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Acts 25:1–12. Festus, having arrived in the region, three days later set off from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest and the noblest of the Jews came to him with a complaint against Paul and convinced him, asking him to do mercy and summon him to Jerusalem; and they plotted to kill him on the road. But Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea and that he himself would soon go there. So, he said, those of you who are able, let them come with me, and if there is anything behind this man, let them accuse him. Having stayed with them no more than eight or ten days, he returned to Caesarea, and the next day, sitting down in the judge’s seat, he ordered Paul to be brought. When he appeared, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood around, bringing many grave accusations against Paul, which they could not prove. He said in his justification: I have not committed any crime either against the law of the Jews, or against the church, or against Caesar. Festus, wanting to please the Jews, answered Paul: Do you want to go to Jerusalem, so that I can judge you there? Paul said: I stand before the judgment of Caesar, where I should be judged. I did not offend the Jews in any way, as you well know. For if I am wrong and have done something worthy of death, then I do not refuse to die; and if there is nothing of what they accuse me of, then no one can hand me over to them. I demand a Caesarian judgment. Then Festus, having talked with the council, answered: you demanded the judgment of Caesar, and you will go to Caesar. Here is a clear and open testimony: I, says Paul, have kept myself pure in everything, have sinned neither against God, nor against the law of the Jews, nor against man, nor against the church, that is, I have never dishonored the churches of the Jews, built of stones, although I know and preach that God does not live in churches made with hands; I also never offended the conscience of the Jews by insulting their high priest, although I no longer listen to the high priests of the Jews. And the expression “I stand before Caesar’s judgment” means: I want to go to Rome to Caesar and accept judgment there. I demand, he says, this from you. Acts 25:13–15. A few days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea to congratulate Festus. And when they spent many days there, Festus proposed Paul's case to the king, saying: here is a man left in bonds by Felix, against whom, while I was in Jerusalem, the high priests and elders of the Jews came with a complaint, demanding his condemnation. Agrippa was either the king's governor in the eastern provinces and was therefore called king, or perhaps he himself was king in the east, while Nero ruled in the west and had his residence in Rome. "Caesar" in Roman means "emperor", since all the Roman emperors, while they were emperors, were called Caesars; however, these names were not their proper names. I noticed this so that anyone, based on the identity of this common name with a proper name, would not think that under the same emperor both our Lord was born and Paul died. The Lord was born, as chronology shows, under Caesar Augustus, and died thirty-three years later under Tiberius Augustus. Paul died under Nero, thirty-four years after the death of the Lord. And Herod was the king’s deputy, and therefore he himself was called king. Acts 25:16–18. I answered them that the Romans are not in the habit of handing over any person to death before the accused has his accusers present and is free to defend himself against the accusation. When they came here, then, without any delay, the next day I sat down in the judge’s seat and ordered that man to be brought. Having surrounded him, the accusers did not present any of the charges that I expected. It is clear that Pilate, having handed Jesus over to the Jews, did this with a villainous purpose, since he despised both the court of God and the Roman law in order to please the murderers by betraying innocent blood to death, although for such an illegal act he was held accountable before the Roman emperor, who sent him as commander to the borders of Jerusalem. "Having surrounded him, the prosecutors presented none of the charges." The slanderers brought accusations against him, but did not prove it, because their slander and insolence seemed suspicious, and the investigation of the case did not confirm anything. Acts 25:19–24. But they had some disputes with him about their worship of God and about some Jesus who died, about whom Paul claimed to be alive. Finding it difficult to resolve this issue, I said: does he want to go to Jerusalem and be judged there in this matter? But as Paul demanded that he be left for Augustus’ consideration, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I sent him to Caesar. Agrippa said to Festus: I would like to listen to this man. Tomorrow, he answered, you will hear him. The next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the courtroom with the captains and the most noble citizens, Paul was brought in by order of Festus. And Festus said: King Agrippa and all the men present with us! you see the one against whom the whole multitude of Jews approached me in Jerusalem and here and shouted that he should no longer live. Naturally he speaks “about some Jesus,” since he was a man with power and did not pay attention to the Lord. “Having difficulty in resolving this issue.” The analysis of such a case perplexed the judge, since the matter was beyond his understanding. "For August's consideration". Augustus, as well as Caesar, calls the emperor; He also calls him master (sovereign). Acts 25:25–27. But I found that he had done nothing worthy of death; and since he himself demanded trial from Augustus, I decided to send him to him. I don’t have anything true to write about him to the sovereign; Therefore, I brought it before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after consideration, I might have something to write. For, it seems to me, it is unreasonable to send a prisoner and not show the charges against him. Finally, the judge himself testifies about Paul that he was innocent; however, he did not release Paul. The Lord arranged for Paul to mention Caesar (and those who named Caesar had to be sent to Rome) so that Paul’s own prediction would be fulfilled, namely: “I must see Rome also” (Acts 19:21). Watch how Paul, leaving everything - both parents and educators - comes to Rome clean from all suspicion. You might be interested in: