Acts 25:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

NIV: 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.

NASB: And Festus *said, 'King Agrippa, and all you gentlemen present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

CSB: Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.

NLT: Then Festus said, 'King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem.

KJV: And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

NKJV: And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer.

Governor Festus may be new to his position in Caesarea Maritima, but he knows how to give a show. He has invited King Agrippa II, Agrippa's sister/lover Bernice, the military tribunes, and the leaders of the city. Their entertainment is to hear from a man who has been incarcerated for two years because the previous governor, Felix, refused to either convict or release him (Acts 24:22–27; 25:23).

Festus makes the whole thing sound like a carnival show: All the Jews want him dead! But he hasn't done anything! How intriguing! What a spectacle!

To Festus, of course, a "show" might be a very apt description. Those outside Judea had very little understanding of Judaism. To the Roman mind, the only distinctive aspect of the religion was that adherents refuse to make images of their God. "Christianity," to them, was just another type of Judaism. The only difference seemed to be that Christians believe a man from Nazareth resurrected from the dead, while those who practice traditional Judaism get very upset when the subject is brought up. It's difficult to say how much of Festus's pomp is to honor Agrippa and how much is mocking the Jews for zealously wanting to kill Paul.

Even if the theatrics are for show, the event itself is real. A few days before, Paul insisted that if Festus wouldn't either condemn or release him, Caesar would. Paul took advantage of his rights as a Roman citizen and appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 25:10–12). Festus must send him, but he needs help: what will he write? Paul hasn't committed a crime; how will Festus justify sending an innocent man to the highest court of the land?

Hopefully Agrippa and the city leaders who have much more experience with the way of the Jews can help (Acts 25:25–27; 26:3).

Acts 25:23–27 describes Festus giving King Agrippa II and Bernice a flamboyant greeting for the day's entertainment. He has invited the military and civilian leaders to the great hall to hear the story of Paul. This is the man Felix incarcerated for two years, the Sanhedrin wants dead, and who is on his way to have his case tried before Caesar. By the end of Paul's testimony, the room is convinced: Paul hasn't committed any crime (Acts 26). And yet, because he appealed to a higher Roman court (Acts 25:11), he must go.

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.