Acts 25:1-27
The Trial Before Festus
1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They urgently 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. 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 press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”
6 After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
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?”
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. 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!”
12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
Festus Consults King Agrippa
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice 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. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and 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 any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their 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 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.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
Paul Before Agrippa
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 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. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 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 on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him.”
After being held by Felix for two years, Festus is now the new Governor...Paul was not found guilty or not guilty be Felix...Festus, like Felix, wants to do the Jews a favor...The Jewish leaders were wanting Festus to transfer Paul from Caesarea to Jerusalem...The Jewish leaders wanted to ambush Paul during this transfer...One of the new governor's order of business was to meet with Paul... Festus, said he was going to Caesarea and the Jewish leaders and opposition could come with him...We are told that the Jews wanted Paul's trial transferred to Jerusalem as a favor, and Festus does ask Paul if he would go stand trial in Jerusalem...We do not know if Festus knew of the planned ambush, if Paul was transferred to Jerusalem...
The Jews remain persistent against Paul's teaching the gospel of Jesus...But Paul is coming closer into getting to Rome, and being a witness of Christ in the center of the Roman Empire...As persistent as Paul's opposition is, he is even more strong and persistent, with the strength of the Holy Spirit...Paul perseveres...
It seems Festus was not skilled at running a trial in and about religion...When Festus says that Paul's accusers got up and spoke they did not charge Paul of any crimes he suspected, they had some points of dispute with him about their religion (and his, Paul's that is) and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul says is still alive...Festus admits he is at a loss on how he could or would investigate matters such as this...He does not even know what to tell Caesar...
Like Felix, Festus delay tactics seem to be the order of the day...Festus first asks if a change in venue, maybe to go to Jerusalem to have his trial might be okay...Paul says he has done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews, the laws of the temple, or the laws of Caesar...Paul seems to know that it is better to stand in Caesarea's court, or a court of Caesar than to go to Jerusalem...He tells Festus that he has done nothing wrong that would make him guilty of deserving death...Paul then appeals to Caesar...Being a Roman Citizen, he has that right...And Festus agrees, then to Caesar's you will go...When Paul made his appeal as a Roman citizen, then Festus would hold him until he could send him to Caesar...
Paul then is taken to King Agrippa and Bernice...The whole town watched the ranking officers come in pomp and circumstance...Festus tells King Agrippa that he really has nothing to write to his Emperor Caesar about, because he is not quite sure what Paul has done wrong...
Jesus, and His followers were really not recognized as a religion...Christianity was not recognized by Felix, Festus, and King Agrippa because they could not see it as a new religion...They did not know what to think about followers of Christ...The older Jewish culture and people, hung on to the Old Testament Scripture and they did not want a new religion popping up (so to speak)...They really did not believe, that Jesus was the Messiah...Paul's Jewish opposition could not challenge Paul, or for that matter Festus on whether they and seen Jesus after His death...Paul had seen Him, and could bring in more than five hundred witnesses who had seen Jesus, even after He died on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:6)...You see, Paul is right, there is a Man named Jesus, and He is still alive...The resurrection is a key point of evidence in Paul's defense...