_Festus succeeds Felix as Procurator of JudæaThe Jews in vain try to induce him to bring Paul to JerusalemFestus examines Paul in person, who appeals from his Tribunal to that of the Cæsar at Rome,_ 1-12. Acts 25:1. NOW WHEN FESTUS WAS COME INTO THE PROVINCE. The Greek word translated ‘province' is... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:2. THEN THE HIGH PRIEST AND THE CHIEF OF THE JEWS INFORMED HIM AGAINST PAUL. Directly after his arrival at the seat of his new government, the procurator went up to the real capital of the province, Jerusalem, to become in some way acquainted with the national chiefs of that strange nation o... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:3. AND DESIRED FAVOUR AGAINST HIM, THAT HE WOULD SEND FOR HIM UNTO JERUSALEM. In Acts 25:15-16, Festus relates the particulars of this request of the Jews to King Agrippa. From the detailed account, it seems that two formal requests were made to him by the priests and influential men at Jeru... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:4. BUT FESTUS ANSWERED, THAT PAUL SHOULD BE KEPT AT CÆSAREA, AND THAT HE HIMSELF WOULD DEPART SHORTLY THITHER. The original Greek here somewhat changes the character of the governor's reply to the Jewish national party. In the English the words are somewhat curt and abrupt. In the Greek, the... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:5. LET THEM THEREFORE, SAID HE, WHICH AMONG YOU ARE ABLE, GO DOWN WITH ME. Bengel suggests that the expression, ‘which among you are able,' signifies ‘those among you which are able to perform the journey.' It is better, however, to understand the meaning to be ‘those among you which are inv... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:7. AND WHEN HE WAS COME, THE JEWS WHICH CAME DOWN FROM JERUSALEM STOOD ROUND ABOUT, AND LAID MANY AND GRIEVOUS COMPLAINTS AGAINST PAUL, WHICH THEY COULD NOT PROVE. As Festus had signified (see Acts 25:4), he speedily went clown again to Cæsarea; and without any loss of time, on the day follo... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:8. WHILE HE ANSWERED FOR HIMSELF. No doubt repeating in the main the arguments briefly reported in the first trial before the Procurator Felix (chap. Acts 24:10-21), adding, probably, an indignant denial, and one that convinced his judge respecting the alleged treason against the emperor and... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:9. BUT FESTUS, WILLING TO DO THE JEWS A PLEASURE, ANSWERED PAUL, AND SAID, WILT THOU GO UP TO JERUSALEM, AND THERE BE JUDGED OF THOSE THINGS BEFORE ME? This was a very natural proposal of the Roman governor. He felt clearly that there was no sufficient evidence to prove the charge of treason... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:10. THEN SAID PAUL, I STAND AT CÆSAR'S JUDGMENT SEAT. And the prisoner's reply was decisive. Paul felt that there was no hope of justice for him if he pleaded before the Sanhedrim. Perhaps he was conscious that, if he yielded, he would never stand before that august council at all; for, reme... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:11. I APPEAL UNTO CÆSAR. This power of appealing to Rome was a valuable privilege of all Roman citizens, and a great safeguard against tyranny and oppression on the part of provincial magistrates. The ‘appeal to Cæsar' (_provocatio)_ existed under the form of an appeal to the people in Rome... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:12. THEN FESTUS, WHEN HE HAD CONFERRED WITH THE COUNCIL. The council here referred to was not the members of the Sanhedrim then present at Cæsarea, but certain officials whom Suetonius calls _consiliarii._ These advisers or assessors were taken into counsel in questions of difficulty. Gloag... [ Continue Reading ]
