1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”
23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went to Jerusalem from Caesarea. There the Jews laid out their case against Paul and urged Festus to have Paul brought down to Jerusalem to be tried. Paul had been confined in Caesarea for two years and their murderous intentions had not dissipated. Their intention was to ambush and kill Paul on the way. Festus said he was heading to Caesarea and they could go down with him and present their case against Paul there.
Festus had Paul brought before him and the Jews presented much the same case as they had to Felix. They brought many serious charges against him but could prove none of them. Paul’s defense was that he had not committed an offense against the Jews, the temple, or Caesar (Roman law). In an attempt to appease the Jews, Festus suggested Paul go down to Jerusalem and be tried there. Paul refused because he had done nothing wrong against the Jews, as Festus well knew, and he was in the right court for this hearing. Paul declared that he was willing to accept even the death penalty if that was a just verdict, but there was no substance to their charges therefore to hand him over to them would be unjust. Paul then directly appealed to Caesar. Festus conferred with his council and then answered, “To Caesar you have appealed, to Caesar you shall go.”
Some days later, King Agrippa II (son of Agrippa I and grandson of Herod the Great) arrived with his sister Bernice at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Festus explained Paul’s case to Agrippa and the events that had transpired up to that point. He explained that the case didn’t unveil any serious crimes as he had supposed it would, instead it was simply points of dispute about their religion and about Jesus who was dead and Paul claimed was alive. Festus admitted to being ill-equipped to investigate this case and that Paul was being held until he could be transferred to stand before Caesar. Agrippa’s knowledge of Jewish affairs would be helpful to Festus. He had Paul brought before Agrippa so that he could evaluate the case and help him draft a letter of charges to send with him to Caesar. Nero was the reigning Ceasar at this time but it was still early in his reign. At this time he was still considered a fair-minded ruler. Later Nero would initiate persecution against Christians and both Peter and Paul would die under his reign.
Paul, who had been through a period of intense ministry, establishing churches, and seeing many come to Christ, now sat in prison and seemed to have very little forward motion. It’s in times like this that we need to remember that it’s not about us. God is always working and He does things on an eternal time scale. We may need to rest in Him while He prepares things for our next move.
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Perfect Sacrifice: Hebrews 9-10