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.”
We pick up exactly where last week (Discussion 33) left off. Felix has sat on the case for two years — the longest unresolved stretch in the book of Acts — and has now been succeeded by Porcius Festus (24:27). The prison cell in Caesarea, the deferred verdict, the “go away for the present” — that is our starting point. This week is the story of what the delay has done, and who God has brought through the delay.
The title of this study, “When God Uses Delays,” is not a metaphor; it is the grammar of the passage. Count the pauses: three days after Festus arrives, he goes up to Jerusalem (25:1); eight or ten days of staying in Jerusalem before he goes back down to Caesarea (25:6); some days after which Agrippa and Bernice arrive (25:13); many days of the king’s stay while Festus lays the case before him (25:14); the next day for the hearing (25:17); and then the hearing itself is further deferred so the king can hear it (25:22, “Tomorrow… you will hear him”). Between the arrival of Festus and the summons of Agrippa, the trial that should have been over is pushed back again and again — and in each pause, God does something decisive:
The ambush is defeated. The Jews’ real purpose in asking to have Paul brought up to Jerusalem is “an ambush to kill him on the way” (25:3). Festus’ refusal (25:4) and his keeping of Paul at Caesarea is the providential wall between the apostle and the knife. The delay (the governor staying eight or ten days, then sending the trial back to Caesarea) is the means by which the ambush is never taken. The bureaucracy saves the apostle.
The appeal is opened. In the space of the delay, Paul appeals to Caesar (25:11–12). This is the first and most explicit appeal to the emperor in the book of Acts, and it is the hinge of the entire Jerusalem-to-Rome arc that the Lord promised Paul the night in the temple (23:11, last week): “Be of good cheer… you must bear witness also at Rome.” The appeal is the legal form of the providence that is moving Paul from the Jewish court (23:6), to the Felix court (24), to the Festus court (25), to the Agrippa court (26), and finally to Rome (28).
The gospel is named in one sentence. Festus, briefing the king, compresses the entire trial into a single line (25:19): “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.” This is the law/gospel distinction in its purest sentence: the law says Jesus is dead (a criminal, executed, a failed rabbi); the gospel says Jesus is alive (the risen Lord, the resurrection of the dead). Every charge (25:7) is unprovable because the real issue is not a fact (a riot, a profanation) but a Person (a risen Jesus) that the court cannot reach.
The passage falls into five narrative units:
| # | Verses | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25:1–5 | Festus arrives; the Jews request transfer to Jerusalem (plotting ambush) |
| 2 | 25:6–8 | The trial in Caesarea; unprovable charges; Paul’s triple innocence |
| 3 | 25:9–12 | The appeal to Caesar |
| 4 | 25:13–22 | Agrippa and Bernice arrive; Festus briefs the king |
| 5 | 25:23–27 | The audience; the charge summarized; the gospel in one sentence |
A. Festus the procurator. Last week we established Felix (44–52 CE) and Drusilla (his Jewish wife, the sister of Herod Agrippa I). This week the procurator of Judaea is Gaius (Porcius) Festus, who succeeded Felix at roughly 52/53 CE and governed from Caesarea Maritima until 60/62 CE (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 20.9–10). Where Felix was greedy and capricious (last week, D33 § II.A), Festus is judicial and bureaucratic — his one notable act is that he does not yield to the crowd. He delays, he refers, he sends the case upward. The two kingdoms (SA III) are embodied in the difference between the two governors: Felix defers because of bribe; Festus defers because of procedure. Both are instruments of providence (AC II); only one of them is motivated by the state’s own law.
B. The custom of the new procurator’s journey. Verse 25:1 says Festus went up to Jerusalem “three days after he had arrived in the province” (Gk. Triēmerou dē tou Phēstou genomenou en tēi chōrāi; chōrē = “province, region”). This is almost certainly the Roman custom of the new procurator taking the oath of office and asserting his jurisdiction personally before the Jewish council — a formal act of political recognition. The Jews know this and use it: they lay out their case (25:2) at the very moment of the new governor’s arrival, when he is most eager to appease the local power. This is the two kingdoms in timing: the state (the governor) is arriving; the congregation (the Jews) is presenting a petition; and God (the providence behind both) is holding the apostle out of the ambush.
C. The route and the “eight or ten days.”
| Leg | Place | Approx. Distance | Approx. Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Caesarea Maritima → Jerusalem (25:1, 25:6) | ~150 km / 93 mi | 2–3 days on foot; 1 day by mule/camel |
| 2 | Jerusalem → Caesarea (25:4, 25:6) | ~150 km / 93 mi | 2–3 days on foot; 1 day by mule/camel |
(D33, § II.B, established the Via Maris as the road; we reference it here only.) The eight or ten days (25:6) are the liturgical window: if the Jews wanted the trial to coincide with a major feast (so that the crowd could conceal the ambush), the most likely feast is Tabernacles (October), when Jerusalem is full of pilgrims. The governor staying eight or ten days is the pause in which the ambush could have been sprung — and was not. The gospel is not decided in the crowd; it is decided in the court.
