返回Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Acts 25:1–12. Festus, having arrived in the province, after three days went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief men among the Jews appeared before him with a complaint against Paul and urged him, asking that he would do them a favor and summon him to Jerusalem; and they were plotting to kill him on the road. But Festus answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there shortly. "Therefore," he said, "let those who are able among you go down with me, and if there is anything against this man, let them accuse him." And having stayed among them no more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around, bringing many and grievous accusations against Paul, which they could not prove. He said in his own defense: "I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar." But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said: "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?" But Paul said: "I stand before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also well know. For if I am guilty and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of these things of which they accuse me is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered: "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."
Here is a clear and open declaration: I, says Paul, kept myself pure in all things, sinned neither against God, "nor against the law of the Jews," nor against man, nor against the temple, that is, I never dishonored the Jewish temples built of stones, although I know and preach that God does not dwell in temples made with hands; likewise I never offended the conscience of the Jews by reviling their high priest, although I no longer heed the Jewish high priests either.
"I stand before Caesar's judgment seat" means: I wish to go to Rome to Caesar and there receive judgment. I demand this, he says, from you.
Acts 25:13–15. After some days King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to congratulate Festus. And as they spent many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix, about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews appeared with a complaint, demanding his condemnation.
Agrippa was either a viceroy of the king in the eastern provinces and therefore called a king, or perhaps he was himself a king in the east, while Nero ruled in the west and had his residence in Rome. "Caesar" in Latin means "emperor," since all Roman emperors, as long as they were emperors, were called Caesars; however, these titles were not their proper names. I have noted this so that no one, on the basis of the identity of this common title with a proper name, would think that our Lord was born and Paul died under one and the same emperor. The Lord was born, as chronology shows, under Caesar Augustus, and died thirty-three years later under Tiberius Augustus. Paul, however, died under Nero, thirty-four years after the death of the Lord. And Herod too was a viceroy of the king, which is why he himself was also called a king.
Acts 25:16–18. I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man to death before the accused has his accusers face to face and is given the freedom to defend himself against the accusation. When they came here, without any delay, on the very next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought. Standing around him, the accusers presented not one of the charges that I had expected.
It is clear that Pilate, having handed Jesus over to the Jews, did this with a villainous purpose, since he despised both the judgment of God and Roman law in order to please the murderers by delivering innocent blood to death, although for such an unlawful act he was subject to accountability before the Roman emperor, who had sent him as governor to the territory of Jerusalem.
"Having surrounded him, the accusers did not present a single one of their charges." The slanderers brought accusations against him, but did not prove them, because their slander and audacity seemed suspicious, and the examination of the case confirmed nothing.
Acts 25:19–24. But they had certain disputes with him about their worship of God and about a certain Jesus who had died, about Whom Paul affirmed that He is alive. Being at a loss how to decide this question, I said: would he be willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged in this matter? But as Paul demanded that he be kept for the consideration of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept under guard until I should send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus: I would also like to hear this man myself. Tomorrow, the other replied, you shall hear him. On the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the judgment hall with the commanders and the most prominent citizens, by the order of Festus Paul was brought in. And Festus said: King Agrippa and all the men present with us! You see the one against whom the whole multitude of the Jews petitioned me in Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
Naturally he says "about a certain Jesus," since he was a man with authority and paid no attention to the Lord.
"Being at a loss regarding the resolution of this question." The examination of such a case left the judge perplexed, since the matter was beyond his understanding.
"On the review of Augustus." He calls the emperor Augustus, as well as Caesar; he also calls him lord (sovereign).
Acts 25:25–27. But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; and as he himself appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him to him. I have nothing definite to write to the sovereign about him; therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I might have something to write. For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not indicate the charges against him.
Finally, the judge himself testifies about Paul that he was innocent; however, he did not free Paul. The Lord arranged that Paul mentioned Caesar (and those who appealed to Caesar had to be sent to Rome), so that the prediction of Paul himself would be fulfilled, namely: "I must also see Rome" (Acts 19:21). Observe how Paul, having left everything — both parents and teachers — comes to Rome free from all suspicion.
