Chapter Twenty-Five
Paul Before Festus and Appeals to Caesar
25:1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
Felix’s replacement wasted no time time regarding Paul, just three days after his arrival in town Festus goes to Jerusalem to meet with the Jewish authorities. Even though it has been over two years since they presented their case to Felix, they were still wanting to eliminate Paul. The same political conundrum Felix faced continued with Festus, but unlike Felix, Festus was not satisfied in doing nothing.
25:2 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.
Festus met with the chief priests and the principal men (Greek prōtoi, the first, special prominence) of the Jews. They presented their case against Paul and urged Festus to allow Paul to be transported to Jerusalem for trial. Luke adds that they had plans to ambush Paul and kill him before he arrived. This was essentially the same plot that the forty men who took a vow to ambush Paul two years earlier had schemed, but with the exception that this plot was supported by the Sanhedrin.
25:4 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.”
Festus did not succumb to the pressure, as he decided that Caesarea was the appropriate venue for Paul’s trial. So he invited those that would press charges against him to travel with him back to Caesarea.
25:6 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.
Luke tells us that Festus stayed over a week in Jerusalem and then retuned to Caesarea. The day after he arrived, he sat down on the tribunal (Greek bēmatos, the bēma seat, a seat on a raised platform for judgment) and ordered Paul to be brought out. When he arrived, the Jews made several charges against him, but offered no evidence or proof. Even after two years, the Jewish leadership could not find sufficient testimony to support their claims.
25:8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.”
Paul’s rebuttal is short, he claims that he did not commit any offense against the law of the Jews (may imply compliance beyond the law of Moses including man-made regulations) , against the Temple (not guilty of sacrilege), or against Caesar (not guilty of sedition).
25:9 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.”
Festus not only offers Paul a choice in venue, he is also offering him a choice in what authority will decide his fate. Paul says he is now standing before Caesar’s tribunal and that is where he ought to be tried, but not in the future, not another trial, now! Paul tells Festus that both he and the Jews know he has done no wrong, so why wait? Paul says if he has done something wrong then he should die, as he does not seek to avoid death. But if they have no charges against him, he should not be given over to them because they will kill him. Seeing no alternative, Paul invokes his Roman citizen right to appeal to Caesar, of which Festus replies, “to Caesar you shall go.”
Paul Brought Before Agrippa and Bernice
25:13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.
After some time King Herod Agrippa II (Roman name was Marcus Julius Agrippa) and his sister Bernice arrive at Caesarea and greeted (Greek aspasamenoi, to welcome, to pay respects to) Festus. Agrippa was king over several Roman provinces (click here to read about the Herod dynasty).
Being the last ruler in the Herod dynasty that extended over several political changes in Rome, King Agrippa’s political career, though favorable for the most part, also had frequent changes as well. After King Herod of Chalcis passed away, his small Syrian kingdom, Chalcis, was handed over to Agrippa. He had the honor of overseeing the Temple in Jerusalem and choosing its high priest, but only as a tetrarch. Later, Agrippa had to relinquish the tetrarchy of Chalcis. But Emperor Claudius rewarded him with the title of king over the lands that Philip had once ruled, those being Iturea, Trachonitis, Batanea, Gaulanitis, Auranitis, and Paneas, plus the kingdom of Lysanias in Abila. Then later under Emperor Nero’s reign he expanded Agrippa’s territory by adding the cities of Tiberias and Taricheae in Galilee, along with Livias and its fourteen villages in Peraea.
25:14 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.”
Since Agrippa was a Hellenistic Jew, Festus takes advantage of his visit to discuss Paul. He offers a synopsis of Paul’s predicament and the accusations against him. He notes that he gave the chief priests and the Jewish elders an opportunity to charge Paul, but they came with nothing to charge him with, just some issues regarding their religion and something about a person named Jesus, who was once dead, but Paul claims that He now lives. He admitted to Agrippa that he’s not sure on how to investigate or what to do next, but since he appealed to Caesar he will remain incarcerated until he can be transported to Rome. After hearing this Agrippa tells Festus that he would like to hear what Paul has to say for himself, Festus replied, then tomorrow you will hear him.
25:23 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.
On the following day Agrippa and Bernice enter the audience hall (Greek akroatērion, a large room for public hearing) with great pomp (Greek phantasias, implying a cheap display of high status) along with tribunes (Greek chiliarchois, commander of thousand men, see Acts 21:30-31) and the prominent men of Caesarea. Festus then has Paul brought in.
25:24 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.”
Festus once again reviews the scenario that brought Paul to this moment, but now he identifies his main concern for him is to determine what to write to Caesar regarding Paul. That perhaps after the king examined him he could tell him what to include in that letter.