Beginning
24 The high priest Ananias came north to Caesarea five days later, accompanied by some elders and an attorney named Tertullus. They explained their case to Felix without Paul present. 2 When Paul was brought in, Tertullus launched into an accusation.
Tertullus: Most Excellent Felix, through your esteemed leadership we have enjoyed a long and happy peace. Your foresight in governance has brought many reforms for the people I represent. 3 We always and everywhere welcome every thought of you with high and deep gratitude. 4 But knowing how busy you are and how limited your time must be, I beg you to hear us briefly present our case to you with the legendary graciousness for which you are known everywhere.
5 Here are the facts: this man is a disease to the body politic. He agitates trouble in Jewish communities throughout our empire as a ringleader of the heretical sect known as the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we seized him. [Our aim was to try him by the Jewish law, 7 but Commandant Lysias interfered and removed this man from our control. 8 Because of his meddling, you are now forced to hear those making the accusation.][a] You will find, through your own examination, that everything we say of Paul is true.
9 The Jewish opponents present added their vigorous testimony in support of the lawyer’s opening statement. 10 The governor didn’t say anything, but he motioned for Paul to speak.
Paul: I am happy now to make my defense to you, sir, knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years. 11 Just 12 days ago, I went up to Jerusalem to worship, as you can easily verify. 12 I wasn’t arguing with anyone in the temple. I wasn’t stirring up a crowd in any of the synagogues. I wasn’t disturbing the peace of the city in any way. They did not find me doing these things in Jerusalem, 13 nor can they prove that I have done any of the things of which they have accused me. 14 But I can make this confession: I believe everything established by the Law and written in the Prophets, and I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way, which they call a heretical sect.
15 Here is my crime: I have a hope in God that there will be a resurrection of both the just and unjust, which my opponents also share. 16 Because of this hope, I always do my best to live with a clear conscience toward God and all people. 17 I have been away for several years, so recently I brought gifts for the poor of my nation and offered sacrifices. 18 When they found me, I was not disturbing anyone, nor was I gathering a crowd. No, I was quietly completing the rite of purification. Some Jews from Asia are the ones who started the disturbance— 19 and if they have an accusation, they should be here to make it. 20 If these men here have some crime they have found me guilty of when I stood before their council, they should present it. 21 Perhaps my crime is that I spoke this one sentence in my testimony before them: “I am on trial here today because I have hope that the dead are raised.”
22 Felix was quite knowledgeable about the Way. He adjourned the preliminary hearing.
Felix: When Lysias the commandant comes to Caesarea, I will decide your case.
23 He then ordered the officer to keep Paul in custody, but to permit him some freedom and to allow any of his friends to take care of his needs.
24 A few days later, Felix sent for Paul and gave him an opportunity to speak about faith in the Anointed One. Felix was accompanied by his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. 25 As Paul spoke of justice, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became fearful.
Felix: That’s enough for now. When I have time, I will send for you again.
26 They had a number of conversations of this sort; but Felix actually was hoping that, by having frequent contact with him, Paul might offer him a bribe. 27 As a favor to the Jews, he did nothing to resolve the case and left Paul in prison for two years. Then Felix completed his assignment as governor, and Porcius Festus succeeded him.
There are rumors that a large sum of money is at Paul’s disposal—that is, the relief offering for the church in Jerusalem. But Paul does not choose to buy his freedom. Despite the corruption of the government, Paul understands that ultimately his justice is in the hands of God. In the near future, he will appear before the government of Rome, and that encounter will likely lead to his death.
25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus traveled south from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2-3 The chief priests and Jewish leaders still had a plan to kill Paul and gave a report to Festus about their unresolved grievances against Paul. They suggested that as a favor to them, Festus should move Paul to Jerusalem. Of course, this was part of the plan to set an ambush for Paul and kill him en route. 4 Festus instead offered to reopen the case. He would be going back to Caesarea soon.
Festus: 5 So let your leaders accompany me, and bring your accusations against the man.
6 Eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea, and the next day he took his seat in court. He ordered Paul to be brought before him. 7 The Jewish opponents from Jerusalem immediately surrounded Paul and from all directions bombarded him with all sorts of serious charges, none of which could be proven.
Paul (quietly and simply): 8 In no way have I committed any offense against Jewish law, against the Jewish temple and all it represents, or against the emperor.
9 Here Festus saw an opportunity to do just the favor Paul’s Jewish opponents had requested.
Festus: Would you like to have your trial in Jerusalem? I’d be willing to try your case there.
Paul: 10-11 If I had committed a capital offense, I would accept my punishment. But I’m sure it’s clear to you that I have done no wrong to the Jews. Since their charges against me are completely empty, it would be wrong to turn me over to them. No, I do not wish to go to Jerusalem. I am appealing to the court of the emperor in Rome.
12 Festus conferred privately with his council and returned with this decision:
Festus: You have appealed to the emperor, so to the emperor you will go.
13 Several days later, the provincial king Agrippa arrived in Caesarea with his wife Bernice to welcome the new governor. 14 Their visit lasted several days, which gave Festus the chance to describe Paul’s case to the king.
