Did Paul’s enemies bring him before another governor? Are we willing to enter dangerous places for the Gospel? Let’s look at Acts 25.
After Antonius Felix left office, did Paul appear before Porcius Festus?
Festus then, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with him, requesting a favor against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (while they set an ambush to kill him on the way). Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go down there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.” (Acts 25:1-5 LSB)
Did Festus attempt to have Paul tried again in Jerusalem?
After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many, and serious, charges against him which they could not prove, while Paul said in his own defense, “I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?” (Acts 25:6-9 NASB)
Did Paul take advantage of his Roman citizenship and appeal to Caesar? Was this God’s plan for him all along?
Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” (Acts 25:10-12 NIV)
Was Paul’s case brought to King Herod Agrippa II, last of the Herodian dynasty?
And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’ (Acts 25:13-16 NKJV)
Did King Agrippa desire to hear Paul’s case personally?
“When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. But the accusations made against him weren’t any of the crimes I expected. Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive. I was at a loss to know how to investigate these things, so I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. But Paul appealed to have his case decided by the emperor. So I ordered that he be held in custody until I could arrange to send him to Caesar.” “I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said. And Festus replied, “You will—tomorrow!” (Acts 25:17-22 NLT)
Did Festus ask Agrippa to help him make a real case to present to the emperor?
So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to send him, of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.” (Acts 25:23-27 WEB)
Did Paul’s enemies bring him before another governor? Are we willing to enter dangerous places for the Gospel? You decide!