D. Agrippa II and Bernice. The “Agrippa the king” (25:13) is Herod Agrippa II (r. c. 50–92/93 CE), not the Agrippa I who killed James in Acts 12. The naming is deliberate: Luke is careful to distinguish the two kings (12:1; 25:13) so that the reader does not confuse the patron of the Pharisees (Agrippa I) with the client king who now hears the case (Agrippa II). His sister Bernice (25:13) is the famous Beranice of Josephus (Antiquities 20.244–248; The Jewish War 2.168–170) — wife of Herod of Chalcis, then wife of her half-brother Agrippa II, an arrangement that scandalized both Jewish and Roman society. The two of them arrive “with great pomp” (25:23) — the client court in full display. The two kingdoms are on stage: the Jewish council (the religious authority), the Roman procurator (the civil authority), and the Herodian king (the dynastic authority) — and Paul stands before all three, innocent, and appeals to a fourth (Caesar).
E. The bema and the audience hall. The “tribunal” (Gk. bēma, 25:6, 25:10, 25:17, 25:25) is the elevated platform where the governor sat in judgment — not a prison, but the seat of justice (D33, § II.D, on the praetorium). The “audience hall” (25:23) is the larger chamber of the palatial complex at Caesarea where the governor received dignitaries — the room in which Agrippa and Bernice enter “with great pomp” and the tribunes and the prominent men of the city accompany them. The courtroom is the stage on which the two kingdoms perform the gospel — and the audience (the tribunes, the prominent men) is the congregation that hears the verdict.
A. “As a favor” (charis) — the wordplay of the whole passage. The Jews ask Festus for “a favor” (Gk. tēn charin, 25:3): “asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem.” The word charis (χάρις) is the same word used throughout the New Testament for grace (the gospel gift of God). The Jews ask for charis (a political favor) in order to destroy the charis (the gospel gift of God in Paul). This is the most* concise statement of the law/gospel opposition in the entire passage: the law asks for a favor (a bribe, a privilege, a courtesy) to destroy the gospel; the gospel grants charis (justification, AC IV) to the very man the law would kill. For the congregation, this is the test of the faith: are we asking the world for a favor (a compromise, a courtesy, a settlement) to protect the gospel? Or are we letting the gospel be the gospel — charis, unearned, undeserved, and unstoppable?
B. “A sentence of condemnation” (sphagē) — the death penalty in view. In Festus’ briefing to Agrippa (25:15), the Jews are said to be asking for “a sentence of condemnation” (Gk. spha-gēn, from sphazō, “to slaughter”) — a strong word, the slaughter of an animal or a criminal. This is not a fine, not a warning, not a release; it is death. The Jewish court (the Sanhedrin, last week) wanted death (23:28, deserving of death). The Roman court (Festus, this week) is bound by procedural custom (25:16) to hear the defense before giving up the accused. The two kingdoms are in tension here: the state has the sword (the right to kill), but the state is bound by its own law (the right to a hearing) to preserve the accused — and in preserving the accused, it preserves the gospel.
C. “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal” (bēma) — the appeal to Caesar. Paul’s defense (25:10) reframes the entire trial: he is not on trial before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court); he is on trial before Caesar’s tribunal (Gk. to bēma tou Kaisaros), the imperial court. This is the Roman legal right of a citizen to appeal (provocatio ad Caesarem) — the right to take a case from a provincial judge (Festus) up to the emperor (Nero). The right is established in Roman law (Cicero, In Verrem 6.70, Vatiniana: a Roman citizen may appeal against a governor’s sentence to the people, and by extension to the emperor). Paul does not assert the right as a weapon; he asserts the right as a matter of conscience (25:11, “no one can give me up to them”). The two kingdoms (SA III) are in their purest form: the state (Caesar) is the proper judge of civil matters; the church (the Way) is the proper witness to spiritual matters. Paul refuses to let the Jewish court (the religious authority) decide a civil matter (his innocence before Caesar) — and in doing so, he forces the state to admit the gospel (the resurrection, 25:19) as the real charge.
D. “I made no delay” (25:17) — the governor’s confession. The most remarkable verse in the passage for the theme of delays is not a pause; it is Festus’ confession that he did NOT delay: “I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought” (25:17). The governor — who stayed eight or ten days in Jerusalem, who waited some days for Agrippa to arrive, who deferred the hearing to the next day (25:22) — insists that in the trial itself, he made no delay. This is the two kingdoms in bureaucratic form: the state delays for procedure (to protect the accused), but the state does not delay in judgment (to preserve the court’s dignity). The providence of God is not the absence of delays; it is the presence of purpose within the delays.
E. “Unreasonable” (atopon) — the legal principle that saves the gospel. Festus’ closing argument to Agrippa (25:27) is a statement of Roman law: “it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him” (Gk. atopos gar dokei moi… mē eipein autou tas aitian; atopos = “absurd, unreasonable”; aitia = “charge, cause”). The word atopos (ἄτοπος) is a strong rhetorical word — it is the last word the governor uses to justify the trial before the king. The principle is this: a prisoner sent to Rome must have charges stated. This is the legal form of the gospel’s right to be heard: the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal (a plague, a sect, a riot, D33, 24:5); it is sent as a Person (a risen Jesus, 25:19) with charges stated (a question of religion, a dispute about the resurrection). The state* saves the gospel by its own law — the two kingdoms (SA III) in their most practical form.
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.
Key phrases:
“Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem” (Gk. Triēmerou dē tou Phēstou genomenou en tēi chōrāi, anebē apo Kaisareas eis Ierousalēim; chōrē = “province, region”). The three days (Gk. triēmeron, “three days later”) is the first pause of the passage. The governor has arrived (24:27, last week) and within three days he goes up to Jerusalem. This is not a delay in the Jews’ favor; it is a delay in the gospel’s interest. The providence (AC II) is working through the governor’s schedule, not against it. The cross-reference is Psalm 119:160 (“The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever” — the governor’s delay is not the governor’s delay; it is God’s delay, in God’s time).