Acts 25:1–12. Festus, having arrived in the province, after three days went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief men among the Jews appeared before him with a complaint against Paul and urged him, asking that he would do them a favor and summon him to Jerusalem; and they were plotting to kill him on the road. But Festus answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself would be going there shortly. "Therefore," he said, "let those who are able among you go down with me, and if there is anything against this man, let them accuse him." And having stayed among them no more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around, bringing many and grievous accusations against Paul, which they could not prove. He said in his own defense: "I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar." But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said: "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?" But Paul said: "I stand before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also well know. For if I am guilty and have done anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of these things of which they accuse me is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered: "You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go."
Here is a clear and open declaration: I, says Paul, kept myself pure in all things, sinned neither against God, "nor against the law of the Jews," nor against man, nor against the temple, that is, I never dishonored the Jewish temples built of stones, although I know and preach that God does not dwell in temples made with hands; likewise I never offended the conscience of the Jews by reviling their high priest, although I no longer heed the Jewish high priests either.
"I stand before Caesar's judgment seat" means: I wish to go to Rome to Caesar and there receive judgment. I demand this, he says, from you.
Acts 25:13–15. After some days King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to congratulate Festus. And as they spent many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix, about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews appeared with a complaint, demanding his condemnation.
Agrippa was either a viceroy of the king in the eastern provinces and therefore called a king, or perhaps he was himself a king in the east, while Nero ruled in the west and had his residence in Rome. "Caesar" in Latin means "emperor," since all Roman emperors, as long as they were emperors, were called Caesars; however, these titles were not their proper names. I have noted this so that no one, on the basis of the identity of this common title with a proper name, would think that our Lord was born and Paul died under one and the same emperor. The Lord was born, as chronology shows, under Caesar Augustus, and died thirty-three years later under Tiberius Augustus. Paul, however, died under Nero, thirty-four years after the death of the Lord. And Herod too was a viceroy of the king, which is why he himself was also called a king.
Acts 25:16–18. I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man to death before the accused has his accusers face to face and is given the freedom to defend himself against the accusation. When they came here, without any delay, on the very next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought. Standing around him, the accusers presented not one of the charges that I had expected.
It is clear that Pilate, having handed Jesus over to the Jews, did this with a villainous purpose, since he despised both the judgment of God and Roman law in order to please the murderers by delivering innocent blood to death, although for such an unlawful act he was subject to accountability before the Roman emperor, who had sent him as governor to the territory of Jerusalem.
"Having surrounded him, the accusers did not present a single one of their charges." The slanderers brought accusations against him, but did not prove them, because their slander and audacity seemed suspicious, and the examination of the case confirmed nothing.
Acts 25:19–24. But they had certain disputes with him about their worship of God and about a certain Jesus who had died, about Whom Paul affirmed that He is alive. Being at a loss how to decide this question, I said: would he be willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged in this matter? But as Paul demanded that he be kept for the consideration of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept under guard until I should send him to Caesar. Then Agrippa said to Festus: I would also like to hear this man myself. Tomorrow, the other replied, you shall hear him. On the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the judgment hall with the commanders and the most prominent citizens, by the order of Festus Paul was brought in. And Festus said: King Agrippa and all the men present with us! You see the one against whom the whole multitude of the Jews petitioned me in Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.
Naturally he says "about a certain Jesus," since he was a man with authority and paid no attention to the Lord.
"Being at a loss regarding the resolution of this question." The examination of such a case left the judge perplexed, since the matter was beyond his understanding.
"On the review of Augustus." He calls the emperor Augustus, as well as Caesar; he also calls him lord (sovereign).
Acts 25:25–27. But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; and as he himself appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him to him. I have nothing definite to write to the sovereign about him; therefore I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I might have something to write. For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not indicate the charges against him.
Finally, the judge himself testifies about Paul that he was innocent; however, he did not free Paul. The Lord arranged that Paul mentioned Caesar (and those who appealed to Caesar had to be sent to Rome), so that the prediction of Paul himself would be fulfilled, namely: "I must also see Rome" (Acts 19:21). Observe how Paul, having left everything — both parents and teachers — comes to Rome free from all suspicion.