| CHAPTER 25 Paul is still in Caesarea all through this
chapter. It is the summer of AD59. The first six verses tell us about the
arrival of Festus as the new Governor. Then in verses 7-12 we have Paul’s
trial with Festus as judge. The trial comes to a halt. Then in verse 13 King
Herod Agrippa II comes to Caesarea. This part of the story about Paul in
Caesarea goes on to the end of Chapter 26.
Verses 1-12: Paul on trial before Festus
(Verse 1) Festus ‘set foot’ in Caesarea. He was the new Roman governor.
He needed to get to know the Jewish leaders. He wisely went up to Jerusalem
after only three days. (Verse 2) The Jewish leaders still wanted to kill
Paul even after two years. (Verse 3) They asked Festus to bring Paul back to
Jerusalem. This would give them another chance to kill him on the way.
(Verse 4) Festus did not agree to this. As a Roman citizen, Paul had the
right to say where he would stand trial. Festus wants to get back to
Caesarea. To bring Paul to Jerusalem would have meant Festus would be away
from Caesarea for a longer time. So (verse 5) he invites the Jewish leaders
to come to Caesarea for another court hearing of Paul’s case.
(Verse 6) There is no time wasted. On the first day back in Caesarea, Festus
took his seat as governor and judge. He sat on the ‘bema’ or ‘tribunal’. He
gave orders probably to some of his soldiers. They brought Paul into the
court. (Verse 7) He had to stand with his Jewish enemies all round him, in
front of Festus.
At first, the trial is rather like the first one in 24:1-21. Now if the
Jewish charges against Paul were only to do with their law and the Temple,
Festus might let the Jews try Paul. But in verse 8, Paul says that he has
done nothing wrong against Caesar. Festus himself must try that .He cannot
leave that to the Jews.
(Verse 9) So Festus asks Paul a question. Really Festus tells Paul what he
wants to do. And Festus wants to please the Jewish leaders. So Festus offers
to try Paul himself in Jerusalem. Festus does not feel able to set Paul free
at the end of this hearing in Caesarea. Paul knows that the Jews will
probably kill him before he gets to Jerusalem. If they do not, he is less
likely to get a fair trial in Jerusalem. There Festus would have sat as
judge. But he would have been with the Jewish council.
Paul knew his rights in Roman law. He could have just said: ‘No! I want to
finish this trial here in Caesarea’. That would not have pleased Festus. So
in verses 10 and 11, he answers Festus. This trial before Caesar’s tribunal
is right. Paul honours Festus. Festus sits on the ‘bema’ or ‘tribunal’ which
belongs to Caesar in distant Rome. Paul is ready to die if he has done
something wrong. Paul also says that the Roman courts are good. He wants to
be tried under Roman law. So Paul said:- ‘I appeal to Caesar’. His words
were enough. There was no need for a written appeal.
Perhaps Paul had thought about this during his long time as a prisoner in
Caesarea. Festus could go no further with the trial now. (Verse 12) He
talked to the other Romans who were with him. Almost all appeals had to go
to Rome. So Festus says to Paul:- ‘You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar
you shall go.’
Caesar at this time was Nero. We think of him as a very bad man. But up to
this time he had ruled the Roman Empire well. There were still some good and
honest men who helped him. Later Nero became evil.
Festus may have been quite pleased. He did not now have to bring the trial
to an end. It might not look too good that his first trial in his new
province had ended with an appeal. But Festus still did not understand the
case. This was a problem for him. See verses 26 and 27.
For Paul this meant that at long last he would go to Rome. God had promised
Paul that he would preach the Good News there. Paul would not have to stay
much longer in Caesarea.
Verses 13-22: Herod Agrippa II and Festus
This Herod Agrippa was the son of the Herod Agrippa that we met in 12:10.
He was about 30 years old now. His kingdom was north and east of the Sea of
Galilee. He lived until 100AD. He was the last of the family of Herod the
Great. Bernice was his sister, not his wife or queen. She was also the
sister of Drusilla, Festus’ wife. [25.2] It was only right that these two
should visit Festus soon after he came to Caesarea as Governor. After all,
Herod Agrippa was only a king because it suited the Romans!
Festus still did not understand Paul’s case. This Jewish king might be the
very man to help him. He had to write a note about the case to send to Rome.
So (verse 14) Festus asked Herod Agrippa for his help.
In verses 15 and 16 Festus starts the story. (Verse 17) With Felix, the case
of Paul had not gone forward for two years. Festus got in quickly! (Verse
18) Festus was new to the province, and he just did not understand the Jews.
(Verse 19) Yet he is clear that it is all about Jesus. It is about Jesus,
who rose from the dead. (Verse 20) I think that Luke enjoyed that bit! Luke
knew how to get the facts about Jesus. See Luke 1:1-4. Luke had his own way.
The Roman way was to beat people until they talked. Festus had asked Paul to
go to Jerusalem. Instead (verse 21) Paul had appealed to Caesar.
(Verse 22) Festus has said enough about Paul to Herod Agrippa. The king
himself now wants to hear Paul speak.
Verses 23-27: Agrippa comes to hear Paul
(Verse 23) On the very next day, all the rich and important people in
Caesarea meet together. We may think that this was in honour of Agrippa.
Probably not many, if any of them, were Jews. Most of them would speak Greek
or perhaps Latin. They meet in a fine, large hall or room. It may be in the
Praetorium. Festus is there. Then Agrippa and Bernice come, too. They come
with great ‘pomp’. This means that their servants and probably some of their
soldiers came too. They wore fine clothes. The Greek word for ‘pomp’ is our
English word ‘fantasia’. The show that they put on was ‘fantastic’. Then
there were the Roman army officers. Probably these were at least tribunes
and maybe other officers too. They would all be in their best army uniform!
Then there were all the most important men in Caesarea.
No doubt Festus spoke to say how pleased he was to have Agrippa in Caesarea.
Then Agrippa replied to say how well he would be able to work with Festus.
When all the important people had spoken Festus sent for Paul. So into the
great hall came a Jewish prisoner. He was in chains. He was chained to a
soldier. (See 26:26) There were the army officers and soldiers. There were
all the important people in their fine clothes. There was the king, Agrippa
and Bernice. And there was the Governor, Festus.
The Lord had used Festus to bring together this great company of sinners.
And then this heathen brought in the preacher and spoke about him. Then he
sat down to listen to Paul preach. Probably nothing like this had ever taken
place before. Anything like it has not happened very often since. We would
need a great artist to paint a picture of it.
(Verse 24) Festus now tells the king again about Paul. He tells him how much
the Jews hate Paul. (Verse 25) Although Festus could find no serious charge
against Paul, Paul has appealed to Caesar. Festus must send Paul to Rome.
But (verse 26) Festus does not know what to write to Caesar about Paul’s
case. Festus hopes that Agrippa will listen to Paul. Then Agrippa may be
able to tell Festus what the charges against Paul are. (Verse 27) Really, of
course, Paul ought to have been set free long before this. See 27:32. It is
only because Paul has made the appeal to Caesar that Festus cannot free him
now. But in any case, to free him would not please the Jews. |