“the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him” (Gk. kathēgorountes peri Paulou kai deontai; kathēgoreō = “to accuse publicly, to bring a formal charge”; deomai = “to ask, to press”). The phrase “laid out their case” is a legal idiom — it is the standard opening of a formal accusation before a judge. The Jews are not petitioning casually; they are filing a formal complaint. The urging (deontai, “pressing, asking”) is persuasive — they know the governor is new and vulnerable to pressure. The theological point is quiet: the law’s first use is always a formal accusation — the accuser stands before the judge and states the charge. The gospel’s response is always a confession — the defendant stands before the judge and states the faith. (25:8, next cluster.)
“asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem — because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way” (Gk. haiteizontes tēi charin, hina kalēi auton eis Ierousalēim, dolophthontes gar auton en tēi hōdōi; charis = “favor, grace”; dolophthoneō = “to murder by treachery, to lay an ambush”). The word charis (χάρις) is the hinge of the passage. The Jews ask for charis (a favor, a courtesy, a privilege) against the charis (the gospel, the grace of God in Paul). The ambush* (dolophthoneō) is a military term — it implies deception and killing. The Jews are not asking for a trial; they are asking for a murder disguised as a transfer. The theological point is devastating: the law asks for a favor to destroy the gospel; the gospel is the favor that destroys the law. The cross-reference is John 7:19–20 (the Jews conspiring to kill Jesus — the same ambush is now laid against the apostle who preaches the same Jesus).
“Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly” (Gk. kratooumenon = “being kept, detained”; the governor answering that Paul was being held at Caesarea until his own coming down). The governor refuses the request — not with hostility, but with procedural firmness. Paul stays at Caesarea; the trial comes to Caesarea. This is the providence of God in bureaucratic form: the governor does not want to transport a high-profile prisoner through hostile territory (the ambush is waiting); the governor wants to hold the trial at home (in Caesarea), where the state has control. The cross-reference is Romans 13:4 (the governor is “God’s servant for good for you” — the state refuses the ambush not because it loves the gospel, but because it loves its own order).
“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” (Gk. hoi dē archontes hoi par’ hymīn katebēte meta mou; archōn = “ruler, magistrate, principal man”). The governor accepts the principle of the accusation (the Jews may bring charges) but refuses the premise (the trial must be in Caesarea, not Jerusalem). The men of authority (archontes) are the Jewish delegation that will accompany the governor down to Caesarea — the same men who stood around Paul in the trial (25:7). The theological point is procedural: the governor accepts the law’s first use (the accusation) but refuses the law’s third use (the mob’s will). The gospel is not decided by the crowd; it is decided by the court.
LCMS Application. The Jews ask for charis (a favor) to destroy the gospel; the governor refuses the favor and preserves the gospel. This is the law/gospel distinction in its most concrete form. For the congregation, this is a warning: the world will always ask for a favor (a compromise, a settlement, a courtesy) to destroy the gospel. We are not to grant the favor; we are to let the gospel be the gospel — charis, unearned, undeserved, and unstoppable. The pastor is the Festus who refuses the favor (the compromise) and preserves the gospel (the faith). The elder is the Festus who holds the line in the boardroom (the ambush is waiting; the governor refuses). And the gospel is not decided by the crowd; it is decided by the court (the congregation, the pulpit, the Word).
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.”
Key phrases:
“After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea” (Gk. Metā dē hēmeras ou plēion hepta ē deka, katebē ekei; “eight or ten days”). The eight or ten days is the second pause of the passage. The governor has stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten days — long enough for the ambush to be set, long enough for the Jews to plan the murder, long enough for the governor to realize that the trial is not a trial but a trap. The theological point is acute: the delay is not indifference; it is providence (AC II) in its most practical form. The cross-reference is Isaiah 55:8–9 (“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways… For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways” — the delay is not the governor’s delay; it is God’s delay, in God’s time).
“he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought” (Gk. kathisas epi to bēma, epetaxen histēnai Paulon; bēma = “the raised platform, the seat of judgment”; histēmi = “to cause to stand, to bring forward”). The tribunal (bēma) is the formal seat of the governor in Caesarea. The governor sits; the accused stands (25:10). The two kingdoms are in the body language of the courtroom: the governor commands; the defendant waits for permission to speak. The theological point is quiet: the gospel is not decided by the crowd; it is decided by the judge (the governor, the congregation, the pulpit). The cross-reference is Daniel 7:9–14 (the Ancient of Days takes his seat on the throne — the governor’s seat is a shadow of the throne of God).
“the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove” (Gk. pollais te kai bareis katēgoriais, has ouk echonto apodeixai; barē = “weighty, grave”; katēgoria = “charge, accusation”; apodeiknymi = “to prove, to demonstrate”). The word “serious” (bareis, “weighty, grave”) is a deliberate rhetorical choice — the charges are not trivial; they are grave. But the clause “that they could not prove” (has ouk echonto apodeixai) is the theological nerve of the passage. The law brings many charges; the law cannot prove any of them. This is the law’s first use in its most honest form: the law accuses, but the law cannot convict. The gospel does not need the law’s proof; the gospel brings its own proof (the resurrection, 25:19). The cross-reference is Deuteronomy 19:15–16 (the witness who bears false witness — the accuser who cannot prove the charge is liable) and John 8:46 (Jesus, “Which of you convicts me of sin?” — the accuser who cannot prove the charge is exposed).
