Chapter 25

In the first eleven verses of this chapter we have the principle of Romans 8:28. Festus was a brilliant administrator but he allowed himself to be partied into a change of decision. Because of the entertainment he received in ten days at Jerusalem he completely reversed himself and tried to get around the Roman law. By reversing himself he actually brought about a set of circumstances whereby Paul would go back to the place where he should have been in the first place—Rome. Everyone wanted to destroy Paul but it turned out for good. According to Josephus, Festus was a very wise and just man. However, he allowed entertainment and a few nice words to change up everything for him.

Verse 2 – “Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews [the religious hierarchy] informed him against Paul, and they kept on beseeching him.” The word “inform” here means to open again the case and to accuse him. The imperfect tense of “besought” means that they begged Festus to try Paul again.

Verse 3 – “And they desired a favour against him [Paul].” This means to ask a favour for one’s self, and the religious crowd ask Festus a favour—that he would reopen the case.

“that he would send for him to Jerusalem” – they had no intention of trying him, they simply wanted to get rid of him. Principle: When religion becomes the state then murder and violence becomes normal activity.

Verse 4 – Festus is going to operate on the facts, he is not going to follow prejudice. Festus is an administrator of Roman law, and Roman law says that a man is innocent until proven guilty. At this point there are no facts to the contrary and therefore Festus is going to keep Paul in Caesarea. There is a principle that applies to us: If a nation of unbelievers like the Romans could design a system of law that protects the privacy of the individual, the property of the individual, the volition of the individual; if the Romans could keep their religion separate from the state, then we as born again believers ought to recognise the volition, the privacy, and the property of other believer priests. We have no right, apart from facts and evidence, to condemn anyone at any time.

Verse 5 – “Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man”: bring your accusations to me there.

“if there be any wickedness” – the word “wickedness” is not found. The word is a)topoj, which means anything unusual. That is, if there is anything irregular in the case he would reopen it. The case had already been tried and Paul has been found innocent.

1. Festus at this time refuses to transfer Paul to Jerusalem, but in verse 9 he is going to reverse himself. Because he reverses himself he is going to cause Paul to appeal to Caesar. Here we have a great administrator but he is unstable. And the basis of his instability is two words: “Ten days.” In ten days the religious crowd knew how to entertain Festus.

2. Human inconsistency and instability is used by God to protect Paul.

3. God controls the events of history to protect the believer.

4. In verse 5 Festus acts with a sense of justice; in verse 9 Festus acts with expediency based upon the fact that his social life has made a slave out of him.

5. The first decision of Festus in verse 5 saves Paul’s life from assassination. The second and inconsistent decision of Festus in verse 9 was based upon the fact that a social life could change him. This caused Paul to appeal to Caesar and resulted in his going to Rome. Romans 8:28. Human inconsistency does not destroy God’s plan for the life of Paul or for the life of any believer. God’s plan is consistent and moves through vacillations and all forms of inconsistencies.

6. It is obvious that in verse 5 Festus has a true sense of Roman justice, and this is confirmed by Josephus; but between verse 5 and verse 9 a great judge and administrator of justice reverses himself.

7. However this sense of justice requires a strong character to avoid social pressure, and political pressure. Festus succumbed to the combination of social and political pressure.

8. To maintain law and order Festus not only had to know the law, as he did, so that he could do it but he had to have the moral courage to do it. But he didn’t have the moral courage to do it because ten days of social life in Jerusalem changed the whole course of his administration. In those ten days he wrote out his own death warrant, for in two years he is going to be dead.

9. Festus failed, but Roman law is greater than his failure. Roman law would put Paul out of the jurisdiction of Festus and under the jurisdiction of the court in Rome.

10. While both of his decisions were inconsistent they add up to Romans 8:28.

11. God uses the wrath of man to praise Him—Psalm 76:10.

The trial in Caesarea, verses 6-9.

Verse 6 – And while he had tarried among them more than ten days.” The word for “tarried” is diatribw means to wear someone down, to wear away by friction or to keep working on someone until they break down. They worked on him by social life, by flattery, by catering to him to the maximum.

“he went down to Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.”

Verse 7 – the accusation of the Jews summarised; “which they could not prove.” This once again indicates Paul’s innocence.

Verse 8 – “While he answered for himself [defended himself], Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all.” In other words, he successfully defended himself.

