Acts 25–26

APPEAL TO CAESAR

25Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.^{f 2}The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,^{g 3}asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. ⁴Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.^{h 5}“Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”

⁶When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in.^{i 7}When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove.^{j 8}Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law,^k nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.”

⁹But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor,^l replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”

¹⁰Paul replied, “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. ¹¹If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”^m

¹²Then after Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”

KING AGRIPPA AND BERNICE VISIT FESTUS

¹³Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. ¹⁴Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. ¹⁵When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned.^{n 16}I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up^A before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges.^{o 17}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. ¹⁸The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting. ¹⁹Instead they had some disagreements^p with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. ²⁰Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. ²¹But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”

²²Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”

“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.^q

PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA

²³So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice^r came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. ²⁴Then 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.^{a 25}I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.^{b 26}I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. ²⁷For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”

PAUL’S DEFENSE BEFORE AGRIPPA

26Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: ²“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴“All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.^{c 5}They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.^{d 6}And now I stand on trial because of the hope^e in what God promised^f to our ancestors, ⁷the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.^{g 8}Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? ⁹In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{h 10}I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.^{i 11}In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme.^j Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.

PAUL’S ACCOUNT OF HIS CONVERSION AND COMMISSION

¹²“I was traveling to Damascus under^k these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. ¹³King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. ¹⁴We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic,^A ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’^l

¹⁵“I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. ¹⁶But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.^{m 17}I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them^{n 18}to open their eyes^o so that they may turn^B from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’^p

¹⁹“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. ²⁰Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.^{q 21}For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. ²²To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place^r—²³that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”^s

AGRIPPA NOT QUITE PERSUADED

²⁴As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind,^t Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”

²⁵But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment.^{u 26}For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”

²⁸Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”^C

²⁹“I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty,^D not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”^a

³⁰The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, ³¹and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”^b

³²Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”^c