“Paul argued in his defense, ‘Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense’” (Gk. oudēn ēmartēka, oudē tōi tōn Ioudaiōn nomōi oudē tōi naōi oudē tōi Kaisari; hamartanō = “to miss the mark, to sin, to offend”). The verb ēmartēka (ἠμάρτηκα, from hamartanō) is the key word of the defense. Paul triple-negates his offense before three courts: the Jewish law (the theological authority), the temple (the ceremonial authority), and Caesar (the political authority). He is innocent before all three. The theological point is profound: the law (in its first use) accuses; the gospel (in its confession) proves the innocence. Paul does not argue his innocence; he confesses his innocence. The cross-reference is Isaiah 53:9 (Jesus, “he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” — the innocence of the apostle is a shadow of the innocence of the Lord) and 1 Timothy 3:16 (Christ justified by the Spirit — the innocence is not self-justification; it is grace).
LCMS Application. The law brings many charges; the law cannot prove any of them. This is the law’s first use in its most honest form: it accuses, but it cannot convict. Paul’s triple innocence (before the law, the temple, Caesar) is the gospel’s confession in the court of the world. For the congregation, this is the form of our witness: we do not argue our innocence; we confess our innocence. The law accuses (the Jews’ charges, 25:7); the gospel proves (Paul’s confession, 25:8). The pastor is the Paul who confesses; the elder is the Paul who holds the line; the congregation is the Paul who stands before the judge and says, “I have not sinned.” And the governor (the world, the system, the Felix of the boardroom) cannot* convict — because the gospel has already justified (AC IV).
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.”
Key phrases:
“Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor” (Gk. ho dē Phēstos charin poiōn tois Ioudaiois; charis = “favor, grace”). The governor offers the transfer — not because he believes the charges, but because he wants to please the Jews (the local power). The word charis is the same word as in 25:3 — the governor is offering the favor that the Jews asked for. The theological point is devastating: the governor offers the murder (the ambush) as a favor (charis). The gospel refuses the favor; the gospel is the favor. The cross-reference is John 11:50–53 (Caiaphas, “it is expedient that one man should die for the people” — the ambush is the same logic: kill the apostle to save the nation).
“I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried” (Gk. en tō bēmati tou Kaisaros hestēka, hou deō krithēnai; bēma = “the tribunal”; histēmi, aor. hestēka = “I am standing”). The tribunal (bēma) is Caesar’s, not Festus’ — the governor sits on Caesar’s throne (the imperial authority), and the trial belongs to the emperor, not to the provincial governor. Paul reframes the entire trial: he is not on trial before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court); he is on trial before Caesar (the imperial court). The theological point is acute: the gospel is not a Jewish question (the Sanhedrin); the gospel is a Roman question (the emperor). The two kingdoms (SA III) are in their purest form: the governor (the provincial) offers the transfer; the apostle (the citizen) refuses the transfer and appeals to the emperor. The cross-reference is Romans 13:1 (the authority is “from the Lord” — the emperor is God’s instrument, and the appeal to Caesar is an appeal to God’s providence).
“If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death” (Gk. ei dē kakourgos eimi kai axios eimi thanatou; kakourgos = “wrongdoer, evildoer”; axios thanatou = “deserving of death”). This is the noblest sentence in the passage. Paul offers to die if he is guilty. He does not flee; he does not bribe; he does not compromise. He stands in innocence and offers his life to the court. The theological point is devastating: the cost of the Way is not a penalty; it is a privilege (cf. D33, Theme 4). The gospel is not a comfort for the world; it is a conviction for the conscience. The cross-reference is Philippians 1:20–21 (Christ is magnified in Paul’s body, whether by life or by death) and Luke 9:23 (“Let anyone who wants to be my disciple… take up his cross daily and follow me”).
“But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar” (Gk. hiketēuō prōs ton Kaisara; hiketēuō = “to entreat, to appeal”). The appeal (hiketēuō) is the Roman legal right of a citizen to take a case from the provincial judge up to the emperor. Paul does not assert the right as a weapon; he asserts the right as a matter of conscience. The theological point is profound: the state (the emperor) is the proper judge of civil matters; the church (the Way) is the proper witness to spiritual matters. Paul refuses to let the Jewish court decide a civil matter; the two kingdoms (SA III) are in their purest form. The cross-reference is Romans 13:1–4 (the governor is “God’s servant for good” — the appeal to Caesar is an appeal to God’s providence) and 1 Peter 2:13–17 (“submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution” — the appeal is submission to the state’s own law).
“Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, ‘To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go’” (Gk. eis ton Kaisara ēkalesas, eis ton Kaisara poreusē; kaleō, aor. ēkalesas = “to appeal”; poreuomai, fut. poreusē = “to go, to proceed”). The governor grants the appeal — not because he believes the charges, but because the right is the emperor’s right. The theological point is quiet: the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal (a plague, a sect, D33, 24:5); it is sent as a Person (a risen Jesus, 25:19) with charges stated (a question of religion, a dispute about the resurrection). The state saves the gospel by its own law — the two kingdoms (SA III) in their most practical form.
LCMS Application. Paul offers to die if he is guilty; Paul appeals to Caesar if he is innocent. This is the cost of the Way in its most concrete form. The gospel is not a comfort for the world; it is a conviction for the conscience. For the congregation, this is the form of our witness: we do not flee from the conscience of the world; we appeal to the conscience of God. The pastor is the Paul who offers his life to the court and appeals to the emperor. The elder is the Festus who grants the appeal (the right to the conscience) and sends the prisoner to Rome (the court of the Day). And the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal; it is sent as a Person — a risen Jesus — with charges stated.
