Paul's Ticket to Rome

Acts 25 (ESV)

Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 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 their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 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. I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 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. Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

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 said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

When we were in Panama on a missions trip for about 3 months, we would stay at the missionaries house. They always had people from all over South America, staying with them at various times. One of the things at least for me that I would do for fun was play chess. This one guy and I were pretty even skill level and would go back and forth. People would gather around and watch at times. What really got under my skin was when people started commenting and giving advice about the game. If you know me I can be a very competitive person, if I am winning I am having fun, if I am not well I am not. One particular rather competitive game people started helping my opponent. I had to try really hard that game to compose myself.

Chess is game of moves and countermoves. But the stakes could not be higher for Paul. I could walk away from my game with little more than a wounded pride, but for Paul it was life and death. The move that he makes now will determine his fate. But Paul has a trump card that he is saving for such a time as this. In a surprising turn of events it will be check mate for the newly appointed governor Festus. Ironically it will be a win for the kingdom of God and checkmate for Rome and the Jews even though it will ultimately cost Paul his life.

So this morning we want to look at:

Paul’s One Way Ticket to Rome

Paul’s Dilemma

Festus’ favor to the Jews

The term that keeps showing up in this passage is the word found in verse 9 favor. We see that Luke reveals the strategy and true intention of Festus, he want to do the Jews a favor. We must remember that Festus unlike Felix is new and inexperience. This is a political game. His duty is to uphold the law and to see that justice is upheld. Any Roman citizen should be afforded a fair and speedy trial, but as is usually the case politics do not always afford this. To give the Jews a favor could put Festus in a good position and good graces with a very influential and powerful leadership namely the Jews who are under his jurisdiction. The law was on Paul’s side but the law could not save him from the corruption of man. It seems that in this case lady liberty has lost her blindfold. The verb form of this same word favor is found also in verse 11 and verse 16, translated “give up” meaning in this case to rule in favor of the the Jews.

Paul’s Solution

An Appeal to Caesar

Paul shows his brilliance and control of the trial in that he has no intention of being a victim of circumventing Roman law by being handed over to the Sanhedrin. He has every intention of remaining in Roman custody. This motivation is really 2 fold.

1. Paul is acting to save his own neck.

Paul knows that to be set free would endanger his life and to be sent to Rome would be a death sentence. He is already aware of the plot on his life foiled by his nephew and Luke tells us in verse 3 that the Jews had every intention to kill Paul before he got back to Jerusalem. Paul is not in anyway seeking to subvert the law. In fact he says that if there is any wrong deserving death he has committed he does not seek to escape justice. Of course the reality is that he truly is innocent and done no wrong.

Verse 10 I believe should be taken as a quip and rebuke to Festus’ desire to show favor to the Jews. He is rebuking him for seeking to subvert justice. “YOU KNOW VERY WELL MY INNOCENCE, AND THEREFORE NO ONE CAN GIVE ME UP.”

2. The Holy Spirit told Paul he must go to Rome.

Acts 23:11 ESV

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”

On mental note that you might make in your mind is that the Caesar that Paul will meet and stand before is the notorious Caesar Nero, known throughout history for his incredible acts of cruelty especially towards Christians. But we have the advantage of looking back and at this point it is early in his reign and as of yet he was young and tame not having committed such atrocities.

Festus’ Dilemma

In these verses is incredible irony. The very thing that the Jews say on 24:8 that Felix will be able to determine the validity of their charges by examining Paul is the very thing that they cannot indeed find any proof of.

There is a three fold declaration of Paul’s innocence. In verse 23:9, we read that Claudius the tribune can find nothing deserving death or imprisonment, in 25:8 and 25 Festus admits that he can find nothing wrong of Paul, and in 26:31-32, Agrippa declares the same thing.

We don’t have time to go into detail but it would be an interesting study to see the parallels between the trial of Paul and the trial of Jesus. The similarities are numerous. Neither should have been put on trial in the first place, both were innocent to the charges brought against them, we see similar statements of “away with Him” in other words the Jews would be satisfied with nothing less than death of both Paul and Jesus. Both stood before governors who could find no wrong doing.

Of course we must be careful to see where the parallels end. Of Luke’s letter mentions nothing of the the death of Paul though history tells us that he eventually died in Rome. And we must remember that Christ died as truly righteous to pay the penalty for our sins and for Paul’s. He truly was innocent in every way.

SO this was Festus’ dilemma he had nothing to charge Paul according to Roman law. He should by all means let Paul go free, and since he has forced Paul’s hand now he is stuck in a predicament. What does he tell Caesar? For he must give some valid reason for sending this Roman citizen to Caesar for examination. At the very least it would make Festus look incompetent and not fit for the job. So what is he to do? He is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Hand a Roman citizen over to the Jews to be killed under his watch, or send him to Caesar with no valid reason?

It was Festus’ desire to appease the Jews that put him in this predicament a miscalculation that in the end cost him the chess game. Such is the result of all who desire to subvert justice or to refuse to do what is right, they become blind to the truth and then are caught in a web that they cannot escape save the grace of God wash over them.

Sin will take you further than you want to go and cost you more than you want to pay.

Like a wrong move in chess you will pay dearly for it. In the call to worship this morning I quoted from 1 Peter 2:9-12

1 Peter 2:9–12 (ESV)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Festus’ Solution

The Solution??? Use the weight and influence of Agrippa to his advantage. One thing is for sure that there is a huge difference in the pomp and circumstance of Agrippa and Bernice and the humility of Paul.

In this story both the Jews and the Roman officials cannot see that they are pawns in this game of chess, that God is truly sovereign and that God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

It is not the wisdom of Paul or his legal brilliance or ability to argue his case, it is the wisdom of God being carried out to its full conclusion. Who else but God could bring about such grace and mercy to the nations of the world, but do it through the suffering of His servants. And who else could confound the rulers of the kingdoms of men in such a way. Only God.