Verse 9 – the instability of Festus. “But Festus, willing [desiring, present linear aktionsart] to do the Jews a pleasure.” In other words, he sought to ingratiate himself with the Jewish hierarchy and he is now, as it were, putty in their hands. This famous Roman administrator is now willing to distort the law. It should read: “But Festus, desiring to lay up in store a favour with the Jews, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of those things before me?”

Verse 10 – “Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat.” That is, I am under the jurisdiction of Roman law, I will not switch to Jewish law.

“where I ought to be judged” – he is a Roman citizen, he ought to be judged by Roman law.

“to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest” – this particular trial brought out to Festus that Paul was innocent, and under Roman law the innocent are released and never punished. The word “knowest” is e)piginwskw which means he had a full understanding, even though he would not admit it.

Verse 11 – “For if I be an offender [and this is what you assume], or have committed anything worthy of death [under Roman law], I refuse not to die” – Paul is stating there the doctrinal position. He believes in capital punishment.

“but if thee be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.” As a Roman citizen Paul has the right to be judged in the highest court. Once Paul has appealed to Caesar he cannot be sent to Jerusalem for trial.

Verse 12 – “Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council.” The council here was a group of lawyers who were on the staff of Festus.

12. Paul’s decision was a rightful means of avoiding personal suffering.

13. Paul suffered more than any believer but he avoided suffering where possible.

14. The man who puts himself in the way of suffering knows nothing about suffering.

15. Such a believer has a trend toward asceticism, and often this borders on psychosis.

16. Some people are under the illusion that they are not doing the will of God unless they are suffering.

17. When a decision is to be made the believer often chooses the course of suffering, assuming this is the will of God.

Verse 13 – “And after certain days [after Felix left with Drusilla] king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.” Agrippa II will be the last

of the Herodian line. His grandfather was Herod the Great. His grand uncle, Herod Antipas, killed John the Baptist. His father, Herod the 1^st, killed James in Jerusalem. Now that Felix has left he is able to come to Caesarea and he has no particular authority in this Roman province. He has a kingdom to the north and as he comes down with his sister Bernice he is coming simply to visit and to pay his respects to the new Roman governor.

Verse 14 – “Festus declared.” The word means to submit for an opinion—a)natiqhmi. Festus is now in a jamb. What can he write to Nero? Paul was obviously innocent but had appealed to Nero. Festus had to write a report with the reason for sending him to Rome. He should have released Paul, and he knows it now. He is disturbed and upset, and he now submits the case to Agrippa for a personal opinion.

“There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix” – it’s all Felix’s fault! The word for “a certain man” here is a)nhr, which means a man in the noble sense. He will not accept Paul’s message but he certainly has respect for his person.

“left in bonds by Felix” – under the authority of Felix. He left me a hot potato.

Verse 15 – “About whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me.” They certainly did! The partied him to death and kept dropping little things in his ear.

“desiring to have judgment against him” – this is all they had been thinking about for quite a few years.

Verse 16 – “To whom I answered.” This is putting himself in a good light. This is the self-righteous answer: “It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die.” The words “to die” are not found in the original. He is now making a true declaration of Roman law.

“before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence” – the words “and have licence” means “and receives an opportunity to defend himself concerning the crimes of which he is accused.” Festus failed, yet notice how self-righteous he is. He has self-righteously stated the position of the law as if this is the position which he took.

Verse 17 – “Therefore when they [the chief priests] were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.” In other words, he represents himself as a zealous public servant; “and commanded the man to come forth” – he uses the word “man,” very impersonal.

Verse 18 – “Against whom when the accusers [the religious crowd] stood up, they brought none accusation [that the Roman law could use as an indictment] of such things as I supposed.” The word “supposed” – imperfect active indicative u(ponoew [noew = to think; u(po = under the influence of] which means to think under the influence of someone else, or an outside factor. The word means that Festus had actually developed a prejudice. He had developed this in the ten days he spent in Jerusalem. When Festus is under the influence of someone else he is no longer a good judge, he is minus justice. Imperfect tense: he kept on thinking this way because of the influence of the Jewish religious leaders. In other words, Festus has preconceived notions about Paul’s trial: “such things as I had been influenced to think.”

Verse 19 – “But had certain questions against him of their own superstition.” In other words, there was nothing in Roman law could do about this man. This verse is a contrast between Roman law and Jewish theology. The words “certain questions” is zhthma which means points of debate, or points of controversy; “of [concerning] their own superstition” – the word for “superstition” is deisidaimoj [deisi = fear or reverence; daimwn = a demon] means a reverence for a god, and it is a word not for superstition, but for a system of religion. “But had certain points of controversy face to face with him concerning their own reverence of God/religious matters.” In other words, Roman law recognised the right of subject peoples to worship any way they wanted to worship. They could have their own religion provided that it did not conflict with the authority of the emperor.