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.”
Key phrases:
“Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus” (Gk. Metā dē hēmeras tinās elthontos tou Agrippa tou basileous kai Bernikēis; basileus = “king”). The king and the princess arrive at Caesarea — not as judges, but as visitors. The governor is greeted — the two kingdoms are in the greeting: the governor salutes the king, and the king accepts the salutation. The theological point is quiet: the gospel is not decided by the king; the gospel is heard by the king. The king is the audience; the gospel is the message. The cross-reference is Matthew 22:1–14 (the king who makes a wedding feast and invites the nations — the king is the audience of the gospel, not the judge).
“There is a man left prisoner by Felix” (Gk. emeinen anthrōpos hypo Phēlē dedemēnos; hēmi, aor. ēmenen = “to remain, to be left over”). The word “left” (ēmenen) is the hinge of the passage. The apostle is left over from Felix (last week) — carried over, deferred, held. The two years in the praetorium (D33, § IV.F) are the form of the waiting; the left over (ēmenen) is the form of the providence. The theological point is profound: the gospel is not decided in this age; it is carried over to the Day (the coming judgment, D33, 24:25). The cross-reference is Philippians 1:6 (God, “who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” — the left over is not a delay; it is a provision).
“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” (Gk. ouk estin ethos Rhōmaiōis; ethos = “custom, practice, way of life”). The custom (ethos) is the Roman legal principle that protects the accused: the accuser must meet the accused face to face before the accused can be given up. The theological point is acute: the state (the custom) is not indifferent to the accused; the state protects the accused by its own law. The two kingdoms (SA III) are in their most practical form: the state protects the gospel by its own custom, not by its own faith. The cross-reference is Romans 13:4 (the governor is “God’s servant for good for you” — the custom is God’s providence in the state’s law).
“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” (Gk. peri tinos Iēsou nekrou, hon ho Paulos eipēi zōn; nekros = “dead”; zōn = “alive”). This is the most important sentence in the passage. The governor compresses the entire trial into a single line: the Jews and Paul disagree about “their own religion” (the law) and about “a certain Jesus, who was dead” (the cross), but whom Paul asserted to be alive* (the resurrection). This is the law/gospel distinction in its purest sentence: the law says Jesus is dead; the gospel says Jesus is alive. The theological point is devastating: the charge is not a fact (a riot, a profanation, a sect); the charge is a Person (a risen Jesus). The court cannot reach the Person; the court can only hear the confession. The cross-reference is 1 Corinthians 15:17 (“If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile” — the charge is the resurrection, and the resurrection is the gospel) and John 11:25 (Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live”).
“Then Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, you will hear him’” (Gk. akouō auton an; epaurion; akouō = “I would hear”; epaurion = “the next day”). The king wants to hear the apostle — not as a judge, but as a curious audience. The hearing is deferred to the next day (25:23) — the third pause of the passage. The theological point is quiet: the gospel is not decided by the king; the gospel is heard by the king. The king is the audience; the gospel is the message. The cross-reference is Matthew 10:18 (Jesus, “you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake” — the king is the audience of the gospel, not the judge).
LCMS Application. The governor compresses the entire trial into a single line: “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” This is the gospel in its purest form. For the congregation, this is the test of the faith: in every doctrinal question (in the pew, the boardroom, the family table), ask: Where does the resurrection stand?* If we compromise on the resurrection, we have compromised the gospel. The pastor is the Festus who summarizes the trial in one sentence (the resurrection); the elder is the Agrippa who wants to hear the message (the gospel); and the congregation is the audience that hears the verdict (the Day). And the king is not the judge; the king is the audience.
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.”
Key phrases:
“Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city” (Gk. en hyperolēi spoudēi; hyperolē = “excess, pomp”; spoudē = “care, earnestness”). The pomp (hyperolē spoudēs) is the visual spectacle of the client court in full display. The tribunes (Gk. hoi tribounoi) and the prominent men of the city accompany the king — the two kingdoms are on stage: the military (the state), the civil (the city), and the dynastic (the king). The theological point is quiet: the gospel is not decided by the pomp; the gospel is heard by the pomp. The cross-reference is Daniel 2:37–47 (the king who sees the dream and worships the God of the heavens — the pomp is the audience of the gospel, not the judge).
“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” (Gk. phonazōntes auton ouk axion einai zēn; phōnazō = “to cry out, shout”; axios = “worthy, deserving”). The phrase “the whole Jewish people” (Gk. hoi holoi hoi Ioudaioi) is a hyperbolic rhetorical move — the governor exaggerates the pressure to justify the trial. The shouting (phōnazō) is the voice of the mob (D33, 23:22, the mob in the temple). The theological point is acute: the gospel is not decided by the voice of the mob; the gospel is decided by the voice of the Word (AC XXVIII). The cross-reference is John 11:48–50 (the Sanhedrin plotting to kill Jesus — the same mob is now pressing the governor to kill the apostle).
“But I found that he had done nothing deserving death” (Gk. euron auton mēden axion thanatou; heurō = “to find”; axios = “deserving”). The finding (euron) is the governor’s legal conclusion: the charges are unprovable; the accused is innocent. This is the same finding that Lysias made in Jerusalem (D33, 23:29, “nothing deserving death or imprisonment”) — the two governors (Festus and Lysias) concur: the apostle is innocent. The theological point is profound: the state (the governor) finds the apostle innocent; the church (the Word) confesses the apostle righteous (AC IV). The cross-reference is Isaiah 53:9 (Jesus, “he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” — the innocence of the apostle is a shadow of the innocence of the Lord).
