Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This is the shortest of Paul’s five defences that Luke documented. Paul made his five defences to the Jewish mob on the Antonia Fortress stairway, Acts 22:1-21, to the Sanhedrin, Acts 23:1-6, to Felix, Acts 24:10-21, to Festus, Acts 25:8 / Acts 25:10-11, and to Herod Agrippa II, Acts 26:1-26. This one is quite similar to Paul’s defence before Felix except that now the apostle appealed to the emperor.’
After only three days in the province, Porcius Festus went to Jerusalem, Acts 25:1. It was there that the high priest and some of the members of the Sanhedrin approached him about bringing Paul up to Jerusalem for a trial, Acts 25:2.
As we have seen time and time again throughout these last couple of chapters of the Book of Acts, these so-called religious leaders were actually intending to have Paul assassinated along the road, Acts 25:3 / Acts 23:12-15.
Boice, in his commentary, says the following.
‘We see a growth of corruption. In Acts 23, where the plot to murder Paul was first launched, we find that it was the zealots who were responsible. Now, in Acts 25, we find that the leaders are initiating the very thing they were only tangentially involved in earlier.’
But like we’ve also seen, God protected Paul. This is seen in the fact that Festus said that Paul would remain in Caesarea, because he was going there anyway, Acts 25:4. And so, Festus urged those in authority to come present their charges before him there, Acts 25:5.
Isn’t it amazing the lengths these so-called religious leaders are going to, to have Paul killed? They plot and scheme, they lie and bring false accusations. And so Paul once again is called upon to defend his case.
Luke says that in eight to ten days, Festus went to Caesarea, sat on the judgment seat, KJV, Acts 25:6 / Acts 25:10 / Acts 25:17 / Acts 12:21 / Acts 18:12 / Matthew 27:19 / John 19:13 / 2 Corinthians 5:10, and called for Paul to be brought before him, Acts 25:6.
But the Jews who were on a mission to get rid of Paul once and for all, Acts 25:5, also appeared before the judgment seat and brought serious charges against Paul, but couldn’t prove any of them, Acts 25:7.
Once again, Paul told them clearly that he had not sinned against the Jews, the temple or Caesar, Acts 25:8. This whole situation with Paul is interesting to say the least. Here is a bunch of Jews, led by the elders of the Jews, who didn’t want to know the truth.
They had a mission to get rid of Paul by any means possible, and they are still at it here, because these guys didn’t even ask for a trial. They wanted to skip the trial and go straight to the verdict of guilty.
When the apostle Paul was going around killing Christians, he had a good reputation amongst the Jews and a reputation for being feared by the Christians. But what other people think of us is not as important as what God thinks of us, Revelation 3:1.
Paul had a reputation, and these Jews who were hounding him were holding on to their reputation. They were so religious in all their ways to other people around them, but to Jesus, they were just hypocrites, Matthew 23:13 / Matthew 23:15.
We shouldn’t give people any reason to make any bad judgments about us, whether they have all the facts or not, 1 Peter 2:13-17. These Jewish elders were looking for any excuse to get rid of Paul, but he was determined that he wasn’t going to give them one. What happens next is another part of the fulfilment of God’s plan to get Paul to preach the Gospel in Rome.
Festus, in an effort to establish good relations with the Jews, asked Paul if he would appear before him in Jerusalem to be judged, Acts 25:9. Paul answered that he had done nothing wrong, as Festus well knew, and as a Roman citizen, would remain before Caesar’s judgment seat, Acts 25:10.
Paul’s honesty and his clear conscience are clearly heard when he says that he was willing to die if he was guilty of some offence worthy of death, but would not be given up to the Jews if innocent, Acts 25:11. So what did Paul do? He appealed to Caesar, Acts 25:11.
Longenecker, in his commentary, says the following.
‘His appeal for a trial in Rome was the right of every Roman citizen who believed he was in danger of violent coercion or capital punishment in a lower court.’
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘At this time Nero was emperor, but in the early years of his rule, A.D. 54-62, he was a relatively admirable emperor, and Paul had no reason to fear him now, A.D. 59. Only after A.D. 62 did Nero begin to rule erratically and to turn against Christianity.’
Festus consulted with his own legal advisors and said Paul would go before Caesar as requested, Acts 25:12. However, because he was innocent, he could have been set free, Acts 26:32. God was working in the background all the way through this to get Paul to where he really wanted to go, Acts 19:21 / Romans 1:8-15.
Paul’s lifetime ambition was to preach the Gospel in the greatest city that the known world knew, Rome, and God was providing a prepaid ticket for him to get that opportunity.
We, too, are on a journey to a great city, but it’s not Rome, it’s heaven, Hebrews 13:11-14. And just as God was using many people to help Paul get to Rome, He uses His church today to help get us and others to heaven. But the only way that is going to happen is when we work together with God and with each other.
Each one of us has work to do, but if we are going to be successful in getting ourselves into that eternal city and take as many people with us as possible, then we all have to work together to achieve that goal,1 Corinthians 3:6-9. God provided help for Paul to eventually get to Rome; God is providing help for us all to get to heaven.
Josephus, in his writings, says the following.
