Acts 25:1-12: "Paul on Trial Pt. 2"
Talk about Persistent....The Jews, who two years earlier had tried Paul before Felix, quickly try to get him from the new governor Festus. Apparently, after a two year period, Felix was relieved of his duties and was succeeded by Festus. The Jews, possibly thinking they could take advantage of a fresh governor, want to get Paul back to Jerusalem where they can end his life. They probably also feared the new governor quickly disposing of all cases he would inherit and release Paul. We will see in this passage the Jews desire to kill Paul, and God's providence over his life once again.
We find the new governor, Festus, only 3 days into his new position, and the Jews come scrambling over to get their hands on Paul, after a 2 year imprisonment. Once again the Jews bring charges against Paul, and disguise a murder plot with a desire to get him back to Jerusalem for a trial. Festus, went to go meet w/ the Jewish leaders and try to appease them as much as possible. MacArthur writes, "Festus faced a difficult challenge, as the Jews had proven to be adept at manipulating their governors. Capitalizing on Pilate's blunders, they had blackmailed him into executing Jesus. And although they had failed to pressure Felix into executing Paul, they had forced him to keep the innocent apostle imprisoned and out of circulation". It would have been an easy and advantageous gesture on the part of Festus to release Paul to the Jews. It would have gotten Paul out of his hands, and been a conciliatory gesture to the Jewish leaders who clearly desired to get a hold of this man. However, in God's providence He uses Festus to protect Paul, and Paul will be kept in Caesarea and tried there. Festus answers the Jews request by saying, "Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and the he himself was about to leave shortly. 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". The Jews, once again frustrated by not getting their way, will have to go back to Caesarea and hope Festus is more easily persuaded to release Paul than Felix was.
The Jews had nothing going for them except a new judge. They had no new evidence from the last trial, which meant they still had no case against Paul. They were merely hoping this new governor would allow them to take custody of Paul. After being in Jerusalem, taking care of his business, for a little over a week, Festus returned to Caesarea and quickly took his seat on the tribunal to hear his case the very next day. Standing around Paul, the Jews made their same false charges against him. The text in V.7, stating once again that the Jews could not substantiate any of their accusations. At this point, Paul must have grown weary of hearing the same false accusations with no proof for any of it. He exclaims, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar".
At this point, Festus was probably feeling the same pressure that Felix had felt. On the one hand, this man Paul would be of no political help to him, and gaining the favor of the Jews could be quite helpful to his job. On the other hand, just as all the others that had heard the accusations of the Jews, Festus knew Paul was innocent, and being a Roman citizen would be a crime to execute him. Trying to make it easier on him, Festus asks Paul if he was willing to, "go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?" Festus felt that if Paul simply agreed to this, it would be an easy decision. To appease the Jews he would simply let them have their trial in Jerusalem. To Festus this may have seemed like a reasonable request, as he was still presiding over the hearing, not the Sanhedrin. However, Paul knew there would be no trial as he would be murdered before there could ever be one. Knowing this, Paul immediately rejects Festus's compromise. Paul quickly reminds Festus of his rights and that it was his duty to uphold his Roman rights. Paul becomes more and more stern to get through to these people that he had done no wrong and this should have been over a long time ago. He reiterates that he had, "done no wrong to the Jews", and to Festus, "as you also very well know". At this point you can feel Paul defending his life as he knows if he is ordered to Jerusalem he is dead.
As most innocent men do, they lay all their cards on the table. They ask for them to be investigated, or asked any question, as they know their innocence will be seen. Paul does the same thing. He does not desire to avoid justice, instead he pleads, "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". Just as David had frequently asked God to search his heart and tell him if there was any sin in it, Paul is asking the council to search his actions and see if they can truly find him guilty. He says this with a clean conscience, sure that they all know he is innocent.
Paul had now put Festus in a hard place as he knew Paul was rightly entitled to a fair trial. Knowing his rights as a Roman citizen, and not wanting to take any chances on what Festus might decide, Paul says, "I appeal to Caesar". MacArthur writes, "Once granted, the appeal took the case out of the governor's hands and transferred it to the emperor. Paul's appeal seems at first glance to be sheer madness, since the emperor at the time was the infamous Nero. However, the early years of Nero's reign (during which Paul's appeal took place) were not marked by the cruelty and insanity of his later years".
To take this difficult decision out of his hands, he grants Paul's request, "you have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go". Little did Festus know, but he had just helped fulfill the earlier prophecy that Paul would be going to Rome. This passage clearly shows the hatred of the Jews towards Paul and the gospel. It is a sad commentary on the "religious" of the time being so zealous in their laws and customs, and not truly understanding that the very God that had given them all their laws, was the same God they murdered, and the same God Paul served. We can also see from this text the perseverance of Paul. I just get exhausted reading about all of Paul's trials. How frustrating would it have been to know your innocence, and understand that those in charge of your life know your innocent, but no one has the courage to release you??
