ACT 25
25
Paul Appeals to Caesar Before Festus
1 Three days after Festus arrived to assume his duties as provincial governor, he travelled from Caesarea up to Jerusalem.
2 The chief priests and prominent Jewish leaders presented their formal accusations against Paul
3 and requested as a favour that Festus transfer Paul to Jerusalem. They were secretly planning an ambush to murder him along the route.
4 Festus responded that Paul was already being detained in Caesarea, and that he himself would be returning there shortly.
5 "Therefore," he said, "let your authorised representatives travel with me, and if this man has committed any offence, they may press charges against him there."
6 After spending eight to ten days with them in Jerusalem, Festus returned to Caesarea. The very next day he convened his court and ordered Paul to be brought before him.
7 When Paul entered, the Jewish leaders who had travelled down from Jerusalem surrounded him, levelling numerous serious accusations that they were unable to substantiate.
8 Paul presented his defence: "I have committed no offence whatsoever against Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar."
9 Festus, wanting to curry favour with the Jewish leaders, asked Paul, "Would you be willing to travel to Jerusalem and face trial there before me on these charges?"
10 Paul responded, "I am currently standing before Caesar's tribunal, which is precisely where my case should be adjudicated. I have committed no wrong against the Jewish people, as you yourself are well aware.
11 If I have indeed committed some crime deserving execution, I do not object to dying. However, if their accusations are baseless, no one has authority to hand me over to them. I formally appeal to Caesar!"
12 After conferring with his advisory council, Festus pronounced, "You have appealed your case to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"
Festus Seeks Agrippa's Advice
13 Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to pay a courtesy visit to Festus.
14 Since they were staying for an extended period, Festus presented Paul's case to the king: "There is a prisoner here whom Felix left behind.
15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and Jewish elders presented formal accusations against him, demanding his condemnation.
16 I informed them that Romans do not simply hand people over as favours. The accused must confront his accusers directly and have the opportunity to defend himself against the charges.
17 When they assembled here, I wasted no time but convened court the following day and ordered the prisoner brought before me.
18 When his accusers presented their case, they brought no charges involving the serious crimes I anticipated.
19 Instead, they raised certain controversial points about their own religious beliefs and about a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul insisted was still alive.
20 Since I was uncertain how to investigate such religious matters, I asked whether he would consent to travel to Jerusalem for trial there.
21 But Paul invoked his right to have his case heard by the Emperor, so I ordered him held in custody until I could arrange his transfer to Caesar."
22 Agrippa told Festus, "I would be interested in hearing this man myself." Festus replied, "You will hear him tomorrow."
Paul Before Agrippa
23 The following day Agrippa and Bernice arrived with a great ceremonial display and entered the audience chamber, accompanied by military commanders and the city's leading citizens. At Festus' command, Paul was escorted in.
24 Festus addressed the assembly: "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, observe this man. The entire Jewish community has petitioned me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, insisting loudly that he deserves execution.
25 However, I have determined that he has done nothing meriting the death penalty. Nevertheless, since he has appealed to the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.
26 Yet I have nothing concrete to write to His Majesty about him. This is why I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that following this examination I might have something substantive to document.
27 It seems unreasonable to me to despatch a prisoner to Rome without clearly specifying the charges against him."
Currently Selected:
ACT 25: AFINT
Highlight
Copy
Compare
Share
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
ACT 25
25
Paul Appeals to Caesar Before Festus
1 Three days after Festus arrived to assume his duties as provincial governor, he travelled from Caesarea up to Jerusalem.
2 The chief priests and prominent Jewish leaders presented their formal accusations against Paul
3 and requested as a favour that Festus transfer Paul to Jerusalem. They were secretly planning an ambush to murder him along the route.
4 Festus responded that Paul was already being detained in Caesarea, and that he himself would be returning there shortly.
5 "Therefore," he said, "let your authorised representatives travel with me, and if this man has committed any offence, they may press charges against him there."
6 After spending eight to ten days with them in Jerusalem, Festus returned to Caesarea. The very next day he convened his court and ordered Paul to be brought before him.
7 When Paul entered, the Jewish leaders who had travelled down from Jerusalem surrounded him, levelling numerous serious accusations that they were unable to substantiate.
8 Paul presented his defence: "I have committed no offence whatsoever against Jewish Law, against the temple, or against Caesar."
9 Festus, wanting to curry favour with the Jewish leaders, asked Paul, "Would you be willing to travel to Jerusalem and face trial there before me on these charges?"
10 Paul responded, "I am currently standing before Caesar's tribunal, which is precisely where my case should be adjudicated. I have committed no wrong against the Jewish people, as you yourself are well aware.
11 If I have indeed committed some crime deserving execution, I do not object to dying. However, if their accusations are baseless, no one has authority to hand me over to them. I formally appeal to Caesar!"
12 After conferring with his advisory council, Festus pronounced, "You have appealed your case to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"
Festus Seeks Agrippa's Advice
13 Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to pay a courtesy visit to Festus.
14 Since they were staying for an extended period, Festus presented Paul's case to the king: "There is a prisoner here whom Felix left behind.
15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and Jewish elders presented formal accusations against him, demanding his condemnation.
16 I informed them that Romans do not simply hand people over as favours. The accused must confront his accusers directly and have the opportunity to defend himself against the charges.
17 When they assembled here, I wasted no time but convened court the following day and ordered the prisoner brought before me.
18 When his accusers presented their case, they brought no charges involving the serious crimes I anticipated.
19 Instead, they raised certain controversial points about their own religious beliefs and about a certain Jesus who had died, but whom Paul insisted was still alive.
20 Since I was uncertain how to investigate such religious matters, I asked whether he would consent to travel to Jerusalem for trial there.
21 But Paul invoked his right to have his case heard by the Emperor, so I ordered him held in custody until I could arrange his transfer to Caesar."
22 Agrippa told Festus, "I would be interested in hearing this man myself." Festus replied, "You will hear him tomorrow."
Paul Before Agrippa
23 The following day Agrippa and Bernice arrived with a great ceremonial display and entered the audience chamber, accompanied by military commanders and the city's leading citizens. At Festus' command, Paul was escorted in.
24 Festus addressed the assembly: "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, observe this man. The entire Jewish community has petitioned me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, insisting loudly that he deserves execution.
25 However, I have determined that he has done nothing meriting the death penalty. Nevertheless, since he has appealed to the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.
26 Yet I have nothing concrete to write to His Majesty about him. This is why I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that following this examination I might have something substantive to document.
27 It seems unreasonable to me to despatch a prisoner to Rome without clearly specifying the charges against him."
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Copy
Compare
Share
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).