Acts 25

Paul was in custody by the Romans in Caesarea. He appears before Governor Felix in this chapter and then TWO YEARS LATER before the succeeding governor, Festus. Just to do the Jews a favor Felix leaves Paul in prison those two years (24:27). Can you imagine spending two years of your life in a cell … as an innocent person? In this chapter Paul finally stands before Festus with the Jews around him making all kinds of accusations. Being a Roman citizen, Paul finally has enough and makes a legal appeal to be brought before Caesar. King Agrippa enters the picture and Festus tells him, “when the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive (25:18-19).” Paul now gets to tell his story before the king. Two governors and now a king has heard his story and the good news about Jesus. Luke writes that Festus has no idea what message to send to the Emperor, “For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate also the charges against him (25:27).”

When the time comes, will there be enough evidence against us to prove we are Christian and worthy of persecution? And as I said yesterday, will we be able to tell our judges and accusers the reasons for “for the hope that is in you (I Peter 3:15)?” Tomorrow we get to read even more details concerning Paul’s testimony.