Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered,“To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” Acts 25:12

 Acts 25:1–27– The Story of the Church: Living Into This Drama in the 21st Century
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany – January 30, 2022 (am)
  

We come this morning to the fourth of five speeches Paul gives in defense of his life and ministry in these closing chapters of Acts, and also to the set-up of his fifth speech. There’s a notable similarity between the five. But there’s also clear evidence that Paul is considering his audience each time, to make his defense most understandable.

Today we hear his defense before yet another Roman governor, Porcius Festus (24:27; 25:1), the successor to Felix. But we also see Paul introduced to someone who’d be even more acquainted with the Jewish faith and Christianity, namely, King Agrippa (25:13; 26:2), that is, Herod Agrippa II, the current member of the Herod family to rule Judea under Rome. Let’s walk through these two scenes, then consider some implications from Paul’s actions in the first that might prove helpful to us today, in some pretty significant ways.

Paul’s Trial before Festus – 1-12

Festus wasted no time in connecting with the Jews after being appointed to his office. 1 Now three days after [he] had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews wasted no time either, they laid out their case against Paul, and they urged [Festus], 3 asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. That old plot (23:12) must’ve still been in the works! The Jews were persistent!

Whether Festus was aware of the plot is uncertain. So is the reason why he denied the favor (2; cf. 9) requested by the Jews. But the net result was that the case would be heard in Caesarea, and due process of Roman law would be honored: (1) charges formulated by the prosecutor, (2) formal act of accusation, and (3) case heard by the [proper authority] (Stott 366). And it would happen in Festus’ chambers, not in Jerusalem. So, 6 [perhaps as much as a week-and-a-half later], he went down to Caesarea. And the next day took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.

Luke records that the charges against [Paul] were many and serious, but we don’t know exactly what they were and, in any case, they could not prove them (7). We get our clearest hint of what they were when Paul responded. 8 [He] argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” I’m just not guilty of anything here! 9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, here it is again (cf. 24:27), said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” This is a strange question. It seems like Festus may’ve been confused by Jewish law, like maybe he thought retrying the case in Jerusalem would bring more clarity (cf. Longenecker 1068). Roman law allowed for a judge to set up a group of advisors to aid him in coming to a decision (Marshall 1980 405) (cf. 12), so this may’ve been his aim—like perhaps he could assist in applying Jewish law!  

Even so, this question posed to Paul is the clearest indication that Festus wasn’t aware of the Jews’ plot to kill him. But Paul was aware! And he wasn’t just going to surrender himself to these murderous Jews! Even if he was prepared to stand up to lions when the need arose, there was no sense in putting his head into a lion’s mouth (Marshall 1980 405). So, [he] appealed to Caesar (11). And Festus agreed (12). But notice, once again it’s the Romans who are friendly to the gospel and the church. The Jews would break any law in order to lynch Paul! But Rome is his protection!

Paul’s Introduction before Agrippa – 13-27

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. Agrippa and Bernice were brother and sister, though many suggest it was more than that (Stott 368), and they were the older siblings of Drusilla, the wife of Felix (24:24). Agrippa and Bernice stayed with Festus many days (14), and in due course the governor 14 … laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.” Festus went on to explain to Agrippa that he laid out the steps of Roman justice with the Jews, and that he accommodated them quickly once they came down to Caesarea (17). But, they didn’t have anything that amounted to a capital charge (18) against [Paul]! 19 Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. And Festus just didn’t have any idea at all how to investigate that charge! (20) But then Paul appealed… to Caesar, said Festus, so, I just granted it!

Well, this was enough to pique Agrippa’s interest, so he told Festus he’d like to hear Paul (22). 23 So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. And Festus retold his story, then sought Agrippa’s input in hope that he could figure out what to say to Caesar! (26)

Some Implications for Us to Consider Today

We’ll get to that speech next Sunday, God willing. But before we go there, I want us now to back up a bit and consider this decision Paul made to appeal to Caesar (11). Last week we saw that he endured profound injustice in his trial before Felix with no record of any objection or complaint from him or from Luke, in his narration. That was so notable that one of our take-away lessons was, injustice doesn’t impede effectiveness in gospel ministry! But now, this week we see Paul asserting his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar, defending himself against being unjustly treated at the hands of the Jews.

How does that work? What’s the difference? Why did Paul appeal to Caesar with Festus but not with Felix? The simplest, clearest answer from the text, I believe, is that Festus asked for his input! He posed that key, strange question (9): Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me? This is what shows the difference between the courts of Felix and Festus. Both could see that Paul hadn’t broken any Roman law (18; 24:22-23). And both were pretty sure he hadn’t offended any Jewish law to the point of deserving death (19-20; 24:27, cf. 23:29). But the primary problematic perspective they also both shared was that they wanted to do the Jews a favor (9; 24:27). They wanted to placate the Jews, to keep Jewish uprisings at a minimum in their province. Rome was just weary of those.

