CHAPTER 25
to grant them
a concession
against
Paul
by
summoning
him
to
Jerusalem,
because they were preparing
an ambush
to kill
him
along
the
way.
So
if
this
man
has done
anything
wrong,
let some
of
your
leaders
come down with me
and accuse
him there.”
After
spending
no
more than
eight
or
ten
days
with
them,
Festus went down
to
Caesarea.
The
next day
he sat
on
the
judgment seat
and ordered that
Paul
be brought in.
When
Paul
arrived,
the
Jews
who had come down
from
Jerusalem
stood around
him,
bringing
many
serious
charges
that
they could not
prove.
Then
Paul
made his defense:
“I have committed no offense
against
the
law
of the
Jews
or
against
the
temple
or
against
Caesar.”
But
Festus,
wanting
to do the Jews a favor,
said
to Paul,
“Are you willing
to go up
to
Jerusalem
to stand trial
before
me
on
these charges?”
Paul
replied,
“I am
standing
before
the
judgment seat
of Caesar,
where
I
ought
to be tried.
I have done nothing wrong
to the Jews,
as
you
yourself
know
very well.
If,
however,
I am guilty
of
anything
worthy
of death,
I do not refuse
to die.
But
if
there is
no
truth
to their
accusations
against me,
no one
can
hand me over
to them.
I appeal
to Caesar!"
Then
Festus
conferred
with
his
council
and replied,
“You have appealed
to Caesar.
To
Caesar
you will go!”
After
several
days
had passed,
King
Agrippa
and
Bernice
came down
to
Caesarea
to pay their respects
to Festus.
Since
they were staying
several
days,
Festus
laid out
Paul’s case
before the
king:
“There is
a certain
man
whom
Felix
left
in prison.
While I
was
in
Jerusalem,
the
chief priests
and
elders
of the
Jews
presented their case
and requested
a judgment
against
him.
I told
them
it was
not
the Roman custom
to hand
a
man over
before
he
has
an opportunity
to
face
his
accusers
and
defend himself
against
their
charges.
So when
they
came
here with me,
I did
not
delay.
The
next day
I sat
on
the
judgment seat
and ordered that
the
man
be brought in.
But when his
accusers
rose to speak,
they did not charge him
with any of the crimes
I
had expected.
They only had
some
contentions
with
him
regarding
their
own
religion
and
a certain
Jesus
who had died,
but whom
Paul
affirmed
to be alive.
Since
I
was at a loss
as to
how to investigate
these matters,
I asked
if
he was willing
to go
to
Jerusalem
and
be tried there
on
these charges.
But when
Paul
appealed
to be held over
for
the
decision
of the
Emperor,
I ordered
him
held
until
I could send
him
to
Caesar.”
Then
Agrippa
said to
Festus,
“I would like
to hear
this
man
myself.”
“Tomorrow
you will hear
him,”
Festus declared.
The
next day
Agrippa
and
Bernice
came
with
great
pomp
and
entered
the
auditorium,
along with
the commanders
and
leading
men
of the
city.
And
Festus
ordered that
Paul
be brought in.
Then
Festus
said,
“King
Agrippa
and
all
who
are present with
us,
you see
this man.
The
whole
Jewish
community
has petitioned
me
about
him,
both
here
and
in
Jerusalem,
crying out
that he ought
not
to live
any longer.
But
I
found
he
had done
nothing
worthy
of death,
and since he
has now appealed to
the
Emperor,
I decided
to send him.
I have
nothing
definite
to write
to
our sovereign one
about
him.
Therefore
I have brought
him
before
all of you,
and
especially
before
you,
King
Agrippa,
so that
after this inquiry
I may have
something
to write.
For
it seems
unreasonable
to me
to send on
a prisoner
without
specifying
the
charges
against
him.”