Acts of the Apostles, Acts 25:1-27

1. Acts of the Apostles, Acts 25:1-27 Paul again escapes the Plot of the Jews

2. Bible Study Paul Before Festus and Agrippa Acts 25:1-26:32

3. Introduction • Felix is succeeded in the governorship of Judea by Porcius Festus. • Paul has been left in prison as a favor to the Jews. • Now Festus has to decide what to do with Paul • The Jews try to persuade him to bring Paul back to Jerusalem for trial. But Festus refused.

4. Festus convened the court in Caesarea to hear their accusations against Paul. • After hearing the charges, which he knew were not worthy of death, he asked Paul if he would be willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there. He did this to please the Jews. • Paul answered that Festus had no right to turn him over to the Jews. To make sure he didn’t, Paul appealed to Caesar. • This was the right of every Roman citizen when a local Roman court could not decide his guilt or innocence. Caesarea View of the Sea from Roman Theater

5. Festus said, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.” • When King Agrippa came down to welcome Festus to the province, Festus told him about Paul. • The king asked Festus to bring him out so he and his wife Bernice could hear him. • Festus told King Agrippa that Paul would be brought into the audience chamber the next day. • Paul’s speech before Festus, King Agrippa and Bernice will be in our next lesson. Nero – Emperor 54-68 AD

6. Acts 25:1-3 • 25:1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

7. The Jews thought the new guy was naïve and would ignorantly fall into their trap. • I think the forty plus men who swore they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul were very much alive after two years and had eaten and drunk since that time. They might still be planning to participate in the assassination. • Did Festus accede to their request or could he see through their evil scheme? • He did want to please his constituency as all governors do.

8. Acts 25:3-5 • 4 Festus answered, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong." • Will the Jews come down to Caesarea again and try again to get Paul convicted of wrongdoing. Or will they give up and leave Paul alone?

9. Acts 25:6-7 • 6 After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.

10. As Felix had before him, Festus could quickly see that the Jews’ charges against Paul were trivial and did not merit any kind of punishment. • What will he do in that case? • He doesn’t care about what happened to Paul. He wanted to please these powerful leaders of the Jewish nation. • On the other hand, he had a Roman citizen to deal with. He would have to give account for his actions to Caesar.

11. Acts 25:8-11 • 8 Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." • 9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?" Law Temple Caesar

12. 25:6-12 – Paul Claimed Innocence before Festus and Appealed to Caesar • Paul denied committing offenses against: • The Law of the Jews • Against the Temple • Against Caesar

13. 10 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. 11 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!" • In appealing to Caesar, Paul did the only thing that could save him from the Jews. Remains of Nero’s Palace, Rome

14. v 10-11 Paul Made These Points: • He was at Caesar’s judgment seat where he should be judged. • He had done no wrong to the Jews, as Festus knew. • He was willing to die if he had done anything worthy of death • If he was not guilty of doing wrong to the Jews, no person could legitimately deliver him to them. • He appealed to Caesar.

15. Acts 25:12 • 12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!" • Festus conferred with his advisors trying to find a way to hand Paul over to the Jews. But he decided that he couldn’t do that. So he would send Paul to Caesar. • Nero was emperor at the time. It would be him to whom Paul would be sent. Nero’s Leaky Palace in Rome

16. Acts 25:13-15 • 13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned. Agrippa and Bernice

17. The Agrippa of Acts 25 was Marcus Julius Agrippa II 27-100 AD). • King Agrippa was the great-grandson of Herod the Great who ruled Judea when Jesus was born. Bernice was his sister. They were living in an incestuous relationship. That was not unusual for the Herods. You might remember that one of the Herods had John the Baptizer decapitated because John had rebuked him for living with his brother’s wife (Mark 6 and Luke 3). Coin of Marcus Julius Agrippa II

18. Acts 25:16-17 • 16 "I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. • What Festus calls Roman custom was actually Roman law. The Roman courts did not condemn a person without proof of his guilt.

19. Acts 25:18-21 Festus continues . . . • 8 “When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."

20. Acts 25:22-23 • He replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him." • 23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. • I know that Agrippa knew a lot about the new religion. He had heard many things about Paul. Now he could see and hear him in person.

21. Acts 25:24-27 • 24 Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome.

22. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him." • Festus is relying on the King tohelp sort out the specific charges since the king knows more about the Jews and their religion than he does.

23. Festus thinks it would not be wise to send Paul up to the Imperial court without the charges specified against him if he could in any way ascertain them. • But he would have to send Paul to the emperor charges or no charges simply because Paul had appealed to the emperor to make a final disposition of his case. • In any case it is an opportunity for both Festus and Agrippa to learn more about the Way, as Paul calls it.

24. The hearing will give Paul another opportunity to preach the gospel. • From his speech before Festus and Agrippa, recorded in chapter 26, we learn a few more details about Paul’s conversion. • This will be the third time the story has been told in the book of Acts. • We can also fill in more details about Paul’s conversion from statements in his letters, such as Galatians 1 and 2.

25. Conclusion • By the time Paul arrives in Rome, the personal service of the Apostles of Christ has been growing less and less important. • Many churches have been established throughout the Roman world and many preachers and teachers are doing the necessary work. • There are still inspired letters to be written and preserved for future generations.

26. The inspired history, the inspired letters and the great book of prophecy that closes out the New Testament are still to be written. • The personal service provided by Apostles has diminished in importance but the writings will never lose their importance. • The Apostles live on in their writings and their authority as representatives of Christ is irreplaceable and will never diminish. • Two centuries after the last New Testament book has been written, Christianity will replace Paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

27. A New Sun Arose by Ellis Jones • Malachi 4:2: The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings [rays]. A new Sun arose one day To brighten the world’s sky. Before that True Sun could rise, First He had to die.

28. Amos 8:9 • 9 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. The old sun set upon the cross. It was a sad, dark day. But with the rising of God’s Son, The darkness passed away.

29. Numbers 24:17 • 17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. • A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. The star that once lit Bethlehem, Was dimmed but for awhile. Far brighter now, God’s Son shines down, In Him we see God’s smile.

30. The hope he gives goes out to all. That “Sun” can warm the soul. Its rays can brighten any heart, Though it be black as coal.

31. Many years have come and gone Since Resurrection Day. That “Sun” shines bright as ever now. No clouds steal it away.

32. No cloud of doubt will last for long, It melts beneath His love. When things look dark and gloomy here, Just cast your eyes above.