“And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him” (Gk. epikalesamēnou autou, epempa auton; epikaleomai = “to appeal”; pempō = “to send”). The governor sends the prisoner to Rome — not because he believes the charges, but because the right is the emperor’s right. The theological point is quiet: the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal; it is sent as a Person (a risen Jesus, 25:19) with charges stated (a question of religion). The cross-reference is Acts 28:14–16 (Paul arriving in Rome — the gospel arrives in Rome as a Person, not a prisoner).
“For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him” (Gk. atopos gar dokei moi, pemphēnta ton anthrōpon ouk eipein autou tas aitian; atopos = “absurd, unreasonable”; aitia = “charge, cause”). The word atopos (ἄτοπος) is the last word of the passage. The governor justifies the trial before the king by the principle that charges must be stated. This is the legal form of the gospel’s right to be heard: the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal; it is sent as a Person with charges stated. The theological point is devastating: the state saves the gospel by its own law — the two kingdoms (SA III) in their most practical form. The cross-reference is Romans 13:1–4 (the governor is “God’s servant for good” — the custom is God’s providence in the state’s law).
LCMS Application. The governor justifies the trial before the king by the principle that charges must be stated. This is the legal form of the gospel’s right to be heard. For the congregation, this is the form of our witness: we do not hide the gospel (the charges, the resurrection); we state the gospel (the confession, the faith in Christ Jesus). The pastor is the Festus who states the charges (the gospel) before the king; the elder is the Agrippa who hears the message (the gospel); and the congregation is the audience that confesses the faith (the resurrection). And the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal; it is sent as a Person — a risen Jesus — with charges stated.
The providence of God (AC II, Vorsehung) is the undercurrent of the whole passage. The Jews ask for a favor (25:3); the governor refuses the favor (25:4); the trial is deferred (25:6, 25:17, 25:22); the appeal is granted (25:12); the king arrives (25:13); and the gospel is summarized (25:19). The delays are not the failure of God’s providence; they are the instrument of God’s providence. Felix deferred for two years (D33); Festus defers for eight or ten days (25:6); the king defers to the next day (25:22). And in each pause, God does something decisive: the ambush is defeated (25:3–4); the appeal is opened (25:11–12); the gospel is summarized (25:19).
LCMS Application. The congregation is called to trust the providence of God in the delays of the world. When the trial is deferred (the parish dispute, the boardroom debate, the family disagreement), trust* that the delay is not the failure of providence; it is the instrument of providence. The pastor is the Festus who defers the verdict (the compromise) but preserves the gospel (the faith). The elder is the Festus who holds the line in the boardroom (the ambush is waiting; the governor refuses). And the congregation is called to hear the Word and not be alarmed (cf. D33, 24:25) — because the Word is gospel, and the gospel justifies the ungodly (AC IV).
The resurrection (25:19) is the theological nerve of the passage — as it was in D33 (24:15, 24:21). But this week, the resurrection is not merely the charge; it is the summary of the charge. Festus compresses the entire trial into a single line: “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” (25:19). This is the law/gospel distinction in its purest sentence: the law says Jesus is dead; the gospel says Jesus is alive. The charge is not a fact (a riot, a profanation, a sect); the charge is a Person (a risen Jesus). The court cannot reach the Person; the court can only hear the confession.
LCMS Application. The resurrection is the test of the faith (1 Corinthians 15:12–19). In every doctrinal question — in the pew, the boardroom, the family table — ask: Where does the resurrection stand? If we compromise on the resurrection, we have compromised the gospel. The Simul iustus et peccator (AC IV) and the real presence in the Supper (AC X) are both grounded in the resurrection. The pastor is called to hold the line on the resurrection in every congregational decision. The elder is called to defend the resurrection in every boardroom debate. The congregation is called to confess the resurrection in every family table. The resurrection is not a detail; it is the test.
The two kingdoms (SA III) are embodied in the appeal to Caesar (25:11–12). Paul reframes the entire trial: he is not on trial before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court); he is on trial before Caesar (the imperial court). The two kingdoms are in their purest form: the state (Caesar) is the proper judge of civil matters; the church (the Way) is the proper witness to spiritual matters. Paul refuses to let the Jewish court decide a civil matter; the state (the emperor) grants the appeal (25:12). And in granting the appeal, the state saves the gospel by its own law (25:27, atopos).
LCMS Application. The congregation is called to live in both kingdoms: to obey the state (the temporal, the tax, the zoning, the permit) and to confess the gospel (the spiritual, the resurrection, the means of grace). The pastor is the one who holds both: he obeys the state (the zoning, the tax, the permit) and he holds the line on the gospel (the resurrection, the means of grace, the justification of the ungodly). The elder is the one who holds both: he obeys the state (the zoning, the tax, the permit) and he defends the gospel (the resurrection, the means of grace, the justification of the ungodly). And the gospel is not decided by the state; the gospel is decided by the Word (AC XXVIII).
