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Scripture Reading: Acts 25:1-27
In the foregoing message we considered Paul’s situation in relation to that of the Jewish religion, Roman politics, and the church life. Now we shall consider various matters in 25:1-27, where Luke goes further in presenting a picture of Judaism, the Roman government, and the church life.
According to 24:27, “When two years were completed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and wanting to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul bound.” Porcius Festus was the successor of Felix as governor of Judea. In 25:1—26:32 we see that Paul was left to Festus, the successor of Felix.
Acts 25:1-3 says, “Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and leading men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they kept entreating him, asking for a favor against him, so that he might summon him to Jerusalem, setting an ambush to do away with him on the way.” Here we see that the leaders of the Jews begged Festus to bring Paul back to Jerusalem from Caesarea. Two years earlier, the Roman commander had used four hundred seventy soldiers to take Paul from Jerusalem to Caesarea. Now these Jewish leaders entreated Festus to bring Paul back so that they could set an ambush in order to kill him.
Verses 4 and 5 continue, “Festus therefore answered that Paul was kept in custody in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to proceed there shortly. Therefore, he says, let able men from among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.” The Greek word rendered “wrong” in verse 5 may also be translated “out of place,” “amiss.”
We have pointed out in foregoing messages that the record of Acts indicates that Roman politics was corrupt. Nevertheless, Roman law was very strong. Although the politicians in the Roman government were corrupt, they still cared for the law. Therefore, when Festus was asked to bring Paul back to Jerusalem, he considered that such an action was not according to Roman law, and he rejected the request of the Jewish leaders.
We have pointed out that, in contrast to the Lord Jesus, it was necessary for Paul to make a defense in order to save his life from his persecutors so that he might fulfill the course of his ministry. In 25:6-8 Paul defended himself before Festus. Verses 6 and 7 say, “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 judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. And when he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him, which they were not able to prove.” Here we see that the Jewish leaders fulfilled Festus’ request in verse 5.
Actually, in defending himself before Festus Paul did not say very much. He simply denied doing anything against either Jewish law or Roman law: “While Paul said in his defense. Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in anything” (v. 8).
In dealing with Paul, Festus was a fox and proposed that Paul go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before Festus. Regarding this, 25:9 says, “But Festus, wanting to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things?” This proposal exposed the corruption of yet another Roman politician. Here again we see the crookedness of the Roman politicians.
Paul was wise and saw through the subtlety of Festus’ proposal. According to verse 10, Paul said strongly, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.” Paul’s word concerning “Caesar’s judgment seat” indicated to Festus that he intended to appeal to Caesar.
In verse 11 Paul went on to say, “If therefore I am doing wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing in the things of which these accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” The Greek words translated “hand me over” may also be rendered “grant as a favor,” both here and in verse 16. The Caesar to whom Paul appealed was Caesar Nero.
For his defense Paul wanted to appeal to Caesar. Without such an appeal, the apostle Paul might have been killed by the Jews through Festus’ unjust handling of him, and thus his life might not have been preserved for the finishing of the course of his ministry. Paul’s appeal to Caesar would fulfill his desire to see Rome for the furtherance of the Lord’s testimony (19:21; 23:11). Without this appeal, he would have been killed by the plot of the Jews (23:12-15; 25:1-3, 9), and he would not have been able to write his last eight Epistles.
Before his appeal to Rome, Paul had written only six Epistles: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians. It was during his first imprisonment in Rome that he wrote Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. It was after his first imprisonment that he wrote 1 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. Then during his second imprisonment he wrote 2 Timothy. Without these last eight Epistles, what a lack the divine revelation would have had and what a loss the church would have suffered! His appeal did render a great profit and benefit to the Lord’s interest.
Acts 25:12 says, “Then when Festus had conferred with the council, he answered, To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” The council here was the council of the Roman province, composed of the councillors or assessors chosen by the governor of the province, with whom the governor usually consulted concerning an appeal like Paul’s.
Why was Paul so strong in daring to appeal to Caesar? Paul was strong in this matter because, as a Roman, he knew Roman law. He knew that when he appealed to Roman law, Festus did not have any choice except to honor this appeal. No doubt, the Roman politicians were corrupt, but the Roman government had strong laws which gave Paul a basis to appeal to Caesar.
On two previous occasions Paul stood on the fact of his Roman citizenship. In chapter sixteen Paul said to his captors, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are thrusting us out secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out. And the deputies reported these words to the magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans” (vv. 37-38). Later, when Paul was about to be examined by scourging, he said to the centurion standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it, saying, What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman” (22:25-26). Paul knew the value of Roman citizenship. He knew that Roman law protected those who were Roman citizens. The law did not give anyone the right to mistreat a Roman citizen. Now in chapter twenty-five Paul, according to Roman law, appealed to Caesar.
