Acts 25
Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, 2 where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. 3 They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. 4 Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. 5 Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”
6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.
8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”
9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 14 Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. 15 When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.
16 “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. 17 When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. 19 Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. 20 I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. 21 But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”
He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”
23 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 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. 25 I found he had done nothing deserving of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. 27 For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”
Wow, I'm Really Going to Rome!
As early as the night of Paul's arrest in Jerusalem in chapter 23, God prophesied that he would reach Rome. Fearing for the life of a Roman citizen under his jurisdiction, the centurion sent Paul to Felix, the governor of Caesarea. Felix, hoping for a bribe from Paul, kept him in prison until the new governor Festus took office.
Chapter 25 records the first three events during Festus' tenure. First, Porcius Festus learned of the high priest's accusation against Paul when he visited Jerusalem. Second, after interrogating Paul, Festus agreed to send him to Rome to appeal to Caesar. Third, when King Agrippa visited, he gave Paul an opportunity to defend himself against the charges. Paul's defense is detailed in chapter 26.
Chapter 25 reveals the specific means by which Paul would arrive in Rome, fulfilling God's prophecy: "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." (23:11).
Three events took place in chapter 25.
First, Festus learned of the high priest's accusation against Paul when he visited Jerusalem. Three days after taking office, Festus went to Jerusalem and met with the Jewish high priest and leaders. The leaders wanted to bring Paul to Jerusalem for trial, hoping to kill him more easily. Surprisingly, Festus refused and instead asked them to come to Caesarea.
Second, after interrogating Paul, Festus agreed to send him to Rome to appeal to Caesar. Eighteen days after leaving Jerusalem, Festus returned to Caesarea. Facing accusations from his fellow Jews, Paul declared, "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar" (8). He also refused to be tried in Jerusalem and asked Festus, "If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!" (11). Surprisingly, after consulting with the council, Festus granted Paul's request, meaning Roman soldiers would take Paul to Rome! Just as Roman soldiers had protected Paul from the Jews and escorted him out of Jerusalem two years earlier, so now they would do the same. In the first century, with its poor and expensive travel conditions, this was undoubtedly a miraculous event, just as God had used the Persian king Cyrus to fund the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple and Artaxerxes to fund the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. The supreme God used the legal procedures of a nation to send His apostle to Rome.
Third, when King Agrippa visited, he gave Paul an opportunity to defend himself against the charges. King Agrippa and Bernice had come from afar, likely to celebrate Festus' appointment. Festus mentioned the case of Paul, and when Agrippa expressed a desire to know more, Festus acted swiftly, immediately arranging for Paul to make his defense the next day. This gave Paul the opportunity to witness to the gospel before Festus, Agrippa, Bernice, the centurions, and the distinguished men of the city. His powerful speech in chapter 26 continues to resonate and inspire people to this day.
In fact, through the book of Acts, God has been breaking down the cognitive limitations of His children: accepting the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with every repentant person, accepting the repentance of Samaritans as family, accepting the repentance of persecutors as family, and accepting the repentance of Gentiles from all nations as family. God also has the ability to plan the geographical spread of the gospel. From Jerusalem, Samaria, Antioch, and Ephesus in Asia to Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth in Europe.
Paul was wholeheartedly committed to fulfilling God's command to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. Since the Holy Spirit had clearly led him westward into Europe (and according to the understanding of that time, the western end of the earth was Spain), he longed to use Rome as a stopover on his way to Spain. Perhaps this is one reason he wrote his letter to the Romans. And now, God, through the means of arrest, imprisonment, and appeal, miraculously brought Paul to Rome!
A miraculous God performs miraculous deeds!
As Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." Since we know Him as the King of Kings, nothing that happens with earthly rulers is unexpected for God. God can use the choices of human rulers to accomplish His miraculous purposes. We, as His children, can fully trust every word of God, eagerly take up the missions He entrusts to us, and yearn to fulfill His desires. Throughout this process, we do our best, then patiently wait for God's timing and His methods, yielding to His miraculous work, and witnessing the truth and wonder of God before all nations, from the lowest to the highest.
Reflection
- What wisdom did Paul demonstrate in using legal provisions to protect himself and achieve his goal of going to Rome?
- How did Paul have the opportunity to present the message of righteous salvation and judgment to two different governors?
- How did the Jewish leaders, Governor Festus, and Paul each view Jesus?
- How do we view Jesus? How can we, as God's children, witness to God before others?
Author Bio
Dr, Xiaolan Hu: Deep Spiritual Formation, Logos Evangelical Seminary, USA.
Mandarin YouTube Christian education channel: www.youtube.com/@TheModestRoom99.
She has served in pastoral ministry in both China and Canada for over 15 years and has been teaching in theological education in institutions for over 10 years. Her ministry focuses on the whole-person’s eternal growth of Christians and how it’s rooted in the understanding of the whole Bible to know God, draw near to God, and serve God.
Luke and Acts taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The “NIV”, “New International Version”, “Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.
