Acts 24–26

Paul Before Felix at Caesarea Maritima

24And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, all of whom brought charges against Paul to the governor. ²And when^* he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him,^* saying, “We have experienced^* much^a peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight. ³Both in every way and everywhere we acknowledge this,^* most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. ⁴But so that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. ⁵For we have found^* this man to be a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire^b and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶who even attempted to desecrate the temple, and we arrested him^c.^{d 8}When^* you yourself examine him^* you will be able to find out from him^e about all these things of which we are accusing him.” ⁹And the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting these things were so.

¹⁰And when^* the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I^* know you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I defend myself cheerfully with respect to the things concerning myself. ¹¹You can ascertain that it has not been more than^f twelve days since^g I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹²And neither did they find me arguing with anyone or making a crowd develop in the temple courts^* nor in the synagogues nor throughout the city. ¹³Nor can they prove the things^* to you concerning which they are now accusing me. ¹⁴But I do confess this to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), so I worship the God of our fathers, believing all things that are in accordance with the law and that are written in the prophets, ¹⁵having a hope in God which these men also themselves await: that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶For this reason^h also I myself alwaysⁱ do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people. ¹⁷So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people,^{j 18}in which they found me purified in the temple courts,^* not with a crowd or with a disturbance. ¹⁹But there are some Jews from Asia^k who ought to be present before you and bring charges against me,^* if they have anything against me, ²⁰or these men themselves should say what crime they found when^* I stood before the Sanhedrin,^{l 21}other than concerning this one declaration that I shouted while^* standing there before them: ‘I am being judged before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead!’ ”

Paul Held Awaiting Trial

²²But Felix, because he^* understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the military tribune comes down, I will decide your case.”^{m 23}He ordered^* the centurion for him to be guarded and to have some freedom, and in no way to prevent any of his own peopleⁿ from serving him.

²⁴And after some days, when^* Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵And while^* he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid and^* replied, “Go away for the present, and when I^* have an opportunity, I will summon you.” ²⁶At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason also he sent for him as often as possible and^* talked with him. ²⁷And when^* two years had passed, Felix received as successor Porcius Festus. And because he^* wanted to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul behind as a prisoner.^o

Paul Appeals to Caesar

25Now when^* Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. ²And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, ³asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they^* were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way. ⁴Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself was about to go there^* in a short time. ⁵So he said, “Let those among you who are prominent go down with me,^* and^* if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him.”

⁶And after he^* had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat and^* gave orders for Paul to be brought. ⁷And when^* he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove, ⁸while^* Paul said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!” ⁹But Festus, because he^* wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered and^* said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these things?” ¹⁰But Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹¹If then I am doing wrong^a and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid^* dying. But if there is nothing true of the things which these people are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” ¹²Then Festus, after^* discussing this^* with his^* council, replied, “You have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you will go!”

Festus Asks King Agrippa for Advice

¹³Now after^* some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to welcome Festus. ¹⁴And while they were staying there many days, Festus laid out the case against Paul to the king, saying, “There is a certain man left behind by Felix as a prisoner, ¹⁵concerning whom when^* I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented evidence, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. ¹⁶To them^b I replied that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the one who had been accused met his^* accusers face to face and received an opportunity for a defense concerning the accusation. ¹⁷Therefore, when^* they had assembled here, I made^* no delay; on the next day I sat down on the judgment seat and^* gave orders for the man to be brought. ¹⁸When they^* stood up, his^* accusers began bringing^* no charge concerning him^c of the evil deeds that I was suspecting, ¹⁹but they had some issues with him concerning their own religion, and concerning a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive. ²⁰And because^* I was at a loss with regard to the investigation concerning these things, I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and to be judged there concerning these things. ²¹But when^* Paul appealed that he be kept under guard for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I gave orders for him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” ²²So Agrippa said to Festus, “I want to hear the man myself also.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”

²³So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pageantry and entered into the audience hall, along with military tribunes and the most prominent men of the city. And when^* Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. ²⁴And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole population of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he must not live any longer. ²⁵But I understood that he had done nothing deserving death himself, and when^* this man appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him.^{* 26}I do not have anything definite to write to my^* lord about him.^d Therefore I have brought him before you all^*—and especially before you, King Agrippa—so that after^* this preliminary hearing has taken place, I may have something to write. ²⁷For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to indicate the charges against him.”

Paul Makes His Defense Before King Agrippa

26So Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his^* hand and^* began to defend himself:^*

²“Concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that before you I am about to defend myself today, ³because^* you are especially acquainted with both all the customs and controversial questions with respect to the Jews. Therefore I beg you^* to listen to me with patience.

⁴“Now all the Jews know my manner of life from my youth, that had taken place from the beginning among my own people^a and in Jerusalem, ⁵having known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that in accordance with the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee. ⁶And now I stand here on trial on the basis of hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, ⁷to which our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve him^* night and day. Concerning this hope I am being accused by the Jews, O king! ⁸Why is it thought incredible by you people^* that God raises the dead? ⁹Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene, ¹⁰which I also did in Jerusalem, and not only did I lock up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when^* they were being executed, I cast my vote^b against them.^{* 11}And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often and^* tried to force^* them^* to blaspheme, and because I^* was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing them^* even as far as to foreign cities. ¹²In this activity^c I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and full power of the chief priests. ¹³In the middle of the day along the road, O king, I saw a light from heaven, more than the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those who were traveling with me. ¹⁴And …