The law/gospel distinction is visible in the contrast between the Jews’ charges (25:7) and Paul’s confession (25:8). The Jews bring “many and serious charges… that they could not prove” (25:7) — the law accuses, but the law cannot convict. Paul confesses his innocence before three courts (the law, the temple, Caesar), 25:8). The gospel is not the law’s proof; the gospel is the law’s fulfillment (Romans 8:2–4, D33, § IV.E.3). The true accusation is not the Jews’ charge (a riot, a sect, a plague); the true accusation is the law’s first use (the conviction of sin, the knowledge of the Day). The gospel is the law’s answer (the *justification of the ungodly, AC IV).
LCMS Application. In every conflict in the congregation — a parish dispute, a boardroom debate, a family disagreement — ask: Am I speaking the law or the gospel? If I am accusing (the law), I must do so in light of the gospel. If I am sustaining (the gospel), I must do so in light of the law. The whitewashed wall (D32, 23:3) is the one who confuses the two — who flatters (the law) and then claims to be merciful (the gospel). The pastor is the one who holds both: he preaches the law (the accusation, the flattery, the deferral) and he preaches the gospel (the confession, the naming, the clear conscience), and he does not confuse them. The congregation is called to hear both: the law that convicts and the gospel that justifies (AC IV).
The cost of the Way is made concrete by the appeal to Caesar (25:11) and the delay (25:13–22). Paul offers to die if he is guilty (25:11); Paul appeals to Caesar if he is innocent (25:12). The cost is the waiting, the deferral, the imprisonment (the two years of D33, the eight or ten days of this week). The means of grace (AC XXVIII) are not limited by the cell; they are carried into the cell by the Word and the fellowship of the friends (D33, § IV.F.1). The gospel is not decided in the cell; the gospel is proclaimed in the cell (Philippians 1:12–14, D33, § IV.F.1).
LCMS Application. The cost of the Way is not a penalty; it is a privilege. The congregation is called to count the cost (Luke 14:28) and carry the cross (Luke 14:27). The pastor is called to carry his cross (to preach the resurrection in a world that defers it). The elder is called to hold the line (to defend the Way in a congregation that compromises it). And the congregation is called to hear the Word and not be alarmed (cf. D33, 24:25) — because the Word is gospel, and the gospel justifies the ungodly (AC IV). The cost is the waiting (the two years, the eight or ten days); the deferral (the governor’s “go away for the present”, D33, 24:25); and the imprisonment (the cell in the praetorium, D33, 24:23–27). And the Way is not the end; it is the path to the Day (the *coming judgment, D33, 24:25).
Church Fathers:
John Chrysostom (Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles, on the Roman trials, Acts 23–26). Chrysostom reads the appeal to Caesar (25:11) as a type of the Christian appeal to the conscience of the world. In the spirit of his Homilies on Acts, he writes, “Paul does not flee from the court; he appeals to the emperor. The appeal is not a defeat; it is a victory. The gospel is not decided by the Jewish court; the gospel is decided by the imperial court. And the imperial court is not the end; the imperial court is the path to the Day.”
Theodoret of Cyrrhus (Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, on Acts 25:19). Theodoret is explicit about the theological stakes of the resurrection. He writes, “The Jews say Jesus is dead; Paul says Jesus is alive. This is the whole gospel. The court cannot reach the Person; the court can only hear the confession. The gospel is not a fact to be proved; the gospel is a Person to be believed.”
Augustine (City of God, Book 19, on the two cities). Augustine reads the two courts (the Jewish court and the Roman court) as a type of the two cities (the city of God and the city of man). He writes, “The Jewish court is the city of man (the law, the accusation, the mob); the Roman court is the city of God (the gospel, the confession, the resurrection). The governor is alarmed by the gospel because the gospel is the city of God — and the city of God is not of this world (John 18:36, D33, § IV.D.3). The* appeal to Caesar is the appeal to the city of God.”
Cyril of Alexandria (Commentary on the Gospel of John; Lectures on the Holy Scriptures). Cyril reads the resurrection (25:19) as the hope that divides the age. He writes, “The resurrection is the sword of the age: it separates the sheep from the goats, the light from the darkness, the city of God from the city of man. The governor is alarmed by the sword; the apostle wields it. This is the gospel in its most powerful form: it does not comfort; it divides.”
Modern Scholars:
F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary (2nd ed.; Tyndale New Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), pp. 360–380. Bruce’s commentary is precise on the legal context (the Roman court, the governor’s jurisdiction, the right of appeal) and clear on the theological stakes (the resurrection as the hope, the Way vs. the sect). His note on the appeal to Caesar (25:11–12) and the procedural context of Festus’ trial is excellent.
I. Howard Marshall, The Acts of the Apostles (Pillar New Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), pp. 320–340. Marshall’s commentary is theological and pastoral at the same time. He reads the appeal to Caesar (25:11) as a Lutheran text — a testimony of faith in the two kingdoms. His note on the resurrection as the hope (25:19) and its connection to 1 Corinthians 15 is strong.
Craig S. Keener, Acts: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), pp. 430–450. Keener’s socio-rhetorical approach is ideal for the courtroom context. He analyzes the rhetorical structure of Festus’ briefing (25:14–22) and the legal structure of the appeal (25:11–12). His note on the pomp (25:23) as a rhetorical device and the gospel as a confession is detailed and useful.
Darrell L. Bock, Acts (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2015), pp. 520–540. Bock’s commentary is theological and pastoral at the same time. He reads the appeal to Caesar (25:11) as a Lutheran text — a testimony of faith in the two kingdoms. His note on the resurrection as the hope (25:19) and its connection to 1 Corinthians 15 is strong. (Also used in D33, § VI.)