“and of [concerning] one Jesus” – this tells us that Festus had heard about Jesus Christ, that Paul had preached the gospel at his trial in Caesarea. We do not have a full account of his trial, simply those things which advanced him toward Rome. Jesus Christ had been declared to Jesus Christ and Festus is negative toward Him.

“which was dead” – perfect active participle of qnhskw. When Christ died for our sins the word is a)poqnhskw which is used for His spiritual death, bearing our sins; but since Festus has rejected the gospel he can only look at physical death. When Jesus died physically on the cross, after having dismissed His spirit, this was qnhskw. So this is the difference between a)poqnhskw, the first and spiritual death of Christ, and qnhskw, the physical death of Christ.

“whom Paul affirmed [asserted] to be alive” – faskw means affirmed, and it means to speak with the greatest type of dogmatism. The imperfect tense means Paul always spoke dogmatically. Present active infinitive: he keeps on being alive.

Verse 20 – “And because I doubted of [concerning] such manner of questions.” He didn’t doubt at all, he was perplexed. The word a)porew means to be perplexed. Literally, “Since I was being perplexed concerning the controversy of these things, I kept on saying, if he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.”

Verse 22 – “I would also hear the man myself” – just what Festus wanted!

Verse 23 – “with great pomp [glamour].” The Greek word fantasia means a visible display of glamour; “the place of hearing” was simply that part of the palace where the trials were held.

Verse 24 – Paul is now going to have to stand and listen to a whole lot of phoney malarky. He is going to hear Festus whitewash Festus. And he knows that it is a distortion of the truth, a variation of the truth, and that Festus is trying to make his dilemma not his own fault at all. Festus is fighting for his job and place in the empire.

“crying that he ought not to live any longer” – without realising it Festus exposes religion. The word for “crying” is boaw which means to scream.

1. The hatred of religion removes the veneer of religion.

2. Religion hated Paul, was jealous of Paul, and had the mental attitude sins of jealous and implacable vindictiveness.

3. Their antagonism was manifest in yelling and screaming in Jewish and Roman courts.

4. Without realising it Festus in his opening remarks unmasked religion.

5. Religion always places great value on life until that life opposes them.

Verse 25 – But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death.” Here is a man who is trying to pull his own chestnuts out of the fire. He has to

Admit by Roman law that Paul is innocent, but he can’t say Paul is innocent and he doesn’t say Paul is innocent. He says Paul has done nothing worthy of death. The implication is that Paul has done something.

“and that he himself had appealed to Augustus” – Augustus is simply the title for any Caesar; “I have determined to send him.”

6. There is a lot of hypocrisy in this verse. E.g. “I found” means to be overtaken by surprise—katalambanw. Festus wasn’t overtaken by surprise at all.

7. Festus was willing to sacrifice Paul on the altar of political expediency.

8. Festus had no concern for the proper administration of Roman justice.

9. Festus was only interested in promoting Festus through ingratiation with the religious leaders.

10. But Festus now faces the dilemma of Roman law. Under Roman law Paul has appealed to Caesar, which means a change of venue to Rome.

11. Paul is no longer under the legal jurisdiction of Festus, but Festus must provide a report which justifies Paul’s appeal.

12. Festus cannot admit to Caesar his own incompetence, so he must find some justification under Roman law. There is none, so he must find some justification under the Jewish law.

Verse 26 – the dilemma of Porcius Festus who is now caught in a trap of power and approbation lust. “Of whom I have no certain thing [nothing definite] to

Write unto my lord [Caesar].” This is not a trial, it is a hearing for the purpose of resolving the dilemma of Festus.

“after the examination had” – should be “after the examination has occurred.” The word “examination” is a)nakrisij [a)na = before; krisij = a trial] which means an investigation, a hearing; “I might have something to write.”

Verse 27 – “For it seemeth to me unreasonable” should be “I keep on thinking it unreasonable”; “to send a prisoner and not withal” – the word “withal” means in detail; “to signify the crimes laid against him.” Festus is going to have to come up with a report that does not reveal how he has bungled this thing, how he has catered to the religious leaders, and he is hopeful that Agrippa or someone present is going to bail him out of this jamb.