Acts 25:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought.

NIV: 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.

NASB: So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought.

CSB: So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in.

NLT: When his accusers came here for the trial, I didn’t delay. I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in.

Festus is asking King Agrippa II for help with an issue he discovered within a week of his assumption of the office of governor.

Shortly after he arrived in his new capital, Caesarea Maritima, he traveled to Jerusalem to meet with the Sanhedrin. The previous governor, Felix, had been a licentious man and a cruel leader, and Festus wanted to start on the right foot with his new residents. The Sanhedrin mentioned a man, Paul, whom Felix had kept in custody for the past two years after dismissing their concerns about his gross offenses against Roman and Jewish law. They asked Festus to please bring Paul to Jerusalem so they could complete a more thorough trial. Festus may not have known the Sanhedrin planned to kill Paul on the road, but he couldn't release Paul into their custody because Paul was a Roman citizen and must meet with his accusers in a place of his choosing. The Sanhedrin agreed to a hearing in Caesarea (Acts 25:1–5).

The day after Festus returned to Caesarea, he took his seat at the tribunal—illustrating this was an official trial and his findings would be legally binding. The Jews preceded to present their charges against Paul, all of which were unfounded, unwitnessed, and unproveable. Not wishing to give offense to the Sanhedrin, Festus asked Paul if he would mind moving the trial to Jerusalem, anyway (Acts 25:6–9).

Paul assumed his legal rights. By sitting at the tribunal, Festus had indicated he had the authority to oversee the trial and make a judgment. Festus knew that as a Roman citizen, Paul could choose whether to have the trial in Jerusalem, Caesarea, or Paul's hometown of Tarsus; Paul had obviously chosen Caesarea and he would not go back to Jerusalem. If Festus had doubts about Paul's guilt, he needed to dismiss the charges. But since Festus didn't seem to be able to complete the responsibilities of his office, Paul demanded to be tried in front of someone who would: a higher court, referred to as an "appeal to Caesar" (Acts 25:10–12).

Now, Festus has to send Paul to Rome but has no charges to explain why this is happening. He asks for Agrippa's help, hoping a king with much more experience with the culture can tell him what Paul did wrong.

In Acts 25, the new governor, Festus, must clean up Felix's mess. He tries to ingratiate himself with the Sanhedrin but when they ask him to bring Paul to Jerusalem for trial, he refuses. The Sanhedrin agrees to come to Caesarea Maritima, instead, to present their accusations. Festus quickly realizes they don't have a case. Yet when he hesitates to dismiss the charges, Paul appeals the case to a higher court. Festus then invites King Agrippa II, the king's sister Bernice, and the city leaders to hear Paul and determine how to justify Paul's presence before Caesar.

When Felix is called back to Rome to answer for his cruelty, he leaves a bit of a mess. Paul is still under house arrest without charges (Acts 24). When the new governor Festus refuses to exonerate him, Paul appeals to a higher court. Paul is a Roman citizen, so Festus must send him. Yet he still has no formal charges. After inviting King Agrippa II and the city leaders to hear Paul's testimony, they realize Paul has done nothing wrong and should have been released. Paul and Luke survive a harrowing sea voyage but finally arrive at Rome (Acts 27—29).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.