c.
Left to Festus, the successor of Felix
25:1—26:32
1)
The request of the leaders of the Jews rejected
25:1-5
Acts 25
:1
25:1
aFestus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from
bCaesarea.
Acts 25
:2
25:2
And the
achief priests and leading men of the Jews gave their information to him against Paul; and they entreated him,
Acts 25
:3
25:3
Asking for a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem,
they themselves setting an
aambush to
bdo away with him on the way.
Acts 25
:4
25:4
Festus therefore answered that Paul was being kept
in custody in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to proceed
there shortly.
Acts 25
:5
25:5
Therefore, he said, let
1influential men from among you go down with
me, and if there is anything
2wrong in the man, let them
aaccuse him.
2)
Defending himself before Festus
25:6-8
Acts 25
:6
25:6
And having stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day he sat on the
ajudgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought.
Acts 25
:7
25:7
And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious
acharges against
him, which they were
bnot able to prove,
Acts 25
:8
25:8
While Paul said in his
1adefense,
bNeither against the
claw of the Jews nor against the
dtemple nor against
eCaesar have I sinned in anything.
3)
Appealing to Caesar
25:9-12
Acts 25
:9
25:9
But Festus, wanting to
1gain afavor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Are you willing to go up to
bJerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things?
Acts 25
:10
25:10
And Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's
ajudgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done
bnothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.
Acts 25
:11
25:11
If therefore I am doing wrong and have committed anything
aworthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to the things which these
baccuse me of, no one can hand me over to them. I
1cappeal to
2Caesar.
Acts 25
:12
25:12
Then when Festus had conferred with the
1council, he answered, To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.
4)
Referred by Festus to King Agrippa
25:13-27
Acts 25
:13
25:13
Now when some days had passed,
1aAgrippa the king and
2Bernice arrived at
bCaesarea and greeted Festus.
Acts 25
:14
25:14
And while they were staying some additional days there, Festus laid before the king the matters regarding Paul, saying, There is a certain man who has been
aleft a
bprisoner by
cFelix,
Acts 25
:15
25:15
Concerning whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the
achief priests and the elders of the Jews gave information and asked for a sentence against him.
Acts 25
:16
25:16
To them I answered that it is not the
acustom with Romans to hand over any man before he who is
baccused meets the
caccusers face to face and has an opportunity for a
ddefense concerning the charge.
Acts 25
:17
25:17
So when they had come together here, I made no delay; on the next day, sitting on the
ajudgment seat, I ordered the man to be brought.
Acts 25
:18
25:18
Concerning him the accusers stood and brought no
acharge of the evil things I was suspecting.
Acts 25
:19
25:19
But they had certain
aquestions against him concerning their own
1religion and concerning a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be
balive.
Acts 25
:20
25:20
And 1being at a loss
as to how there should be an inquiry concerning these things, I asked
him if he was willing to go to
aJerusalem and be judged there concerning these things.
Acts 25
:21
25:21
But when Paul appealed to be kept
in custody for the decision of
1the aEmperor, I ordered him to be kept
in custody until I should send him up to Caesar.
Acts 25
:22
25:22
And Agrippa
said to Festus, I myself also would like to hear the man. Tomorrow, said
Festus, you shall hear him.
Acts 25
:23
25:23
Therefore on the next day, when
aAgrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered into the hall of audience together with the
1commanders and prominent men of the city, and when Festus had given the order, Paul was brought.
Acts 25
:24
25:24
And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all you men who are present with us, you behold this man, concerning whom all the multitude of
aJews have petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought
bnot to live any longer.
Acts 25
:25
25:25
But I found that he had done nothing
aworthy of death; and since he himself
bappealed to the Emperor, I
1decided to send
him.
Acts 25
:26
25:26
Concerning him I have nothing definite to write to my lord; therefore I have brought him before
1you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that when the examination has taken place, I may have something to write.
Acts 25
:27
25:27
For it seems unreasonable to me, in sending a
aprisoner, not to also signify the charges against him.