We find the new governor, Festus, only 3 days into his new position, and the Jews come scrambling over to get their hands on Paul, after a 2 year imprisonment. Once again the Jews bring charges against Paul, and disguise a murder plot with a desire to get him back to Jerusalem for a trial. Festus, went to go meet w/ the Jewish leaders and try to appease them as much as possible. MacArthur writes, "Festus faced a difficult challenge, as the Jews had proven to be adept at manipulating their governors. Capitalizing on Pilate's blunders, they had blackmailed him into executing Jesus. And although they had failed to pressure Felix into executing Paul, they had forced him to keep the innocent apostle imprisoned and out of circulation". It would have been an easy and advantageous gesture on the part of Festus to release Paul to the Jews. It would have gotten Paul out of his hands, and been a conciliatory gesture to the Jewish leaders who clearly desired to get a hold of this man. However, in God's providence He uses Festus to protect Paul, and Paul will be kept in Caesarea and tried there. Festus answers the Jews request by saying, "Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and the he himself was about to leave shortly. 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". The Jews, once again frustrated by not getting their way, will have to go back to Caesarea and hope Festus is more easily persuaded to release Paul than Felix was.
The Jews had nothing going for them except a new judge. They had no new evidence from the last trial, which meant they still had no case against Paul. They were merely hoping this new governor would allow them to take custody of Paul. After being in Jerusalem, taking care of his business, for a little over a week, Festus returned to Caesarea and quickly took his seat on the tribunal to hear his case the very next day. Standing around Paul, the Jews made their same false charges against him. The text in V.7, stating once again that the Jews could not substantiate any of their accusations. At this point, Paul must have grown weary of hearing the same false accusations with no proof for any of it. He exclaims, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar".
At this point, Festus was probably feeling the same pressure that Felix had felt. On the one hand, this man Paul would be of no political help to him, and gaining the favor of the Jews could be quite helpful to his job. On the other hand, just as all the others that had heard the accusations of the Jews, Festus knew Paul was innocent, and being a Roman citizen would be a crime to execute him. Trying to make it easier on him, Festus asks Paul if he was willing to, "go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?" Festus felt that if Paul simply agreed to this, it would be an easy decision. To appease the Jews he would simply let them have their trial in Jerusalem. To Festus this may have seemed like a reasonable request, as he was still presiding over the hearing, not the Sanhedrin. However, Paul knew there would be no trial as he would be murdered before there could ever be one. Knowing this, Paul immediately rejects Festus's compromise. Paul quickly reminds Festus of his rights and that it was his duty to uphold his Roman rights. Paul becomes more and more stern to get through to these people that he had done no wrong and this should have been over a long time ago. He reiterates that he had, "done no wrong to the Jews", and to Festus, "as you also very well know". At this point you can feel Paul defending his life as he knows if he is ordered to Jerusalem he is dead.
As most innocent men do, they lay all their cards on the table. They ask for them to be investigated, or asked any question, as they know their innocence will be seen. Paul does the same thing. He does not desire to avoid justice, instead he pleads, "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". Just as David had frequently asked God to search his heart and tell him if there was any sin in it, Paul is asking the council to search his actions and see if they can truly find him guilty. He says this with a clean conscience, sure that they all know he is innocent.
Paul had now put Festus in a hard place as he knew Paul was rightly entitled to a fair trial. Knowing his rights as a Roman citizen, and not wanting to take any chances on what Festus might decide, Paul says, "I appeal to Caesar". MacArthur writes, "Once granted, the appeal took the case out of the governor's hands and transferred it to the emperor. Paul's appeal seems at first glance to be sheer madness, since the emperor at the time was the infamous Nero. However, the early years of Nero's reign (during which Paul's appeal took place) were not marked by the cruelty and insanity of his later years".
To take this difficult decision out of his hands, he grants Paul's request, "you have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go". Little did Festus know, but he had just helped fulfill the earlier prophecy that Paul would be going to Rome. This passage clearly shows the hatred of the Jews towards Paul and the gospel. It is a sad commentary on the "religious" of the time being so zealous in their laws and customs, and not truly understanding that the very God that had given them all their laws, was the same God they murdered, and the same God Paul served. We can also see from this text the perseverance of Paul. I just get exhausted reading about all of Paul's trials. How frustrating would it have been to know your innocence, and understand that those in charge of your life know your innocent, but no one has the courage to release you??
posted by amesfam | 2:32 PM
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