But, to focus more on Paul, he wasn’t just going to cry foul in Felix’s court to save his own skin. Like Jesus, if the system was going to treat him unfairly, he wasn’t going to squeal about it in some cowardly expression of panic. But if asked by a Roman judge: Do you want me to try and help bridge the gap between your Jewish accusers and any decent understanding of justice, Paul’s answer would be: Justice is not going to be served by going back to Jerusalem, but by going on to Rome. Paul wasn’t afraid of suffering or death. He said very clearly: 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to [the Jews’] charges against me, no one can give me up to them. Meaning, what should be clear here is that to be handed over to the Jews is to be handed over to death, and an unjust death! Matters like these are tried in a Roman court (10), so we should stay in a Roman court. That’s what Paul is saying! Let’s move on to the next level, namely, Caesar. Paul is neither saving his own skin nor sticking it to the Jews. He’s been asked for his input, and he answered: Let’s follow due process of Roman law.

Part of Paul’s confidence must surely have come from the [encouragement] of the Lord (23:11) that [he] must testify in Rome. But that’s not in the foreground as he answers here (10-11).

Now we’re ready to pick up some valuable implications for us today, implications that help us balance out the input we received last week when we saw that inefficiency, unfairness, and even injustice need not impede the effectiveness of the gospel ministry. But that surely doesn’t mean that injustice is insignificant or justice unimportant. God is just. The word just comes from the same root as righteous in Greek. Justice is a grand and glorious part of what we’re promised in Christ! It’s part of our inheritance—what we’re waiting for, longing for! Justice is one of the clearest ways to summarize what it means for all things to be set right. It’s essential to peace, to shalom.

So, pressing for justice, and fighting injustice is not at all foreign to the gospel. In fact, it lies at the heart of the gospel, at the heart of God. Mic.6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

But, there’s even more than bare justice that’s part of this picture here. And there’s more than mere due process of law. Paul is appealing to the law of the land in which he’s living and serving God. He’s availing himself of the justice system that governs in his time and place. Historically, his time-and-place was a grand season for justice, one of the primary periods that stands alongside our own here in this nation. And Paul knew that. Years before this he had written to the Galatians: 4:4 … when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman…. And no one today expounds the fullness of time without spotlighting the advantages to the spread of the gospel that were enabled by the Roman empire—the Roman Peace (Pax Romana) with its common language, and ease of travel with smooth borders crossing from region to region on well-built roads and waterways, and its just governance, it’s body of just laws and courts.

Paul was making use of the providence of God displayed in the Roman Empire which facilitated the spread the gospel through the known world of his day. Few nations in history, and even fewer empires, have known such advantages. But we know it in our nation still today.

And this is where we can begin to see some important implications for us from Paul’s actions here. They go in two directions. First, more explicitly, we should learn from his example how to use the just laws of our land to facilitate primarily the spread of the gospel, as opposed to personal protection, freedom, or comfort. So many countries of the world don’t have our advantages, which means that so many of our brothers and sisters around the globe don’t live in places that allow the advance of the gospel like our nation does. And, in Jesus’ words: Everyone to who much is given, of him much will be required (Luk.12:48).

Second, more implicitly, we should recognize that, when such gospel advantage is gained in the-fullness-of-times-type seasons, there very well may be some in the church who are called by God to strengthen and lengthen those seasons through service in the governments of the day, making, enforcing, interpreting just laws not just for the common good, but also for the greatest good—not just improving quality of life, but enabling gospel advance. Again, so few countries throughout history have received this sort of fullness, it must be a blessing from God!

Conclusion

All of us are called to advance the gospel, but some of us may also be called to engage in or with or around the governing structures of our day to strengthen and lengthen the blessing of religious freedom that has been entrusted to us. There are examples of such public servants all around us—sisters and brother in Christ who are already doing this work. Find out who they are and spread their names among us here so that we can pray for them and assist them in any additional ways that are needed. And let’s also pray that our Father would raise up such people among us, brothers and sisters who are passionate about public service but who keep the clear gospel as their highest priority in doing so. I believe this is one of the ways that the Lord of the harvest will answer as we pray earnestly that He will send out laborers into his harvest (Mat.9:38).

 _________________

Resources

Beale, G. K., and D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Acts, by I. Howard Marshall, 513-606. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Beveridge, Henry, ed. Commentary upon the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 1, by John Calvin. Translated by Christopher Featherstone.

Bruce, F. F., ed. 1988. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The book of Acts, revised, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Acts, by Conrad Gempf, 1066-1114. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Dockery, David S, ed. 1992. New American Commentary. Vol. 26, Acts, by John B. Polhill. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Acts, 2073-2156, by John B. Polhill. Wheaton: Crossway.

Longman III, Tremper, and David E. Garland, eds. 2007. Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 10, Luke-Acts. Acts, by Richard N. Longenecker, 665-1102. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Morris, Leon, ed. 1980. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 5 Acts, by I. Howard Marshall. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

Stott, John, ed. 1990. The Bible Speaks Today. The Message of Acts, by John Stott. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

NEXT WEEK: For This Hope I Am Accused, Acts 26:1–32