Acts Chapter 25

Paul’s Appeal to Caesar

¹ Festus arrived in the province and after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ² The chief priests and leading men of the Jews filed charges against Paul. ³ They were demanding a favor against him—to call him to Jerusalem (laying an ambush along the way). ⁴ Festus answered that he would keep Paul in Caesarea and that he himself was going there soon. ⁵ “Have qualified men come down with me and prosecute him if something’s wrong with him.”

Acts 25:1-5

            ⁶ Eight or ten days later, he went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and commanded to bring Paul. ⁷ When he arrived, the Jews from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious accusations they couldn’t prove.

            ⁸ Paul spoke on his own behalf, “I haven’t done anything against the Law of the Jews, the Temple, or Caesar.”

            ⁹ Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, so he asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial in front of me there about these matters?”

            ¹⁰ Paul said, “I’m standing at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I should be judged. I’ve not done anything against the Jews, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I’m guilty of something that deserves death, I’m willing to die. But, if there’s nothing to these accusations, nobody can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”

¹² Festus conferred with the council and said, “You’ve appealed to Caesar; you’ll go to Caesar.”              

Acts 25:6-12

Festus Presents Paul’s Case to Agrippa

            ¹³ Several days later, King Herod Agrippa II and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and greeted Festus. ¹⁴ When they’d spent several days there, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king,

“Felix left a prisoner behind. ¹⁵ When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews filed charges against him and asked for his condemnation. ¹⁶ I told them that Roman law doesn’t hand anyone over till the accused meets the accusers and has a chance to defend himself. ¹⁷ After they assembled here, I didn‘t lose any time. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and had the man brought in. ¹⁸ The accusers stood up and started bringing accusations against him that weren’t like the crimes I’d supposed. ¹⁹ They disagreed with him about their religion and about a dead Jesus that Paul claimed was alive. ²⁰ Uncertain what to do with the controversy, I asked if he’d go to Jerusalem and stand trial on these things. ²¹ When he appealed to Caesar, I commanded that he be held in custody till I sent him up to Caesar.”

²² Agrippa said, “I’ve been wanting to hear him myself. Tomorrow I will.”     

Acts 25:13-22

            ²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and went into the auditorium with the tribunes and prominent men of the city. Festus commanded to bring Paul.

            ²⁴ Festus said,

“King Agrippa and you^pl that are here with us, you see this man that the Jews in Jerusalem and here have appealed to me about, shouting that he has to die. ²⁵ I didn’t find that he’d committed any capital offense. Since he appealed to Caesar, I decided to send him. ²⁶ I don’t have anything definite to write to my superior; so I’ve brought him to you^pl, especially you, King Agrippa, to have something to write after this investigation. ²⁷ It doesn’t make sense to send a prisoner without specifying the charges.”  

Acts 25:23-27