A STUDY GUIDE ACTS 25:1-27
1. A Study Guide
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 25:1-27
a) The verses describe how Paul was examined by Festus and Agrippa in Caesarea.
#1) Acts 25:1-5
25 Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3 requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.”
i) A new governor. Taking over from Felix, Festus became governor of the Province that included Jerusalem and Judea. So the enemies of Paul tried to manipulate Festus, using the same old tactics, hoping to achieve from Festus what they couldn't get from Felix. However Festus was in no hurry to grant their request. So Paul was kept at Caesarea for yet another hearing there.
#2) Acts 25:6-9
6 After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?”
i) To go up to Jerusalem. Festus put Paul on the spot by foisting the decision on to him as to whether he should to go to Jerusalem for trial there. Even if Paul refused, Festus would seem to have tried to help the Jews.
#3) Acts 25:10-11
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
i) The ultimate court. Paul was very direct with Festus. Paul did not allow himself to be handed back to the Jews. Paul was already in a Roman court; he was entitled to a fair trial in that court; but his right was being compromised. Weary of the repeated hearings and the failure of the local court to expedite his case, Paul appealed to Caesar. This meant that Paul would be sent to Rome to await trial in the highest Roman court. Paul’s appeal to Caesar was no rash reaction. Paul had long since determined to go to Rome (Acts 19:21). The Lord Jesus had told Paul that he would testify in Rome (Acts 23:11).
ii) Forward to Rome. Paul decided to shift the machinations of his enemies and of local Roman politics out of reverse gear. In one short sentence, “I appeal to Caesar”, Paul forced the court to set a course for Rome, not Jerusalem. Paul would still have to bear with delays. However he had made the Romans responsible for his safe custody and eventual transport to Rome. Paul had checkmated his Jewish enemies in the Sanhedrin; they had no more moves in their wicked game.
#4) Acts 25:12-16
12 Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.
i) To Caesar you shall go. Festus had no option but to give this ruling, because Paul had exercised his right of appeal. However the ruling placed Festus in an embarrassing position. He had a prisoner to refer to Caesar’s court in Rome, but the prisoner was charged with no crime against Roman law. Festus had nobody but himself to blame for this predicament.
ii) Agrippa and Bernice. Fortunately Festus had a royal visit from someone who could advise him. This visitor was Marcus Julius Agrippa II (A.D. 27-100), the son of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-25) and great-grandson of Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1-23). Caesar granted Agrippa the right to rule Judea and other parts of the province of which Festus was governor. Bernice was Agrippa’s sister. Agrippa was familiar with the details of Jewish customs and questions, which would include a knowledge of the way of Jesus the Nazarene (Acts 26:1-2, 26).
#5) Acts 25:17-22
17 So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18 When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19 but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”
i) Tomorrow you shall hear him. If Agrippa was going to advise Festus properly, Agrippa would need to examine Paul himself. This would not be a trial whereby Agrippa might dismiss all charges and order Paul’s release. Paul could now be put on trial nowhere but in Rome before Caesar. It would however be an official hearing of Paul’s defense, to try to determine the charges that might properly be laid against Paul.
#6) Acts 25:23-27
23 So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”
i) Amid great pomp. The hearing before King Agrippa was no small event. It was a valuable opportunity for Paul to speak not only for himself but also on behalf of Jesus. What Paul said before the local king in Caesarea, would largely determine the ground on which he would eventually stand before the Emperor at Rome.
a) A study guide of Acts of the Apostles. It is intended to be expository — to explain and bring out the meaning of the original text. You may use this for your personal bible study or even group bible study.
2. Acts 25:1-27
a) The verses describe how Paul was examined by Festus and Agrippa in Caesarea.
#1) Acts 25:1-525 Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3 requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4 Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him.”
i) A new governor. Taking over from Felix, Festus became governor of the Province that included Jerusalem and Judea. So the enemies of Paul tried to manipulate Festus, using the same old tactics, hoping to achieve from Festus what they couldn't get from Felix. However Festus was in no hurry to grant their request. So Paul was kept at Caesarea for yet another hearing there.
#2) Acts 25:6-9
6 After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?”
i) To go up to Jerusalem. Festus put Paul on the spot by foisting the decision on to him as to whether he should to go to Jerusalem for trial there. Even if Paul refused, Festus would seem to have tried to help the Jews.
#3) Acts 25:10-11
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
i) The ultimate court. Paul was very direct with Festus. Paul did not allow himself to be handed back to the Jews. Paul was already in a Roman court; he was entitled to a fair trial in that court; but his right was being compromised. Weary of the repeated hearings and the failure of the local court to expedite his case, Paul appealed to Caesar. This meant that Paul would be sent to Rome to await trial in the highest Roman court. Paul’s appeal to Caesar was no rash reaction. Paul had long since determined to go to Rome (Acts 19:21). The Lord Jesus had told Paul that he would testify in Rome (Acts 23:11).
ii) Forward to Rome. Paul decided to shift the machinations of his enemies and of local Roman politics out of reverse gear. In one short sentence, “I appeal to Caesar”, Paul forced the court to set a course for Rome, not Jerusalem. Paul would still have to bear with delays. However he had made the Romans responsible for his safe custody and eventual transport to Rome. Paul had checkmated his Jewish enemies in the Sanhedrin; they had no more moves in their wicked game.
#4) Acts 25:12-16
12 Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.”
13 Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14 While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges.
i) To Caesar you shall go. Festus had no option but to give this ruling, because Paul had exercised his right of appeal. However the ruling placed Festus in an embarrassing position. He had a prisoner to refer to Caesar’s court in Rome, but the prisoner was charged with no crime against Roman law. Festus had nobody but himself to blame for this predicament.
ii) Agrippa and Bernice. Fortunately Festus had a royal visit from someone who could advise him. This visitor was Marcus Julius Agrippa II (A.D. 27-100), the son of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-25) and great-grandson of Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1-23). Caesar granted Agrippa the right to rule Judea and other parts of the province of which Festus was governor. Bernice was Agrippa’s sister. Agrippa was familiar with the details of Jewish customs and questions, which would include a knowledge of the way of Jesus the Nazarene (Acts 26:1-2, 26).
#5) Acts 25:17-22
17 So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18 When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19 but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.” 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he *said, “you shall hear him.”
i) Tomorrow you shall hear him. If Agrippa was going to advise Festus properly, Agrippa would need to examine Paul himself. This would not be a trial whereby Agrippa might dismiss all charges and order Paul’s release. Paul could now be put on trial nowhere but in Rome before Caesar. It would however be an official hearing of Paul’s defense, to try to determine the charges that might properly be laid against Paul.
#6) Acts 25:23-27
23 So, on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. 26 Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has taken place, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him.”
i) Amid great pomp. The hearing before King Agrippa was no small event. It was a valuable opportunity for Paul to speak not only for himself but also on behalf of Jesus. What Paul said before the local king in Caesarea, would largely determine the ground on which he would eventually stand before the Emperor at Rome.
Comments
Post a Comment