Acts Chapter 25 {Caesarea and the administration of Festus} 1~~Now when Festus was come to the province, after three days he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2~~Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews {religious hierarchy} informed him {Festus} against Paul and kept on begging him. 3~~And asked as a favor from him, that he would send for him {Paul} to Jerusalem, laying an ambush in the way to kill him. {Note: Festus came to Jerusalem with a reputation of being a great administrator. Here he makes the right decision. But after 10 days of wining and dining he changes his mind - influenced by religion in Jerusalem.} 4~~But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly there. 5~~Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be anything irregular in the case against him. 6~~And while he was being worn down 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 in. 7~~And 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. 8~~Then he {Paul} defended himself, "Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all." {Gist of his defense} 9~~But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, "Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?" {Note: After 10 days of social life, now this great administer gives in to the religious crowd. Festus wants to gain the approbation of these people.} 10~~Then said Paul, "I will remain at Caesar's judgment seat {under Roman law}, where I ought to be judged {as a Roman Citizen}. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as you very well know!" 11~~"For if you assume I be an offender {first class condition of assumption} and you do, or I have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die! But if there be none . . . and there ARE none . . . of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar." {Note: As a Roman Citizen, Paul claims his right to a change of venue to the Federal Supreme Court in Rome under Nero.} 12~~Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "Have you appealed unto Caesar? {Paul probably nods his head yes} Unto Caesar shall you go." {Note: Festus is in a hard spot. His knowledge of Jewish law is limited so he calls in his wife's brother, King Herod Agrippa, for help in writing a letter condemning Paul that must accompany Paul went he is sent to Nero's court. His charges must go with him and Festus does not know what to say!} 13~~And after certain days King Agrippa {kingdom is in the North} and Bernice came unto Caesarea to greet Festus. (Note: Agrippa is Herod Agrippa II and Drusilla's brother. Agrippa is living in incest with his sister Bernice. Bernice is the redhead and the one with which Drusilla is very envious and competitive. Historians have declared Bernice to be even more beautiful than Cleopatra and twice as dangerous. The Roman Senate would not permit the emperor Titus to marry Bernice when she was in her fifties and still phenomenally beautiful. When Felix took Drusilla to Rome, then Agrippa and Bernice came back to their hometown. They did not care for Drusilla.} 14~~And when they had been there many days, Festus submitted for an opinion Paul's cause unto the king, keeping on saying, "There is a certain noble man {indicates respect for Paul} left in bonds by Felix." 15~~"About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him." 16~~"To whom I answered, 'It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man, before that he which is accused . . . have the accusers face to face . . . and receives an opportunity to defend himself concerning the crime of which he is accused.' " {Note: Festus is putting himself in the best light in telling Agrippa! To get the setting correct, remember this discussion is going on in the middle of a social occasion. This is just conversation and is not an official remembrance of the event.} 17~~"Therefore, when they were come hither {chief priests}, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man {refers to Paul very impersonally} to be brought forth." 18~~"Against whom {Paul} when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation {that the Roman Law could use} of such things as I had been influenced to think." 19~~"But kept on having points of controversy face to face with him concerning their own reverence of God {religious matters} . . . concerning One, Jesus . . . Who was dead . . . concerning Whom Paul dogmatically asserted did keep on being alive." {Note: Roman law let their subjects worship as they wished as long as it did not undermine Roman authority.} {Note: Felix uses 'thnesko' for dead here. Refers to physical death. Whenever the bible says Christ died for our sins, it is his Spiritual death and 'apothnesko' is used.} {Side note: Festus will die in Jerusalem in 2 years . . . 62 AD. Verse 19 indicates that he had heard the gospel. This may have been his last time to be saved. No indication he was saved.} 20~~"And because I was being perplexed concerning the controversies of these things, I kept saying if he would go to Jerusalem and THERE be judged of these matters." 21~~"But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing by Augustus {Nero}, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him face to face with Caesar." {Note: Nero is the Roman emperor. Augustus is one of his titles. It means the Most Venerable or Highest. He is also called Emporatus or emperor. Caesar is his family name and has come to be synonymous over the years with an emperor (i.e. Czar). Nero also is called Lord which brought Christianity directly in conflict with him. Nero was required to be worshiped as deity and Christians refused to do so.} 22~~Then Agrippa said unto Festus, "I desire also to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow", said he {Festus}, "you shall hear him". 23~~And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with a visible display of glamour {great pomp}, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the Chiliarchs, and principal men of the city. At Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. {Note: To get this scene right, remember Festus is the ruler of this entire province. Agrippa is a king from the area to the North. All the top military leaders are there in uniform. All the women are dressed to the very hilt ('pomp' means lavishly elegant). And, Latin scholars have stated that Bernice was the most beautiful woman of the day. You know all the women were trying to match her beauty! Next to all this comes in Paul in chains and rags compared to their attire.} {Another side-note. Agrippa here is the best New Testament example of the 4-generation curse. Herod the great went after Christ as a baby and killed all the first born children in Bethlehem. Annapus {sic} the Fox was his son (he and his wife Heroneous {sic} murdered John the Baptist. Herod Agrippa the First was his son. He had Stephen killed and Peter imprisoned. Now we have the 4th generation Agrippa Jr or II, Drusilla and Bernice.} 24~~And Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here . . . present with us {formal setting requiring formalities - redundancy here is a formality} . . . you see this man {everyone looks at Paul} . . . about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me . . . both at Jerusalem, and here . . . kept on screaming that he ought not to live any longer." 25~~"But when I was surprised to find that he had committed nothing worthy of death with the result that he should not be condemned to death, and that he has appealed himself to Augustus {Nero}, I have determined to send him." {Note: Very hypocritical verse. Doesn't admit Paul is innocent just not worthy of death! {Festus' big problem- what to say to Nero to condemn Paul under Roman law} 26~~ "Of whom I have nothing definite to write unto my lord {Nero again}. Because of this, I have brought him face to face before you, and especially before you, O king Agrippa, for the purpose that, after the investigation {hearing} has occurred, I might have some thing to write." 27~~"For I keep on thinking it unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not in detail signify the crimes laid against him." {Note: Festus is still trying to prove to be the great FAIR administrator!} ************************************************** Joshua_Sozo™ and Syndein ™ are the Trademarks of Syndein a California DBA of Kenneth Sidley & Associates, Inc., a California Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright© Syndein 1982-2010. All rights reserved. This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services. 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