PAUL'S DEFENSE BEFORE FESTUS

Acts 25:1-6 Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.

For two years Paul was held in Herod's judgment hall (Acts 23:35), in the city of Caesarea as a prisoner of Felix. After this period Festus was appointed to replace him as governor of Judea, which was one state within the Roman province known as Syria. Within three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Because the state of Judea was made up almost entirely of Jews, it seemed appropriate and necessary for him to meet with the Jewish leadership and respond to their needs and desires.

During their meeting with Festus, the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul. Finding another opportunity to take Paul's life, they again brought their charges against him desiring that Festus would have Paul brought to Jerusalem to be tried once again by the Roman governor. Their ulterior motive was to expose Paul during this journey in order that they may ambush him in the way to kill him. If this failed they would revert to a trial before Festus. Their plot to kill Paul on the road to Jerusalem was foiled by Festus' decision to try him in the Roman court of justice in Caesarea instead of in Jerusalem before the Sanhedrin. Stating that he would depart shortly thither, Festus asked his Jewish accusers to accompany him to Caesarea and there in his court accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.

After a ten-day period Festus had completed his mission in Jerusalem, and he, along with Paul's accusers, returned to Caesarea. On the day following their arrival in this city, Festus entered the court of law, took the judgment seat, and immediately commanded Paul to be brought into the judicial assembly in order to hear the accusations being brought against him by the Jewish rulers. Verses 7 through 12 tells us that the Jews which came down from Jerusalem ...laid many and grievous complaints against Paul. Looking back at the charges brought against him by the Jews when he appeared before Felix, we find these same accusations, none of which could they prove. Again Paul responded to these charges by saying that he had neither offended Jews, the temple, nor Caesar by his actions or by the things he had said.

Festus realized, as did Felix, that they were accusing Paul of violations of the Law of Moses, and not Roman law. Therefore, Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, or to gain popularity by consenting to their desires, asked Paul if he was willing to go up to Jerusalem, appear in the Jewish court of law, the Sanhedrin, and there be judged of these things before me.

No doubt Paul thought that it would be impossible for him to be judged fairly in such an unfriendly environment as the Jewish court of law. In this venue those attending the trial would be filled with prejudiced, zealous Jews convinced that Paul deserved conviction and the cruelest death that could be imposed. Paul was now standing in a Roman court of law and before a governor that was required to uphold that Roman law. He could expect nothing but unfavorable justice if tried in an extremely partial court such as the Sanhedrin.

Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. More than likely Festus had reviewed the record of the accusations and Paul's defense before Felix. If so, he knew that the charges against Paul were fabricated and could not be proven. Paul followed this by saying that if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar, unto Caesar shalt thou go. Paul used his right as a Roman citizen, a right extended to all citizens residing in any Roman province.