Paul Meets His Next Judge, Governor Festus
1Judea’s new governor, Festus, arrived in Caesarea. [1] Three days later, he made a trip to Jerusalem. 2While he was there, top Jewish priests and other Jewish leaders met with him to bring criminal charges against Paul. 3They asked Festus for a favor: send Paul back to Jerusalem. They knew Paul wouldn’t make it. They had already arranged for him to get ambushed and killed along the way. 4Governor Festus told them Paul was in custody at Caesarea. He added that he would be headed back there in a few days. 5He said, “Why don’t you send some of your leaders with me. If this man has done something wrong, bring your charges against him when I hold court there.”6Festus stayed there in Jerusalem for a little over a week, no more than eight to 10 days. Then he went back down to the coastal city of Caesarea. The day after he got there he took his seat in the court and called for Paul to appear before him. 7When Paul arrived in court the Jews stood beside him. They leveled serious charges against him—none of which they could prove.
8Paul defended himself. He said, “I haven’t done anything wrong. Not against the Jews. Not against the Temple. Not against Caesar.”
9Festus wanted to keep the Jews happy. So he told Paul, “Your case could be tried in Jerusalem. Would you be willing to go up there for the trial?”
10Paul said, “Caesar’s court is here in Caesarea. This is where I should be tried. I’ve done nothing to the Jews. You know that as well as I do. 11I’m not trying to get out of an execution I deserve. The fact is, I don’t deserve an execution at all. There’s nothing to the charges these people have made. No one has a right to turn me over to them. I’m going to appeal my case to Caesar’s supreme court.”
12Festus conferred with his legal advisors. Then he said to Paul, “You appeal to Caesar. You go to Caesar.” [2]
King Agrippa Visits Governor Festus
13A few days later King Agrippa [3] and his sister Bernice [4] came down to Caesarea to welcome the new governor, Festus. 14Since the Jewish king and his sister were staying there for several days, Festus chatted with them about his Jewish prisoner, Paul. Festus said, “You might be interested in hearing about a prisoner I inherited from Felix. 15When I went over to Jerusalem recently, the top priests and other Jewish leaders asked me to convict the man—to just go ahead and declare him guilty.16“I said I couldn’t do that. I told them Romans don’t turn people over for execution without giving them a chance to defend themselves against their accusers in a court of law. 17So when they made the trip down here, I didn’t keep them waiting. The very next day I held court and ordered the man to come and stand trial. 18When the prosecution brought their case, they didn’t make any of the charges I expected. 19Instead, they started asking him questions about their religion and about some dead guy named Jesus, who Paul said was alive. 20Since I had no idea how to handle questions like that, I asked if he wanted to take his case to Jerusalem, where he could be tried on those religious charges. 21That’s when Paul appealed his case to the emperor. So I ordered him held here until I can arrange to send him to Caesar in Rome.”
22Agrippa said, “I would love to hear what that man has to say for himself.”
Festus said, “Well, I’ll see to it that you get your chance tomorrow.”
Paul’s Command Performance for King Agrippa
23The next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the courthouse. They brought pageantry and flamboyance with them. The show included a parade of top military officers and Caesarea’s most important leaders. Festus gave the order and Paul was brought into the court.24Festus addressed the crowd, “King Agrippa and everyone else present with us today, take a look at this man. The entire Jewish nation wants him dead. They have lobbied me here and in Jerusalem, pleading with me to kill him. They say he shouldn’t be allowed to live any longer. 25But I’m telling you this, I can’t see that he has done anything that warrants death. Since he has appealed to the emperor’s supreme court, I’ve decided to send him there. 26My problem is that I can’t think of anything substantive to write about his case. What can I tell the emperor? I’m at a loss. So I’ve brought him here for you folks to examine—especially you, King Agrippa. I’m hoping that when you’re done interrogating him that I’ll have something worth writing to Caesar. 27I mean, come on, it makes no sense to send a prisoner to Rome for trial in the emperor’s supreme court if we don’t know what crime to charge him with.”