‘Agrippa and Bernice evidently visited Festus on this occasion to pay their respects to the new governor of their neighbouring province. Agrippa and Bernice were essentially favourable to the Jews. They both tried to avert the Roman massacre of the Jews in A.D. 66-70.’
The King Agrippa that Luke says came to greet Festus is actually Herod Agrippa II. His father was Herod Agrippa I, Acts 12:1-23, and his great-grandfather was Herod the Great, Matthew 2:1-18. Luke mentions this woman named Bernice, but who was she?
Bernice was Agrippa’s sister, and although she was only sixteen years of age, she had already been married twice. First to Alexander of Alexandria and then to her uncle, Herod, King of Chalcis, who died in 48 A.D.
But at the time that Luke records to Theophilus about this event, she was living with her brother. Later, she served as a mistress to both Vespasian and his son Titus, who probably would have married her if there had not been such an outrage among the people.
From a very young age, this woman has been around and seems to have no problem marrying if and when she likes. It appears from our text that it was during Agrippa’s stay that Festus brought Paul’s case up for consideration.
King Agrippa and Festus spend some time discussing Paul’s case, and tells his that he was left by Felix as a prisoner, Acts 25:14 / Acts 24:27.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning Acts 24:15.
‘This is important as showing that the Jerusalem leaders had demanded a guilty verdict of Festus; and, as Dummelow noted, ‘They desired from the judge partiality, not justice; and they probably offered him money.’
These words are basically an account of what has happened so far, but Luke does tell us that Festus said to Agrippa that he told the chief priest and elders of the Jews, Acts 25:1 / Acts 25:15, that Roman law did not normally allow a man to be condemned without having an opportunity to answer his accusers face to face, Acts 25:16.
He says when the Jews came, Festus found no sufficient charge of evil but, as he saw it, it was more of a religious dispute over Paul’s affirmation that Jesus had been dead but was now alive, Acts 25:17-19.
Festus goes on and explains that he asked Paul to go to answer the questions in Jerusalem so that he could better understand the question involved, Acts 25:20-21 / Acts 25:9.
But that seems doubtful since he had already told Agrippa he had not found Paul guilty of any of matter involving Roman law. I believe it is more likely that he was seeking to establish a favourable relationship with the Jews, Acts 25:9, when Paul’s appeal to Caesar forced him to hold Paul for a higher court, Acts 25:11-12.
Agrippa, after listening to Festus, appears to be intrigued and immediately expresses an interest in hearing Paul, which Festus readily granted, Acts 25:22 / Isaiah 62:2 / Luke 23:6-12 / Acts 9:15.
According to our text, the next day, Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice all appeared in very formal attire, with the chief captains and important men of the city all in attendance, Acts 25:23 / Luke 21:12.
Bruce, in his commentary, says the following.
‘All these very important people would have been greatly surprised, and not a little scandalised, could they have foreseen the relative estimates that later generations would form of them and of the prisoner who now stood before them to state his case.’
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Festus used this occasion to honour Agrippa and Bernice before the local Caesarean leaders. There were five commanders based in Caesarea, each with responsibility for 1,000 soldiers. They all had the same authority as Claudius Lysias, the commander of the cohort based in Jerusalem, Acts 21:31 to Acts 23:30 / Acts 24:22. Besides these commanders, many prominent men of the city were present in the auditorium of the governor’s palace.’
Paul was brought in, and Festus introduced him as the man the Jews sought to have put to death in lawsuits brought in Jerusalem, and at Caesarea, Acts 25:23-24 / Acts 23:12-35 / Acts 25:7.
Though Festus announced publicly that he had found no guilt in Paul, Luke 23:4 / Luke 23:14 / Luke 23:22, his actions had forced the apostle to appeal to Caesar, Acts 25:11-12.
It appears as though Paul is going through the different levels of court systems in Biblical times, but even more importantly, God is allowing this to happen. There is a strong possibility that Festus’ hesitation to send Paul straight away to Rome was God’s way of opening up the door to the most powerful court in the world of that day.
But as we just read, Festus needed some charge against Paul; he needed some proof that he did something wrong, Acts 25:25. That’s why he announced he had brought him before Agrippa for an examination, Acts 25:26.
I want to raise a little point about Festus’ actions here, when he says, ‘I have found no guilt in this man,’ Acts 25:25. His actions are so reminiscent of another man’s words who didn’t have the courage to stand up to the pressure of the Jews.
Herod said publicly that Jesus had done nothing wrong, yet he didn’t have the courage to believe in Jesus and live the life of a Christian, Luke 23:13-15. Pilate said publicly that Jesus didn’t do anything wrong, yet he didn’t have the courage to believe in Jesus and live his life as a Christian, Matthew 27:24.
Festus publicly said, Paul hasn’t done anything wrong, but didn’t have the courage to believe Paul concerning Jesus and live the life of a Christian, Psalm 25:1-3. These people were asking the right questions to Paul, but they didn’t get the answers they wanted, which would cause Paul to be guilty.
Festus couldn’t send Paul to Caesar without some sort of case against him, Acts 25:27, or he would look like an idiot, and now Paul is waiting to go into the lion’s den, so to speak. Once again, we find another bad chapter break. To continue with what happens next to Paul, we need to proceed to the next chapter.