Verses 1-4 "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.

A. "Now when Festus had come to the province...."

1. The successor of Felix as procurator of Judea (Acts 24:27), He assumed this office at Nero's appointment in A.D. 60. He held it until his death in A.D. 62. Paul the apostle appealed to Porcius Festus for the opportunity of being tried before Caesar, and Festus granted that request.

a. Festus, by all accounts, was a fair and honorable man, who executed justice fairly.

2. One of the first things he did after getting into the area was o travel to Jerusalem to size up the current situation. Caesarea might be his capitol, but the peace of Jerusalem was essential for the continued peace of the whole area.

B. "Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him.."

1. The High Priest, even two years after Paul's arrest, was still burning in his hatred of Paul. We know from history that this was a different high priest. But he was still of the hierarchy that hated Paul. They would do anything to get their hands on Paul.

2. They thought they could take advantage of Festus' newness to the area and trick him into handing over Paul to them. As a favor they asked to have Paul's transferred to their "kind care."

3. We do not have to doubt as to what they would have done. Luke tells us that they were going to ambush him on the way, likely being able to claim that assassins or bandits had done the deed.

A. "But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly."

1. Festus may have been new to the area, but perhaps was not as green as the Jews supposed. Paul was in Caesarea, in Caesarea he would remain. He was an imperial subject, and an imperial prisoner, and would not be turned over to the Sanhedrin.

2. Instead, he told the Sanhedrin leadership to come to Caesarea and present such evidence of Paul's wrongdoing as they possessed.

B. "And when he had remained among them more than ten days..."

1. Festus remained in Jerusalem for ten days, no doubt having discussions with the local leaders and Roman military commanders in the area. Being a new procurator, he probably would have received a number of local leading citizens, anxious to meet and make an impression on the new governor.

2. But Paul's case must have dominated his thinking. The next day after returning to Caesarea he convened a hearing to weigh the evidence against Paul.

A. "When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem..."

1. They Jews again repeated the same old accusations that they had not been able to offer any proof for two years earlier.

2. To these same tired accusations Paul made the same reply, that he had done nothing wrong against the Law of Moses or Caesar.

B. "But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said..."

1. Even though Festus was an improvement over Felix, he was not without his desire to ingratiate himself with the local Jewish leadership.

2. If only Paul would volunteer himself to go back to Jerusalem it would remove any uncomfortable decisions for him and make the local happy as well.

C. "So Paul said, "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat..."

1. Paul was wise enough to understand the deadly nature of such a suggestion. If he agreed to return to Jerusalem it would surely sign his death warrant.

2. In verse 11 he states a principle found in Romans chapter 14, that Christians are to be law abiding, as much as the can within the bounds of not conflicting with God's law. Paul readily agreed that if he had done anything worthy of death he would not object to the charge being carried out.

3. He sized up the situation and came to the conclusion that there was only one option left to him, to exercise his right of appeal to the emperor as a Roman citizen.

a. It is perfectly appropriate for the church to use every legal option to defend itself against wicked people.

D. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!"

1. The matter was now out of Festus' hands. After conferring with his counselors, perhaps to review the finer points of the law, he gave the obvious ruling. To Caesar Paul had appealed, to Caesar he would go.

A. "And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus."

1. Agrippa II, the son of Agrippa I, heard Paul's defense (Acts 25:13-27; compare Acts 26:32). With his death the Herodian dynasty came to an end, in title as well as in fact. He was the "King" of Philip's tetarchary. He sided with the Romans in the Great insurrection and was confirmed in his tetarchary and ruled until his death in A.D. 100. Bernice was the sister of Drusilla and Agrippa II, and also his wife. Coffman quotes Juvenal, a Roman satirist, as claiming that she was the incestuous lover of Agrippa. Said to have been the mistress of both Vespasian and his son Titus.

2. This was a case of a vassal king coming to meet and greet the new representative of Rome.

B. "When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying..."

1. This must not be understood as Festus seeking to get help in Paul's case concerning his guilt or innocence. His case had already been "frozen" and would await an imperial hearing in Rome. Festus was at a loss of what to say to the emperor concerning this case. It was also likely that he wished to show a curiosity or entertainment to his visiting dignities that Festus introduced the matter.

2. Verse 16 describes the Roman practice, which has been carried over to our constitution, of a man having a right to confront his accusers in any judicial proceedings.

3. Verses 17-19 relate the accusations that Paul's enemies brought against him. Festus marveled that no real accusations had been leveled against Paul, i.e. no evidence of any, but that it was an "internal Jewish matter" that certainly did not merit imprisonment, much less death.

4. This implies that Festus had been prepared to release Paul, had he not appealed to Caesar. This is easy for Festus to suggest in hindsight. As we read earlier, it was not so certain that Paul would have been released, considering Festus' suggestion that Paul return to Jerusalem to answer the charges.

5. Paul was now awaiting the arrangements for transport to Rome.

A. "Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself."

1. Everything that Festus had said the Agrippa had peaked his curiosity. He wanted to hear Paul, too.

2. It could perhaps be inferred that Agrippa had more than a passing curiosity concerning Paul. It might be that he had be exposed to Christianity and wanted to hear more.

B. "So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp..."

1. It is quite evident that there was a desire on the part of Agrippa, Bernice, and Festus to show off their position. It seems that the those who are the most debased in society desire most to flaunt what they have and make ostentatious shows.

2. The military commanders (chiliarchos, khil-ee'-ar-khos; the commander of a thousand soldiers ("chiliarch"), i.e. colonel:--(chief, high) captain.) were present, as well as the most prominent citizens of the city.

3. If this ostentatious display was meant to impress Paul we have little evidence that he was very impressed.

C. "And Festus said: "King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us..."

1. Festus gets to the heart of his problem. He makes a startling admission, that Paul was innocent of the crimes of which he was charged. But since Paul has appealed to Caesar, he must have something to write on the report which will be sent with Paul.

2. We must understand that this is not a legal hearing that could possibly result in Paul's being acquitted and being released. It was convened out of curiosity and from Festus' desire to have his paperwork neat and tidy.