Acts 25-26

Living Bible

25 Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and other Jewish leaders got hold of him and gave him their story about Paul. ³ They begged him to bring Paul to Jerusalem at once. (Their plan was to waylay and kill him.) ⁴ But Festus replied that since Paul was at Caesarea and he himself was returning there soon, ⁵ those with authority in this affair should return with him for the trial.

⁶ Eight or ten days later he returned to Caesarea and the following day opened Paul’s trial.

⁷ On Paul’s arrival in court the Jews from Jerusalem gathered around, hurling many serious accusations which they couldn’t prove. ⁸ Paul denied the charges: “I am not guilty,” he said. “I have not opposed the Jewish laws or desecrated the Temple or rebelled against the Roman government.”

⁹ Then Festus, anxious to please the Jews, asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me?”

^10-11 But Paul replied, “No! I demand my privilege of a hearing before the emperor himself. You know very well I am not guilty. If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die! But if I am innocent, neither you nor anyone else has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar.”

¹² Festus conferred with his advisors and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you shall go!”

¹³ A few days later King Agrippa arrived with Bernice^[a] for a visit with Festus. ¹⁴ During their stay of several days Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. “There is a prisoner here,” he told him, “whose case was left for me by Felix. ¹⁵ When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and other Jewish leaders gave me their side of the story and asked me to have him killed. ¹⁶ Of course I quickly pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict a man before he is tried. He is given an opportunity to defend himself face-to-face with his accusers.

¹⁷ “When they came here for the trial, I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. ¹⁸ But the accusations made against him weren’t at all what I supposed they would be. ¹⁹ It was something about their religion and about someone called Jesus who died, but Paul insists is alive! ²⁰ I was perplexed as to how to decide a case of this kind and asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. ²¹ But Paul appealed to Caesar! So I ordered him back to jail until I could arrange to get him to the emperor.”

²² “I’d like to hear the man myself,” Agrippa said.

And Festus replied, “You shall—tomorrow!”

²³ So the next day, after the king and Bernice had arrived at the courtroom with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city, Festus ordered Paul brought in.

²⁴ Then Festus addressed the audience: “King Agrippa and all present,” he said, “this is the man whose death is demanded both by the local Jews and by those in Jerusalem! ²⁵ But in my opinion he has done nothing worthy of death. However, he appealed his case to Caesar, and I have no alternative but to send him. ²⁶ But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no real charge against him! So I have brought him before you all, and especially you, King Agrippa, to examine him and then tell me what to write. ²⁷ For it doesn’t seem reasonable to send a prisoner to the emperor without any charges against him!”

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Go ahead. Tell us your story.”

So Paul, with many gestures,^[b] presented his defense:

² “I am fortunate, King Agrippa,” he began, “to be able to present my answer before you, ³ for I know you are an expert on Jewish laws and customs. Now please listen patiently!

⁴ “As the Jews are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood in Tarsus^[c] and later at Jerusalem, and I lived accordingly. ⁵ If they would admit it, they know that I have always been the strictest of Pharisees when it comes to obedience to Jewish laws and customs. ⁶ But the real reason behind their accusations is something else—it is because I am looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. ⁷ The twelve tribes of Israel strive night and day to attain this same hope I have! Yet, O King, for me it is a crime, they say! ⁸ But is it a crime to believe in the resurrection of the dead? Does it seem incredible to you that God can bring men back to life again?

⁹ “I used to believe that I ought to do many horrible things to the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.^{[d] 10} I imprisoned many of the saints in Jerusalem, as authorized by the High Priests; and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ I used torture to try to make Christians everywhere curse Christ. I was so violently opposed to them that I even hounded them in distant cities in foreign lands.

¹² “I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the chief priests, ¹³ when one day about noon, sir, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell down, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Hebrew, ‘Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting me? You are only hurting yourself.’^[e]

¹⁵ “‘Who are you, sir?’ I asked.

“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. ¹⁶ Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about the many other occasions when I shall appear to you. ¹⁷ And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles ¹⁸ to open their eyes to their true condition so that they may repent and live in the light of God instead of in Satan’s darkness, so that they may receive forgiveness for their sins and God’s inheritance along with all people everywhere whose sins are cleansed away, who are set apart by faith in me.’

¹⁹ “And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven! ²⁰ I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and through Judea, and also to the Gentiles that all must forsake their sins and turn to God—and prove their repentance by doing good deeds. ²¹ The Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this and tried to kill me, ²² but God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell these facts to everyone, both great and small. I teach nothing except what the Prophets and Moses said— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer and be the First to rise from the dead, to bring light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

²⁴ Suddenly Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Your long studying has broken your mind!”

²⁵ But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I speak words of sober truth. ²⁶ And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak frankly for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? But I know you do—”

²⁸ Agrippa interrupted him. “With trivial proofs like these,^[f] you expect me to become a Christian?”

²⁹ And Paul replied, “Would to God that whether my arguments are trivial or strong, both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”

³⁰ Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. ³¹ As they talked it over afterwards they agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything worthy of death or imprisonment.”

³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could be set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar!”