Newmarket Chinese Alliance Church, Ontario, Canada.
新约圣经使徒行传25章：哇哦，真的要去罗马啦！
早在23章保罗在耶路撒冷刚被关押当夜，神就预言他必将抵达罗马，千夫长因害怕罗马公民在自己管辖范围内被杀，将其送往凯撒利亚巡抚腓力斯处，腓力斯指望保罗贿赂而一直留保罗在监狱内，直到新巡抚非斯都上任。
25章记载的历史便是非斯都上任最初三件事：首先是非斯都前往耶路撒冷时得知祭司长等控告保罗。其次是非斯都提审保罗后答应送他前往罗马上诉凯撒。最后是亚基帕王来访时给予保罗针对指控，分诉的机会。保罗分诉内容详见后续26章。本章揭示了保将会以哪一种具体方式抵达罗马的，应验神的预告：“放心吧！你怎样在耶路撒冷为我做见证，也必在罗马为我做见证。”23:11
接下来笔者详细解说25章三个事件。
首先是非斯都前往耶路撒冷时得知祭司长等控告保罗。非斯都上任三天前往耶路撒冷，接见犹太祭司长和诸位领袖。领袖们希望把保罗带到耶路撒冷受审，其实是希望更方便地置他于死地，神奇的是，非斯都拒绝了，反而要求他们前往凯撒利亚。
其次是非斯都提审保罗后答应送他前往罗马上诉凯撒。非斯都在耶路撒冷十八天后返回凯撒利亚。保罗面对同胞犹太人控告，表明：“无论犹太人的律法、或是圣殿、或是凯撒，我都没有干犯。”也拒绝前往耶路撒冷受审，同时向非斯都要求：“他们所告我的事若都不实，就没有人可以把我交给他们。我要上告于凯撒。”神奇的是，非斯都和议会商量后，同意了保罗的请求，这也就意味着罗马军兵会带保罗前往罗马！一如二年前是罗马兵丁保护保罗离开耶路撒冷，免受犹太人杀害。这在旅行条件恶劣且昂贵的一世纪，无疑是件神奇的事件，就如神掌管波斯君王古列用国库经费重建耶路撒冷圣殿，亚达薛西王用国库经费重建耶路撒冷城墙。至高神借着国家法律程序把自己的使徒送往罗马。
最后是亚基帕王来访时给予保罗针对控告分诉的机会。亚基帕王和百妮基氏远道而来，很可能是来庆贺非斯都上任，非斯都提及保罗案件，当亚基帕表明愿知详情之际，非斯都雷厉风行，即刻安排次日就听保罗分诉，而这就给与保罗有机会向非斯都、亚基帕王和百妮基、众千夫长和城里的尊贵人详细见证福音。其后26章的恢弘演说，直到如今都绕梁三日，震撼人心！
其实，神借着使徒行传一直在打破神的儿女认知局限性：接纳圣灵与每个悔改者同住，接纳撒玛利亚人悔改是家人、接纳逼迫者悔改是家人、接纳各族外邦人悔改是家人。而福音传递的地域也是神可以布局的。从亚洲的耶路撒冷、撒玛利亚、安提阿、以弗所到欧洲的腓立比、帖撒罗尼迦和哥林多。保罗一心遵行神的命令要把福音传到地极，既然圣灵明确带领他向西进入欧洲，按照当时代的理解西部地极就是西班牙，他心心念念要把罗马作为中转站，前往西班牙，为此还写下了《罗马书》。而此刻神借着被捕羁押上诉的途径，奇妙地把保罗带往罗马！神奇之主行神奇之事！
如箴言21章第一节云：“王的心在耶和华手中，好像陇沟的水随意流转。”我们所认识的是万王之王，故而在上掌权者一切作为对于神而言都不会有意外，神可以接着人间掌权者的所有选择，成就神要成就的神奇之事，我们这些孩子可以全心全意信任神的每一句话语，渴慕肩负神交托的使命，渴慕达成神期盼的心意，而整个过程中，尽己所能，然后耐心等候神的时间，神的方式，顺应着神的神奇作为，在全地万民，下至底层，上至君王面前见证神的真实，神的奇妙！
我们一起来思索：
保罗所展现的智慧：如何采用法律条款保护自己，达成前往罗马目的？
二任巡抚风格比较：保罗如何有机会向二任巡抚诉说公义拯救和审判？
个人眼中耶稣比较：犹太领袖、巡抚非斯都、保罗各自如何看待耶稣？
反省“我”如何看待耶稣？“我”作为神的儿女如何在人面前为神作见证？
胡晓岚姐妹：美国正道福音神学院教牧学博士深度灵修方向。先后在中加两国牧会逾15年，同时参与机构和神学教育服事逾10年。专注基督徒全人永恒教育，扎根全本圣经认识神、亲近神、服事神。设YouTube基督教教育频道陋室铭www.youtube.com/@TheModestRoom99。
加拿大安省新城华人宣道会