The Acts of the Apostles

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- Chapter 25 -

Festus began to rule as governor of the province. Three days later, he left the city of Caesarea and went up to Jerusalem.

There, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders stood before Festus and said that Paul had done things that were very wrong.

They urgently asked Festus to bring Paul to trial in Jerusalem. But they were really planning to attack him on the road and kill him.

Festus replied, “Paul is under guard in Caesarea, let him stay there. I myself will go down to Caesarea very soon.”

“So,” he said, “you should go there with me, those of you who are able to. If you have anything to accuse Paul of, you can do it there.”

Festus remained in Jerusalem with the temple leaders eight or ten more days. Then he went back down to the city of Caesarea. The next day Festus commanded that Paul be brought to him, where he sat in the judge’s seat.

After Paul was brought before the judge’s seat, the Jewish leaders who had come down from Jerusalem gathered around him to accuse him of many serious charges, but they were not able to prove any of them.

Then Paul spoke for himself. He said, “I have done nothing against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against the emperor.”

But Festus wanted to please the Jewish leaders, so he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem so I can judge you there about these things?”

Paul Appeals to Caesar

Paul replied, “No, I am now standing before you, who represent the Emperor. This is where I ought to be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jewish people, as you know very well.

If I had done anything deserving of death, I would not refuse to die; but there is nothing that they accuse me of that deserves such a punishment. No one can condemn me just to satisfy them. I ask that Caesar himself judge me.”

After Festus conferred with his advisors, he said, “You have appealed to Caesar, and so to Caesar you shall go!”

Festus Consults Agrippa

After several days, King Herod Agrippa arrived at Caesarea, along with his sister Bernice. They had come to pay their respects to Festus.

King Agrippa and Bernice stayed many days in Caesarea. After some time had passed, Festus told Agrippa about Paul. He said, “There is a man here whom Felix kept in prison.

When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish elders came before me and asked me to condemn him to death.

But I told them that when someone has been accused of a serious crime, it is not a custom for Romans to condemn a person immediately. Instead, we allow the accused man to stand face to face with his accusers and defend himself against what they say about him.

So when those Jews came here to Caesarea, I did not delay the trial at all. The day after they arrived, I sat in the judge’s seat and ordered the guard to bring in the prisoner.

But when the Jewish leaders told me what the prisoner had done wrong, I did not think that anything they said was serious.

Instead, what they argued with him about were things in their own religion and about a man whose name was Jesus who had died, but whom Paul said was alive.

I did not understand these matters, or how to find out the truth. So I asked Paul, ‘Are you willing to go to Jerusalem, so I can judge you there about these things?’

But Paul asked for Caesar himself to judge his case, so I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.”

Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I myself would like to hear what this man has to say.” Festus answered, “I will arrange for you to hear him tomorrow.”

Paul before Agrippa and Bernice

The next day Agrippa and Bernice entered the hall of judgment, and all the other people were honoring them. Some Roman commanders and important men in Caesarea came with them. Then Festus commanded that the guards should bring Paul in.

After Paul entered, Festus said, “King Agrippa and all the rest of you who are here, you see this man! Many leaders of the Jews, both in Jerusalem and here, asked me not to let him live any longer.

But I found nothing that he had done to deserve death. Even so, he has asked Caesar to judge his case, so I have decided to send him to Rome.

But I do not know what exactly I should write to the emperor about him. That is why I have brought him here to speak to you all, and especially to you, King Agrippa! I have done this so that you may question him. Then I may know what to write to the emperor.

I think that it would be unreasonable to send a prisoner to the emperor in Rome without telling exactly what were the wrong things people say that he has done.”

Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him,

asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem, plotting to kill him on the way.

However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.

“Let them therefore”, he said, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.”

When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,

while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.”

But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged by me there concerning these things?”

Paul Appeals to Caesar

But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.”

Festus Consults Agrippa

Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.

As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before the accused has met the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought.

When the accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of such things as I supposed;

but had certain questions against him about their own religion and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.

But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.”

Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

Paul before Agrippa and Bernice

So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to send him,

of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination I may have something to write.

For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.”