ACTS 25:1

The Bible says in Acts 25:1-9, “Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priests and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among them are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting in the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. 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. While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended anything at all. But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judge of these things before me?”

Things were changing dramatically in Paul’s life once the Roman governor had changed. The governor Felix had kept the Jews from having their ultimate desire against Paul: to see him judged, condemned, and put to death. The Jews knew how the Roman system worked. For two years Paul had been kept under Roman guard, but once Festus came into power as the Roman governor, perhaps because of his desire to show the Jewish leaders that they could count on him looking after their interests; Festus decided to do the very thing the Jews wanted to be done to Paul. As soon as Festus said to Paul in Acts 25:9, “Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me,” Paul knew what it meant. He knew that Festus had decided to deliver him to the Jews.

The Bible says in Acts 25:10-11, “Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.” Paul knew what Festus was going to do to him. He knew that things had changed, and now it was time to take action. We see in this once again just how the will of God takes place. You do what you can do when you can do it. The things that you cannot control, you leave to the hand of God. You trust that God is able to work all things for good to those that love God and to those that are the called according to His purpose.

For the things that were in Paul’s hand, he needed wisdom. He would not know which decision to make unless God gave him wisdom. If you are a believer, you have no excuse not to have the wisdom that you need for the decisions that you face. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

The Jewish leaders and the Jewish mob forced Paul to appeal unto Caesar. That meant that Paul would eventually stand in front of Caesar and give his defense and speak of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at this situation just a little bit. All of the Roman leaders know that Paul is innocent. They know that the Jewish leaders are selfish, deceitful, and intent on seeing those with whom they disagree put to death. And this type of thing did not just happen with Paul. It started with Jesus, and it continued with the martyr Stephen and no doubt with others. The murderous deception of the Jewish leaders that became so apparent to all the Roman leaders year after year certainly played a big part in the Romans finally deciding to destroy the Jews and the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Jewish leaders thought they were destroying others and thereby saving themselves. In reality they were destroying themselves. Listen to these things that Jesus said and think how they became fulfilled as regards the Jewish nation of the first century. “He that saves his life shall lose it.” “He that lives by the sword shall die by the sword.” “For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you desolate.”

The Bible says in Acts 25:12-19, “Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go. And after certain days King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus. And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul’s cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To whom I answered, 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 license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed: But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.”

As far as we know, Festus did not get saved. But because of the testimony of Paul, he certainly understood the gospel. Festus the Roman governor knew that it was all about the death of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. Festus said that the reason that Paul had been brought to his judgment was actually questions regarding among other things “of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” If you want to be a good witness in the world, then talk about Jesus, who is alive. If you were saved, you were not saved by a dead Christ, but by a living. Tell people about the living Christ who saved your soul and changed your life, and you will be doing the same work that Paul did, and you will have the same message that he had.

In this part of the book of Acts we see Paul often standing before high ranking political leaders, military leaders, and religious leaders. Paul gave the same message that he had given to the common people, but we do not see many converts from these rich, successful, and powerful people. The same thing happened when Jesus was on the earth: “The common people heard Him gladly.” First Corinthians 1:26 says, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.” Jesus spoke about Paul to Ananias and Jesus said in Acts 9:15, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” Here in Acts chapter twenty-five Paul is getting closer to the final stages of his ministry on the earth. He had taken the name of Christ to the Gentiles and to the children of Israel on his three missionary journeys. Now it appears as though in these latter years of his life is the time that Jesus has opened the door for Paul to deliver the gospel to kings. Everyone deserves to hear the gospel, whether king or servant. Everyone is a sinner, whether rich or poor. Jesus died for everyone, and God loves everyone whether small or great. Let us therefore take the gospel to everyone as the Lord gives opportunity. That is what the apostle Paul did.

The Roman governor Festus continues to speak to King Agrippa and the Bible says in Acts 25:20-27, “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. 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 Caesar. Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principle men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, 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. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.”

When Paul speaks before King Agrippa as we shall see, in the next chapter, one of the first things that Paul talks about is how dedicated Paul was to religion as a Pharisee. No doubt one of the points that Paul is making from this fact is that human religion is not enough. Man will still be a sinner no matter how much man tries. Man will still fail no matter how much man is involved in some religion. Man needs a Savior. The Bible says in Acts 26:1-5, “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews; Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.” In a very religious society in Israel in the first century the Pharisees were the most strict, the most dedicated, and the most religious of all the Jews. They had standards. They were conservative. They believed in God. They faithfully kept the traditions of the Mosaic law in the strictest way that they could. They studies the Scriptures. But as Paul found out from personal experience, such religious dedication could never save the soul nor bring him the relationship with God that he needed.

Paul wrote on the same subject in Philippians 3:4-9 where the Bible says, “Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Most of the unsaved people of the world still think that Christianity is a religion, and that what makes a person a Christian is to go about doing and observing all of the Christian religious observances. If you are a true Christian, you know that is not the case. That is not what makes you a Christian. Faith in Christ and the forgiveness of sins that He gave you is what makes you a Christian. If you want to have a clear testimony make sure that you do what Paul did: emphasize Jesus and what Jesus has done for you that you could not do for yourself.

Paul said in Acts 26:6-11, “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.”

Paul made it clear that he was a sinner, and that Jesus had saved him from his sins. If you realize that you are a sinner, you also can be saved from your sins by turning to Jesus and asking Him to save you. Today you can pray to Jesus for salvation.

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