ACTS 25
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. 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. 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.”
ACTS 25
Acts 25 is a continuation of Paul’s defense against charges brought against him by Jewish leaders who wanted him transferred to Jerusalem from Caesarea as they planned to kill him along the way. The new Roman official Festus, more honest than the former one, Felix, found that the Jewish leaders couldn’t prove any of the allegations against Paul but wanted to do the Jewish leaders a favor and so asked Paul if he would go to Jerusalem to stand trial there against the same charges; and Paul said no that he was in Caesar’s court and should be tried there and not handed over to the Jews and that he appealed to Caesar.
Festus conferred with his council and declared “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.” Festus then consulted with King Agrippa who had come to pay his respects as, although he didn’t find Paul guilty of any of the crimes he was accused of but didn’t have anything definite to write to the Emperor about Paul, he needed some help.
Paul again shows his assertiveness, and Felix’s honesty has put him in a bind. King Agrippa is anxious to meet Paul who claims that Jesus is alive. Sally Lewis, EfM, Year 4
