1 Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.” 6 And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8 while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” 9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?” 10 So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”
Vs. 1 “Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.”
Governor Felix’s replacement, Festus now comes to Judea where he was to rule on behalf of Rome. And so, after spending three days in Caesarea where the governor’s residence was, he then goes to Jerusalem. For it was because of the Jews complaining bitterly complaining about Festus’ corrupt rule and violence against them, that Rome had brought him in to settle things down. For there were now ever-increasing uprisings amongst the Jews there. (And sadly, these would increase until Nero would burn and sack Jerusalem and destroy the Temple as Jesus warned and foretold would happen).
Vs. 2-3 2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.
When Festus came to Jerusalem he met with the high priest and the chief men of Jerusalem, and it was during this time that they petitioned him, “asking a favor against him, (that is the Apostle Paul), that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.” Vs. 3 Obviously, they did not tell Festus that they planned to kill Paul as he would have him brought to Jerusalem to be interviewed before him while he himself was there.
Vs. 4-5 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.”
However, Festus did not want to bring the Apostle Paul to Jerusalem. Instead, he said he would be leaving shortly, and so Paul should be kept back at Caesarea, and that those there who had authority should go down with him to Caesarea and accuse Paul before him there, to see if there were any charges that were to be laid against Paul (for Festus was more than willing to charge Paul to appease the Jews if they could make any sort of case against him). And yet in spite of that one cannot but see the Sovereign hand of God in his deciding not to bring Paul there. For verse six states that Festus himself will stay ten more days in Jerusalem before departing, which was plenty of time to have brought Paul there and examined there.
Vs. 6 And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
Festus then spends ten more days in Jerusalem before returning to Caesarea, and on the next day after his return there, he went out and sat on the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought before him. Now the judgment seat was a public venue where the ruler was situated on an elevated platform and while seated, he rendered his verdict while looking down upon the accused.
Vs. 7-8 7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8 while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.”
With Festus seated the Apostle Paul was then brought before him, and so were the Jews from Jerusalem also brought before him to state their case against him. Now when they did, they made very many serious complaints against Paul, however they could prove nothing of which they accused Paul, for it was all just slander and evil innuendo (vs. 7). Therefore, the Apostle Paul in answering for himself, and knowing his innocence of the things they were accusing him of having done, simply told the truth and said in his own defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” Vs. 8
Vs. 9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?”
Here we see Festus’ bias, for he was wanting to the Jews a favor, and so he now recalls how they initially wanted Paul tried at Jerusalem, and so here he says to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?” Likely thinking that by trying Paul there before their Sanhedrin council they could condemn him (like they condemned Jesus) and he would just sign off on it, like Pilate did.
Vs. 10-12 10 So Paul said, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!”
However, Paul having already realized one of their assassination attempts against his life, knows that if he is now taken back to Jerusalem the Jews would kill him before he ever even made it there to stand trial before their Sanhedrin council. Therefore, in a moment of brilliance (and most likely by hand of God in fulfilling His Word spoken to Paul) Paul being a Roman citizen (which Jesus was not), now appeals to Caesar, saying, “I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Vs. 10-11 Notice then that the Apostle Paul was not against being put to death, if he had committed crimes deserving of death. For the death penalty itself is not evil, but has a righteous place and purpose when employed justly and executed lawfully. And so, when Festus heard the Apostle’s Paul’s appeal to Caesar, (which was the right of every Roman citizen to do when faced with death), he conferred with the council who was situated with him on the raised platform where the bema or judgment seat was. And having conferred with them, Festus gave his decision saying, “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” vs. 12 Thus respecting the law and custom afforded every Roman citizen. Soon then the Apostle Paul would begin his journey to and be a witness of the Lord Jesus Christ before the highest ruler and throne at Rome.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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