“Acts 25:1-12”

Friday, February 19, 2016

“Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 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). Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that 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.’ 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. 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, 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.’ 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?’ 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. 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.’ Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, ‘You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.’”

---End of Scripture verses---

The passing of time had not eroded the hatred that “the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews” harbored for Paul. Even after two long years of being in custody and out of their hair, they were as determined as ever to “ambush” and kill the apostle (verse 3). These “guardians” of the oracles of God obviously had little regard for what is written in Leviticus 19:18—“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” Only a dark and hardened heart bears a grudge for years at a time and seeks its vengeance at any opportunity. With the changing of the guard, from Felix to Festus, the Jewish leaders saw their next opportune time to exact their revenge.

Governor Festus appears to have been a more noble-minded person than his predecessor, but he was still a consummate politician. He wanted “to do the Jews a favor”, no doubt to obligate them for future favors, by asking Paul if he would willingly stand trial before him in Jerusalem (verse 9). That’s about like asking a little lamb if he would like to take a stroll through a den of wolves. Since Paul knew he would not only have no chance for a fair trial, but also that his life would be in great jeopardy, he promptly appealed to Caesar (verse 11).

Adam Clarke wrote the following on this subject: “A freeman of Rome, who had been tried for a crime, and sentence passed on him, had a right to appeal to the emperor, if he conceived the sentence to be unjust; but, even before the sentence was pronounced, he had the privilege of an appeal, in criminal cases, if he conceived that the judge was doing anything contrary to the laws.” (from Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Question: Did Paul not trust in Christ’s promise of protection when he took these matters into his own hands? I don’t think that is the case at all. God has given us a brain to reason with just as surely as he has given us a heart to believe with. Paul took advantage of his legal privileges and rights as a Roman citizen in good standing, which is a perfectly logical and legitimate thing to do, even for a Christian who is held accountable to a much higher authority. Our faith in God and His power to protect us does not override our obligation to be reasonable, careful, responsible people.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16).

Please read Acts 25:13-27 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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