What does Acts 25:11 mean?
Paul has been under house arrest for two years without cause (Acts 24:27). The Sanhedrin had attempted to murder him (Acts 23:12–15) and prove his guilt before then-governor Felix (Acts 24:2–9) but failed both times. Now, he's at a hearing where the Jewish leaders are trying to convince the new governor, Festus, that Paul is a menace to society (Acts 25:7). Their true goal is to convince Festus to send Paul to Jerusalem for trial or so they can kill him along the way (Acts 25:3).Unlike the Sanhedrin members, Paul is a Roman citizen. This offers him certain rights, including the right to defend himself in a trial; protection from being beaten, tortured, or scourged; and protection from being executed unless found guilty of treason. He also has the right to appeal his trial to Caesar. Ironically, the emperor at the time is the infamously wicked Nero, though this is the beginning of his rule when the Stoic philosopher Seneca and the noble Afranius Burrus held influence over the administration. It will be another five years before Nero's true colors become obvious to the world.
Paul likely wants to appeal to Caesar for several reasons. First, Festus is new and wants to develop a good relationship with the Sanhedrin; Paul probably doesn't trust him to do the right thing. Second, Paul not only really wants to go to Rome (Romans 1:11–15), Jesus has told him he will go to Rome (Acts 23:11).
Most urgently, Paul isn't safe just because he's innocent. The Sanhedrin has charged Paul with crimes against both the Roman and Jewish laws (Acts 25:7). If Festus clears Paul of the charges against Rome, he could remand Paul to the Jewish leadership to try him for the crimes against the Mosaic law. The likelihood of Paul surviving a journey to Jerusalem for that trial is very slim. By appealing to Caesar—meaning to ask for the case to be appealed to a higher court—Paul escapes the grasp of the Jews and gets a ride to where he wants to be, anyway. The Jews overreached, and Paul slips away.