Festus: Felix left me some unfinished business involving a prisoner named Paul. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, I got an earful about him from the chief priests and Jewish elders. They wanted me simply to decide against him, 16 but I informed them that we Romans don’t work that way. We don’t condemn a person accused of a crime unless the accusers present their case in person so the accused has ample opportunity to defend himself against the charge. 17 I arranged for them to come here for a proper hearing. In fact, the first day after I returned to Caesarea, I took my seat in court and heard his case without delay. 18 Contrary to my expectations, the accusers brought no substantial charges against him at all. 19 Instead, they were bickering about their own religious beliefs related to a fellow named Jesus, who had died, but whom Paul claimed was raised to life again. 20 I had no idea how to handle a religious squabble pretending to be a legal case, so I suggested Paul be taken to Jerusalem so he could be tried on Jewish turf, so to speak. 21 But Paul refused, and instead he appealed to be kept in custody so the case could be referred to his Imperial Majesty. So I have held him until we can arrange to send him to the emperor.
Agrippa: 22 This sounds interesting. I’d like to hear this fellow in person.
Festus: You will, then. We’ll bring him in tomorrow.
23 The next day, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the great hall with great formality, accompanied by the military commanders and the city’s leading men. Festus ordered Paul to be brought before them.
Festus: 24 King Agrippa and all our honored guests, here is the man who has been charged with wrongdoing by the Jewish community—both in Jerusalem and here. They yelled for his execution, 25 but I found him guilty of no capital offense. Then he appealed to our Imperial Majesty, so I have agreed that he will be sent to Rome. 26-27 Here is where I need your help. I can’t send a man to our emperor without a letter logically detailing the charges against him, but I have no idea what to write. So, King Agrippa, and all of you honored guests, I’m requesting your help in determining what to write in my letter to the emperor.
26 Agrippa (to Paul): Go ahead. You may speak for yourself.
Paul (extending his hand): 2 I am indeed fortunate to be standing before you, King Agrippa, to humbly defend myself against accusations from my Jewish opponents. 3 You are extraordinarily familiar with Jewish customs and controversies, so I beg your patience as I begin. 4 My way of life is well known to the whole Jewish community, how I have lived in the Jewish community abroad and in Jerusalem. 5 If they are willing to speak, they themselves will tell you something they have long known—that I was a member of the strictest sect of our religion and lived for many years as a Pharisee. 6 But now I am on trial here for this simple reason: I have hope. I have hope rooted in a promise God made to our ancestors. 7 All our twelve tribes have hope in this promise—they express their hope as they worship day and night. How strange it is, then, Your Excellency, that I am accused by the Jews of having hope! 8 Why would any of you think it is absurd to have hope that God raises the dead? 9 As you know, we’re talking specifically about Jesus of Nazareth. For a long time, I was convinced that I should work against that name. 10 I opposed it in Jerusalem. I received authorization from the chief priests to lock many of His followers in prison. When they were threatened with execution, I voted against them. 11 I would find them in synagogues across Jerusalem and try to force them to blaspheme. My fury drove me to pursue them to foreign cities as well.
The importance of Paul’s conversion experience on the way to Damascus is highlighted as he recounts it in his defense.
12 On one occasion, I was traveling to Damascus, authorized and commissioned by the chief priests to find and imprison more of His followers. 13 It was about midday, Your Excellency, when I saw a light from heaven—brighter than the noonday sun—shining around my companions and me. 14 We all fell to the ground in fear, and I then heard a voice. The words were in Aramaic: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? When you kick against the cattle prods, you’re only hurting yourself.” 15 I asked, “Lord, who are You?” and the Lord answered, “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting. 16 Get up now, and stand upright on your feet. I have appeared to you for a reason. I am appointing you to serve Me. You are to tell My story and how you have now seen Me, and you are to continue to tell the story in the future. 17 I will rescue you from your Jewish opponents and from the outsiders—for it is to the outsiders I am sending you. 18 It will be your mission to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God. This is so that they may receive forgiveness of all their sins and have a place among those who are set apart for a holy purpose through having faith in Me.”
19 King Agrippa, I did not disobey this vision from heaven. 20 I began in Damascus, then continued in Jerusalem, then throughout the Judean countryside, then among the outsiders—telling everyone they must turn from their past and toward God and align their deeds and way of life with this new direction. 21 So then, this is my crime. This is why my Jewish opponents seized me that day in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 God has helped me right up to this very moment, so I can stand here telling my story to both the humble and the powerful alike. I only say what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Anointed One must suffer, and then, by being the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to both Jews and outsiders.
Festus (interrupting): 24 You’ve gone crazy, Paul! You’ve read one book too many and have gone insane!
Paul: 25 No, most excellent Festus, I am not insane. I am telling the sane and sober truth. 26 The king understands what I’m talking about, which is why I could speak so freely to him. None of these things have been covered up and hidden away in a corner, so I’m sure none of these things have escaped his notice. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you must believe.
Agrippa: 28 Paul, have you so quickly moved on from defending yourself to trying to persuade me to become a Christian?
Paul: 29 Whether I have done so quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also everyone who is listening to me today might become what I am—minus these chains.
30 The king stood to leave at this point, along with Festus, Bernice, and all those who had been seated; 31 and as they left, everyone was saying the same thing: “This man isn’t doing anything deserving death—he shouldn’t even be in prison.”
Agrippa (to Festus): 32 This man could have been released completely if he had not appealed to the emperor.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.