In 25:13-27 Paul’s case is referred to King Agrippa. Verse 13 says, “Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.” This Agrippa was Herod Agrippa II, who reigned over the region north and east of Galilee. He was the son of Herod in chapter twelve and was a Jew by religion.
Bernice, who came with Agrippa, was the sister of Drusilla, wife of Felix (24:24). She was also a sister of Agrippa, with whom she lived incestuously. This again shows the corruption of the politicians in the circle of Roman politics.
Agrippa’s status was quite complicated. He had either a Jewish father or a Jewish mother. His sister Drusilla is called a Jewess in 24:24. Because Agrippa was a Jew in religion, Festus was careful in talking to him concerning Jewish matters. In 25:19 Festus said to Agrippa regarding Paul and the Jews, “They had certain questions against him concerning their own religion and concerning a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” Here we see that Festus was cautious in referring to Judaism.
Although Festus referred Paul’s case to Agrippa and conferred with him about it, this case actually was not in Agrippa’s jurisdiction. Festus ruled Judea from Caesarea as the center, and Agrippa ruled another region. However, they were relatives and knew each other well. Therefore, when Agrippa came to Caesarea to visit Festus, Festus referred Paul’s case to him.
As we read 25:13-22 we see that Festus and Agrippa, officials of the Roman government, were “playing” with Paul’s case. When Festus told Agrippa that the Jews had questions against Paul “concerning their own religion and concerning a certain Jesus who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive” (v. 19), Festus was merely playing with words. His manner of speaking exposes the kind of person he was. After Festus told Agrippa that Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor and that Festus had ordered him to be kept in custody until he was sent up to Caesar (v. 21), Agrippa said to Festus, “I also myself was desiring to hear the man” (v. 22). Then Festus replied that Agrippa would hear Paul the next day. The more we study the conversation between Festus and Agrippa, the more we realize both the Roman politicians were evil.
Acts 25:23 says, “Therefore on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered into the hall of audience together with the commanders and prominent men of the city, Festus gave order and Paul was brought.” Luke’s description of the way Agrippa and Bernice came into the hall indicates the kind of people they were. Once again, no title is given to Bernice. We are not told whether or not she was the queen. Luke simply says that they entered into the hall with great pomp.
After Paul had been brought in, Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, you behold this man concerning whom all the multitude of Jews petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I perceived that he had done nothing worthy of death; and when he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to send him, concerning whom I have nothing definite to write to my lord; wherefore I brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that when the examination has taken place, I may have something to write. For it seems unreasonable to me, in sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him” (vv. 24-27). In verse 26 the Greek pronoun rendered “you” is in plural and refers to the commanders and prominent men who were present (v. 23). As we shall see, Agrippa then gave permission to Paul to speak for himself, and he proceeded to defend himself before Agrippa (26:1-29).
In chapter twenty-five of Acts we have a picture of the situation in which Paul was. As the one standing in the midst of this situation, Paul was different from the Jewish people in their religion, from the Roman politicians, and also from the church in Jerusalem. This picture reveals that Paul was one who lived Christ. Paul was a genuine witness to Christ. It is no wonder, then, that the Lord Jesus considered him a witness when He said to Paul, “Take courage, for as you have solemnly testified concerning Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (23:11). According to 26:16, the Lord had appointed Paul a minister and a witness. Actually, in all his defenses Paul did not say very much concerning Christ. Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus recognized that Paul was solemnly testifying concerning Him.
Paul could testify of the Lord because he lived Christ. As one who lived Christ and was a living testimony of Him, Paul was absolutely different from the Jewish religionists, the Roman politicians, and those in the church in Jerusalem.
We need to be deeply impressed with the fact that in these chapters of Acts Paul was a genuine witness of Christ. We have seen that these chapters describe three categories of people: the Jewish religionists, the Roman politicians, and those weak and compromising ones in the church in Jerusalem. Now with Paul we have a fourth category. In this category Paul stands alone as a person who lived Christ. Paul not only preached the propagation of the resurrected Christ; he lived this Christ. Paul lived a life that was the propagation of the resurrected Christ. What a glory! What a victory! What a gain for the Lord and what a shame to the enemy that Paul both preached Christ and lived Christ! In the center of the enemy’s activity stood Paul, a person who lived Christ. The resurrected Christ had propagated Himself by coming into Paul and making him a living witness of Christ.
