Acts 25 (NLT)
“Paul Appears before Festus
25 Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, 2 where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. 3 They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to ambush and kill him on the way). 4 But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. 5 So he said, “Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations.”
6 About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove.
8 Paul denied the charges. “I am not guilty of any crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government,” he said.
9 Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?”
10 But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews.11 If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
According to Intervarsity Press Commentary, Festus had a good reputation as a governor. He was quick to figure out new assignments and keep things under control. We see here that within three days of being assigned to this area, he left Caesarea to go to Jerusalem, the capitol of the Jewish segment of the population. He seems to want to make sure everyone has met him and he has a good handle on each area of his jurisdiction. From verse 9 we see that “Festus, wanting to please the Jews” was willing to do things to keep everyone happy. Festus realizes that Paul has done nothing against Roman law, but suggests that Paul could go back to Jerusalem and be tried by the Jewish leaders. Paul knows that God wants him to go to Rome. Remember Acts 23: 11?
“That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.” So Paul uses his rights as a Roman citizen. Intervarsity Press Commentary says this about Paul’s decision: “Paul’s shrewdness allows him to overcome the governor’s moral failings and the fatal results that they would likely produce. It also enables Paul to retain the initiative of the divine “must” that has ultimate control of his personal destiny (23:11). Again God has providentially so ordered the decisions of individuals and nations that embedded in Roman law is an appeal mechanism that can now be employed by his witness, who was born a Roman citizen. But it requires Paul to exercise faith, courage, integrity and shrewdness.”
“13 A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. 14 During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he told him, “whose case was left for me by Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. 16 I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves.
17 “When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. 18 But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected.19 Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. 20 I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. 21 But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar.”
22 “I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said.
And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!”
Paul Speaks to Agrippa
23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. 25 But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However, since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.
26 “But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. 27 For it makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!”
This is definitely a strange court case. Paul has now been imprisoned for over two years, and no one has figured out what to charge him with. If they were actually following the law, he should have been released long ago. But God can take sin and failure and bring His plan out of it. God took Felix and Festus’ political wavering to make sure Paul would get to Rome. Jesus talks about what we can expect in our faith – tough times, but ones that God will support us in.
In Matthew 10: 16 – 20, Jesus says:
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. 17 But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.18 You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. 19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. 20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
In our culture, we expect things to get fixed quickly. Can you imagine what Paul might have been thinking in those two years. He was in custody – at least in a place where he could visit with friends and they could take care of him. But … he can’t go anywhere. He’s stuck in that one spot. We got a very small experience of that during the first days of the pandemic. But can you imagine how you’d feel if staying at home and keeping away from people went on for 2 years? Yet Paul continued to believe that God’s hand was in this. And we can too when we experience those frustrating times in our lives.
Our song for today is Sovereign by Chris Tomlin.