynasty, children of Agrippa I, and their presence highlighted the intersection of Roman and Jewish power as they listened to Paul's testimony before Governor Festus, ultimately influencing the decision to send Paul to Caesar.