Acts 25

Festus arrived in the province as the new Roman governor. Three days later he traveled up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

1Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

NotePorcius Festus was the Roman governor (procurator) of Judea, taking over from Felix around AD 59 or 60. "The province" is Judea, which Rome administered from Caesarea on the coast, not from Jerusalem. The King James "ascended" and, in verse 6, "went down" are not about rank: Jerusalem sits high in the hill country, so travelers always went up to it and down from it. A new governor paying an early visit to Jerusalem was a normal courtesy to the people he now ruled.

2There the high priest and the leading men among the Jews laid out their case against Paul. They kept urging Festus,

2Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,

Note"The chief of the Jews" in the King James means the leading men, not a single chief. With the high priest, these were the men of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council that handled religious and much civil law in Jerusalem. Under Rome they could try cases but could not carry out a death sentence without the governor.

3asking him for a favor: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem. They were setting an ambush along the road to kill him.

3And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him.

Note"Desired favour" means they asked for a concession, a ruling in their favor as a courtesy to a new governor who might want local goodwill. The road from Caesarea up to Jerusalem ran some sixty miles through open country and hill passes, which is why moving Paul along it gave an ambush its chance.

4But Festus answered that Paul was being held at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.

4But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.

5"So," he said, "let those among you who are in a position to do it come down with me and bring charges against the man, if he has done anything wrong."

5Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.

NoteThe King James "which among you are able" translates a phrase that can mean either those with the standing and authority to act, or simply those able to make the trip. Festus is telling them to send a delegation to Caesarea rather than have the prisoner moved to them.

6After staying among them more than ten days, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he took his seat in court and ordered Paul to be brought in.

6And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.

NoteThe "judgment seat" was the bema, a raised platform where a Roman official sat to hear cases. A verdict given from it was formal and legally binding, as opposed to an informal hearing. The manuscripts differ on the length of Festus's stay: some read "more than ten days," others "not more than eight or ten days."

7When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and made many serious charges against him, none of which they could prove.

7And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

8Paul spoke in his own defense: "I have done nothing wrong at all against the law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar."

8While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.

Note"Caesar" here is the reigning emperor, Nero. An offense "against Caesar" meant treason or sedition, the only one of the three charges a Roman court would take seriously; the other two concerned Jewish law and the temple in Jerusalem.

9But Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor, so he answered Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial there before me on these charges?"

9But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

10Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's court, which is where I ought to be tried. I have done the Jews no wrong, as you yourself know very well.

10Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.

NoteA Roman governor judged cases as the emperor's representative, so his court was in a real sense Caesar's court. Paul is pointing out that he is already standing where a Roman citizen's case belongs.

11If I am guilty, and if I have done something that deserves the death penalty, then I do not refuse to die. But if there is nothing to these charges they bring, then no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."

11For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

NoteA Roman citizen had the right to have his case removed from a provincial governor's court and referred to the emperor's own tribunal in Rome. Once the words were spoken the governor lost the power to decide, acquit or release, which is why Festus's answer in the next verse is so flat.

12Festus talked it over with his advisers and then answered, "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go."

12Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.

NoteThe "council" is not the Jewish Sanhedrin but the governor's own advisory board, the consilium: Roman officials and legal advisers who sat with him. Festus checks with them on whether the appeal must be allowed, not on whether Paul is guilty.

13Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

13And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.

NoteHerod Agrippa II was the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Rome had given him several territories north and east of Judea and, unusually, the right to appoint the high priest and oversee the Jerusalem temple, which made him the obvious expert for Festus to consult. Bernice was his sister; she lived at his court, and their closeness was a subject of gossip in Rome. The King James "to salute" means to pay a formal courtesy call, the expected greeting for a newly arrived governor.

14Since they were staying there a number of days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix, the governor before me.

14And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:

NoteAntonius Felix was the previous governor. He had kept Paul in custody for two years without reaching a verdict, and left him there when his term ended.

15When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish elders brought charges against him and asked me to sentence him.

15About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

16I told them it is not the Roman custom to hand a man over to be put to death before the accused has faced his accusers in person and has had a chance to defend himself against the charge.

16To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

NoteRoman legal practice required that an accused man hear the charges and face his accusers in open court. The King James "licence" means permission or opportunity, not a document. Festus is contrasting Roman procedure with what the Jerusalem leaders had asked him to do.

17So when they came here with me, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat in court and ordered the man brought in.

17Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth.

18When his accusers stood up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

18Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:

19Instead they had certain disputes with him about their own religion, and about a man named Jesus who had died, but whom Paul kept saying was alive.

19But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Note"Superstition" in the King James is not the insult it sounds like today. The Greek word can mean either religious devotion or excessive fear of the gods, and in 1611 English "superstition" could simply mean a system of religious observance. Festus is being carefully noncommittal in front of a king who was himself a Jew.

20I did not know how to look into questions like these, so I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these matters.

20And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters.

Note"I doubted" in the King James means I was at a loss, out of my depth, not that Festus was skeptical. A Roman governor had no training in Jewish law and no way to weigh a dispute of this kind.

21But Paul appealed to be held for the decision of the Emperor. So I ordered him kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar."

21But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

Note"Augustus" here is not the emperor Augustus, who had died some forty-five years earlier. It renders a Greek title, Sebastos, meaning "the revered one," used for whoever currently held the throne; the man in question is Nero.

22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear the man myself." Festus said, "Tomorrow you will hear him."

22Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.

23So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great ceremony and entered the hall where the hearing was held, along with the military commanders and the leading men of the city. At Festus's order, Paul was brought in.

23And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth.

Note"Great pomp" means full ceremonial display: robes of state, attendants, the visible apparatus of royalty. The "chief captains" were tribunes, each commanding a cohort of roughly a thousand men; Caesarea housed five such cohorts. The "place of hearing" was an audience hall, not a courtroom. Since Paul's appeal had already removed the case from Festus's hands, this was not a trial and no verdict could come out of it.

24Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all of you here with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

24And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

25But I found that he had done nothing deserving of death. And since he himself has appealed to the Emperor, I have decided to send him.

25But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

26I have nothing definite to write to my sovereign about him. That is why I have brought him out before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination I may have something to write.

26Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.

Note"My lord" translates a title, kyrios, applied to the emperor. Augustus and Tiberius had refused it as too close to calling themselves masters of free men; by Nero's reign it was in ordinary use. Festus's problem is procedural: a governor forwarding a prisoner on appeal had to send a covering report setting out the charges, and he has no charge he can put in writing.

27For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner on without also stating the charges against him."

27For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.