_King Herod Agrippa II_. _and his Sister, the Queen Bernice, come down to Cæsarea to visit the new Roman Governor Festus, who tells the King about the strange Accusation hanging over Paul the Nazarene,_ 13-21. Acts 25:13. AND AFTER CERTAIN DAYS KING AGRIPPA AND BERNICE CAME UNTO CÆSAREA TO SALUTE FE... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:14. FESTUS DECLARED PAUL'S CAUSE UNTO THE KING, SAYING, THERE IS A CERTAIN MAN LEFT IN BONDS BY FELIX. It has been suggested that the reason of this communication on the part of Festus, was a desire to interest his visitor by bringing under the king's notice one who was bitterly and persiste... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:15. ABOUT WHOM THE CHIEF PRIESTS ... INFORMED ME, DESIRING TO HAVE JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM. The Greek word translated ‘judgment' (δι ́ κην), in the most trustworthy MSS. is the stronger though unused καταδίκην, which must possess the sense of ‘condemnation' or ‘punishment.' It would thus seem a... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:16. IT IS NOT THE MANNER OF THE ROMANS TO DELIVER ANY MAN TO DIE, BEFORE THAT HE WHICH IS ACCUSED HAVE THE ACCUSERS FACE TO FACE, AND HAVE LICENCE TO ANSWER FOR HIMSELF CONCERNING THE CRIME LAID AGAINST HIM. The Jews had asked (Acts 25:3) only that the accused might be brought to Jerusalem,... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:18. AGAINST WHOM, WHEN THE ACCUSERS STOOD UP, THEY BROUGHT NONE ACCUSATIONS OF SUCH THINGS AS I SUPPOSED. The intenseness of feeling with which the Jews pressed Festus in the matter of the trial and condemnation of Paul, led the governor, when he heard the words ‘treason' and ‘sedition' mixe... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:19. BUT HAD CERTAIN QUESTIONS AGAINST HIM OF THEIR OWN SUPERSTITION. The English word ‘superstition,' like the adjective used in chap. Acts 17:22, utterly fails to represent the Greek δεισιδαιμονι ́ ας here. This word is one which _may_ be understood in a bad sense, viz. a ‘superstition;' bu... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:20. AND BECAUSE I DOUBTED OF SUCH MANNER OF QUESTIONS, I ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WOULD GO TO JERUSALEM, AND THERE BE JUDGED OF THESE MATTERS. Festus hardly represents here the whole truth. No doubt he did wish to be informed more fully concerning the real ground of the bitter enmity which exist... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:21. BUT WHEN PAUL HAD APPEALED TO BE RESERVED UNTO THE HEARING OF AUGUSTUS, I COMMANDED HIM TO BE KEPT TILL I MIGHT SEND HIM TO CÆSAR. There is evidently in Festus' words an under-current of a not unnatural displeasure at the appeal to Cæsar. He was not able to refuse permission to the ‘citi... [ Continue Reading ]
_King Agrippa II. expresses a Desire to hear Paul himself The Apostle is brought before the King and his Sister and the Roman Festus_, 22-27. Acts 25:22. THEN AGRIPPA SAID UNTO FESTUS, I WOULD ALSO HEAR THE MAN MYSELF. Literally, ‘I was wishing' (ε ̓ βουλο ́ μην). Agrippa must have heard often of P... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:23. AND ON THE MORROW, WHEN AGRIPPA WAS COME, AND BERNICE, WITH GREAT POMP. The account here reads as the description of one who had witnessed the events of that day so memorable in early Christian annals. The splendour of the procession and the glittering appearance of the court, crowded wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:24. KING AGRIPPA... YE SEE THIS MAN, ABOUT WHOM ALL THE MULTITUDE OF THE JEWS HAVE DEALT WITH ME, BOTH AT JERUSALEM, AND ALSO HERE, CRYING THAT HE OUGHT NOT TO LIVE ANY LONGER. The expression here, ‘all the multitude,' is a strange one; but Festus believed, and with some reason, that the fee... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:26. OF WHOM I HAVE NO CERTAIN THING TO WRITE UNTO MY LORD. It was the rule in these cases of appeal from the provincial magistrate to the supreme court at Rome, to transmit a detailed account of the crime alleged, and also a full report of any legal proceedings which had taken place in conne... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 25:27. FOR IT SEEMETH TO ME UNREASONABLE TO SEND A PRISONER, AND NOT WITHAL TO SIGNIFY THE CRIMES LAID AGAINST HIM. Festus hoped, and not without reason, that the examination before so great a man as Agrippa one, too, who was so well versed in the difficult question of Jewish law and tradition... [ Continue Reading ]