Acts 25 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Acts 25:1-7

1 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They requested Festus, as a favour to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. 4 Festus answered, ‘Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.’

6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood round him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

A. Find Out:

1. Where did Festus go & who came to do what? v.1,2
2. What did they want, and why? v.3
3. What was the reply of Festus? v.4,5
4. So what then happened? v.6
5. What followed? v.7

B. Think:

1. How is the Jewish hatred of Paul still shown to be strong?
2. How is Festus shown not to submit to the Jews?
3. How is the Jewish hatred shown to be groundless?

C. Comment:

Festus is the new governor over the area. Shortly after he arrives in the province, he decides to go up to Jerusalem and while he is there the Jewish authorities (the religious leaders) came to him to ask for Paul to be brought there to be tried. This wasn’t simply a plea for justice but part of a plan to kill Paul on the way to Jerusalem. We find, therefore, this incredible hatred for Paul that is still there, going as far as a desire to actively seek his death. Such is the threat, they feel, to Judaism.

Festus, however, is not going to be pushed into making arrangements that will cause work for his men. No, I’m going back to Caesarea soon, so you come there if you want to press charges against this man. So after spending another week and a half at Jerusalem, Festus returns to the provincial capital, Caesarea. Eventually the Jews arrive and start bringing their charges against Paul again, but it is obvious that they cannot prove the things they are saying; their accusations are baseless.

We see in this passage another form of persecution that comes against Christians, because they are a threat to unbelievers, because they challenge the old ways. Groundless accusations are often brought and we should be careful not to believe them.

D. Application:

1. The world feels threatened by the truth and therefore attacks us.
2. When we hear baseless accusations, be careful. Don’t believe it.

Passage: Acts 25:8-12

8 Then Paul made his defence: ‘I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.’

9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favour, said to Paul, ‘Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?’

10 Paul answered: ‘I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!’

12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: ‘You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!’

A. Find Out:

1. What 3 things did Paul deny doing? v.8
2. What did Festus then ask, and why? v.9
3. What was Paul’s answer to this? v.10
4. What was his argument? v.11a,b
5. So what did he do? v.11c
6. What was the conclusion of Festus? v.12

B. Think:

1. What was clear about the case against Paul?
2. Yet what was in danger of happening?
3. So why do you think Paul took the action he did?

C. Comment:

There are times in the Christian life when we seem to have our backs against the wall, and this seems one of those times for Paul. The Jews were unable to prove their claims against Paul and Paul is clearly innocent. Yet he is still in the hands of a Roman ruler who doesn’t seem very concerned about justice, only about pleasing the Jews (shades of Pilate about this man!).

Festus suggests transferring the case to Jerusalem but everyone knows why it was transferred from Jerusalem, so this is clearly just an opt-out suggestion. Paul will have none of this. He is a Roman and he is standing in a Roman court where Roman justice should prevail. He knows he has done nothing wrong and so if the judge of the court (the governor) seems like he is willing to bend the rules, there seems there is only one thing left to do, appeal to the head of the Roman court system, Caesar himself! Every Roman had that right if there appeared to be injustice.

Why is God allowing this to happen? (Oh yes, it is very easy to forget about God in the midst of unnerving circumstances!) Well, the answer must be that He wants Paul to testify in Rome (see 23:11). This may all seem to be the will of men at work but behind it is the sovereign will of God. Never forget that.

D. Application:

1. Men may appear to predominate but Jesus still rules!
2. Behind the circumstances look for the will of God.

Passage: Acts 25:13-27

13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: ‘There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

16 ‘I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus whom Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.’

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like to hear this man myself.’

He replied, ‘Tomorrow you will hear him.’

23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said: ‘King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.’

A. Find Out:

1. Who next arrived at Caesarea? v.13
2. How had Festus gone against the Jews? v.14-16
3. What had surprised Festus? v.17-20
4. So why was Paul still there? v.21
5. So what followed? v.22,23
6. What is the problem Festus now faces? v.24-27

B. Think:

1. What was the problem Festus was originally faced with?
2. What is the difficulty he is now faced with?
3. So why is Paul speaking before the king and queen?

C. Comment:

Agrippa was only seventeen when his father died and having been considered too young to rule over Judea, had been given a small insignificant northern kingdom to look after, as well as the responsibility for the temple in Jerusalem and appointing the high priest. Bernice was in fact his sister. The two come to pay their respects to the new procurator at Caesarea. While talking he explains the problems he has been having.

His first problem had been understanding why the Jews had brought Paul to him in the first place. It seems their dispute is only over belief. The trouble was that Paul then appealed to Caesar, so Festus has now got to make arrangements to send Paul to Rome. Agrippa shows interest so Festus agrees to present Paul. In so doing he explains his present problem. As Paul has appealed to Caesar, Festus will have to send him to Rome but he’s at a loss as to what he should say in the letter to Rome. He’s going to appear rather foolish sending a Roman citizen to Caesar on grounds of Jewish belief disputes. The obvious answer would be to release Paul, but Festus would lose face if he did that and also manage to upset the Jews. Perhaps this Jewish “king” might to be able to help clarify the situation.

D. Application:

1. Injustice requires its perpetrators to go to great lengths.
2. Sin requires more sin to cover it up! Beware the cycle!