Bible Commentaries
Acts 25

Verses 1-27

XXV 1-5 Festus and the Jews —1. Josephus (BJ, 2, 14, 1) describes Portius Festus as an energetic magistrate who dealt promptly with disorder. He was in every way superior to Felix. He only remained one full day at Caesarea before visiting the storm centre.

4-5. He appeals to the law. The case has been brought before the court at Caesarea and must be dealt with there. ’Let those among you that have authority go down’.

6-12 St Paul appeals to Caesar —7. Festus acted so promptly that there was no time to suborn witnesses. Cf. 21:28. 10. It would have been fatal for St Paul to admit the competence of the Sanhedrin, even though Festus were present. It would have condemned him to death, with his rights as a Roman citizen abandoned.

11. Thus the weakness of Festus forced him to pronounce the words which suspended all intermediary jurisdiction. Neither condemnation nor acquittal were now possible; cf. 26:32.

12. If there were no adequate grounds, an appeal could be refused, hence the consultation, in this case a formality. Festus makes a statement, ’Thou hast. . . appealed’. According to Lattey, op. cit. 293, ’Strictly speaking it is not an appeal at all, but an ousting of jurisdiction’.

13-22 Festus lays the case before Agrippa —13. Herod Agrippa II was born and educated at Rome. He was only 17 at his father’s death in a.d. 44 (see 12:1) and did not succeed him. He was given the tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias in a.d. 53, and parts of Galilee and Peraea later. He remained loyal to the Romans during the Jewish War. He was cultured, the patron of Josephus, and interested in all that concerned the Jewish religion; cf. 26:3, 28. He was, however, living incestuously with his sister Bernice. Her conduct was censured by Juvenal, Satires, VI, 156. The Ptolemies imitated the Pharaohs before them in marrying their sisters. Bernice like her brother tried to counsel moderation to the Jews during the War. Later she became the mistress of Vespasian and then of Titus.

14. Festus consults Agrippa who besides being an instructed Jew, had inherited the protectorate of the temple in a.d. 50.

16. Gk has ’hand over’ instead of ’condemn’. 18. ’His accusers standing around him’, 7.

19. See 23:6. No political charges could be sustained against St Paul.

21. Augustus: the emperor Nero. The title ’Augustus’ (Sebastos) was regularly used as an imperial title from Augustus himself onwards.

23-27 Festus introduces St Paul to Agrippa —23. The setting for the last discourse in Ac is one of great splendour. 24. cf. 22:22.

26. An Elogium (see 21:25) had to be sent to’ Rome, and Festus now admits that he has no definite charge, 19. The divine title ’lord’ was first used of the emperor under Caligula, and became common under Nero.