Acts 25:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him,

NIV: where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.

NASB: And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with Festus,

CSB: The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,

NLT: where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.

KJV: Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him,

NKJV: Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,

Porcius Festus, the new governor of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Syria, and Cilicia, comes to Jerusalem to meet the Jewish leadership. The Sanhedrin immediately asks about Paul.

Two years prior, the Sanhedrin had tried to have Paul prosecuted for inciting riots, leading a cult, and profaning a religious structure. They had no witnesses or evidence—because none of those acts ever happened. Then-governor Felix held Paul in custody as a favor to the Sanhedrin, but nothing else was done (Acts 24).

In Festus, the Sanhedrin sees someone they can take advantage of. He doesn't seem well-informed about Paul's case, so he doesn't know about the lack of evidence. Nor does it seem that he is aware of the assassination plot hatched by the Sanhedrin two years prior (Acts 23:12–15). If they can convince Festus that Paul is a criminal who deserves execution, that solves their problem (Acts 25:24). If they can get Paul out into the open so assassins can kill him, that works, too (Acts 25:3).

"Chief priest" is not a position ordained by God. The qualified male descendants of Aaron were to be priests and the single head was to be the high priest. In the time between the return from the Babylonian exile and the coming of Jesus, the priesthood became entangled in international political intrigue. Sometimes, the priesthood was won by bribing the nearest secular leader who needed money for a military campaign. "Chief priest" became the title of a priest that held a significant amount of power, possibly because he had once been high priest or because his family was powerful. The chief priests and the "principal men of the Jews," including scribes and elders of the city, made up the Sanhedrin.

Acts 25:1–5 describes the new governor, Festus, meeting the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. They immediately present the one thing Festus can do to earn their good graces: bring Paul to Jerusalem for trial. Festus doesn't know it's a trap. He does know Paul is a Roman citizen and has the right to choose the place of his trial. For good reason, Paul does not want to go to Jerusalem. Festus invites the leaders to the capital, Caesarea Maritima, to present their case.

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.