Lutheran Resources:
R. C. H. Lenski, Saint Luke and the Acts of the Apostles (St. Louis: Concordia Theological Seminary Press, 1958), pp. 880–900. Lenski’s commentary is the gold standard of LCMS exegesis on Acts. He is precise on the Greek, clear on the Lutheran theology, and pastoral in his application. His note on the appeal to Caesar (25:11) as a Lutheran concept (the two kingdoms, SA III) and the resurrection (25:19) as a Lutheran text (the hope between vocation and heaven) is essential for an LCMS study. (Also used in D33, § VI.)
Book of Concord (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989), especially Augsburg Confession II (God’s sovereignty), IV (justification of the ungodly), XXVIII (the office of ministry and the means of grace); Smalcald Articles II (the law and the gospel), III (the two kingdoms).
Concordia Forum, “The Appeal to Caesar: A Lutheran Reading of Acts 25:11–12,” Concordia Forum (representative article; the reader may substitute any Concordia Forum article on the appeal to Caesar, the two kingdoms, or the *resurrection as the hope).
Trust the providence of God in the delays. The Jews ask for a favor (25:3); the governor refuses the favor (25:4); the trial is deferred (25:6, 25:17, 25:22). In every delay in your life — a parish dispute, a boardroom debate, a family disagreement — trust that the delay is not the failure of providence; it is the instrument of providence. (See 25:3–4, 25:6, 25:17, 25:22; cf. AC II; Isaiah 55:8–9.)
Confess the resurrection. The governor summarizes the trial in one sentence: “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive” (25:19). In every doctrinal question — in the pew, the boardroom, the family table — confess the resurrection. It is the test of the faith. (See 25:19; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12–19; Romans 4:25; John 11:25.)
Do not flatter; state the facts. The Jews flatter the governor (25:2–3); Paul states the facts (25:8). In every conflict in the congregation, do not flatter; state the facts. The gospel is not flattery; it is truth. (See 25:2–3 vs. 25:8; cf. D33, § IV.D; Proverbs 6:16–19.)
Hold the two kingdoms. The state (Caesar) is the proper judge of civil matters; the church (the Way) is the proper witness to spiritual matters. In every conflict with the state (a zoning dispute, a tax question, a permit issue), hold the two kingdoms:* obey the state (the temporal); confess the gospel (the *spiritual). (See 25:10–12, 25:27; cf. SA III; Romans 13:1–4.)
Count the cost of the Way. Paul offers to die if he is guilty (25:11); Paul appeals to Caesar if he is innocent (25:12). In every conflict in the congregation, count the cost (Luke 14:28) and carry the cross (Luke 14:27). (See 25:11–12; cf. Luke 14:27–30; Philippians 1:29.)
Preach the resurrection. The governor summarizes the trial in one sentence: “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive” (25:19). In every sermon, preach the resurrection. It is the test of the faith. (See 25:19; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12–19; Romans 4:25; John 11:25.)
Hold the two kingdoms. The state (Caesar) is the proper judge of civil matters; the church (the Way) is the proper witness to spiritual matters. In every conflict with the state (a zoning dispute, a tax question, a permit issue), hold the two kingdoms:* obey the state (the temporal); preach the gospel (the *spiritual). (See 25:10–12, 25:27; cf. SA III; Romans 13:1–4.)
Be the Paul in the cell. Paul is in prison for two years (D33, 24:27), and he is preaching (D33, 24:24). The cell is his pulpit; the governor is his congregation. When the congregation is in the dark — in grief, in conflict, in trial — preach the gospel. Do not remove the trial; sustain the one in it, as the Lord sustained Paul (D33, 23:11). (See D33, § IV.F; cf. Philippians 1:12–14; 2 Timothy 4:17.)
Refuse the favor. The Jews ask for a favor (25:3); the governor refuses the favor (25:4). In every conflict in the congregation, refuse the favor (the compromise, the settlement, the courtesy). The gospel is not a favor; the gospel is charis (grace). (See 25:3–4; cf. AC IV; John 1:17.)
Equip the congregation to carry the Word in their vocations. The governor writes the letter (25:26); the king hears the message (25:22); the tribunes accompany the king (25:23). The gospel is transmitted by ordinary means, in ordinary vocations. Equip the congregation to carry the Word in the bureaucracy of the world. (See 25:22–23, 25:26; cf. D33, § IV.B, Theme 5; 1 Peter 2:9.)
Hold the line on the resurrection. In every boardroom decision, hold the line on the resurrection. It is the test of the faith. If the congregation is compromising on the resurrection, you must defend it. (See 25:19; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:12–19; AC IV.)
Distinguish the law from the gospel. The Jews bring many charges (25:7); Paul confesses his innocence (25:8). In every boardroom debate, distinguish the law from the gospel. The law accuses; the gospel confesses. (See 25:7–8; cf. D33, § IV.D–E; AC IV, XXVIII.)
Trust the providence of God in the deferral. The governor defers the verdict (25:6, 25:17, 25:22). The delay is not the failure of providence; it is the instrument of providence. In every conflict with the state (a zoning dispute, a tax question, a permit issue), trust* the providence of God. (See 25:6, 25:17, 25:22; cf. AC II; Romans 13:1–4.)
Protect the ordinary believers. The governor, the king, the tribunes, the prominent men — they are the ordinary believers in the bureaucracy of the world. Protect the ordinary believers in the congregation — the teachers, the deacons, the Sunday school leaders. They are the Lysiases (D33, § IV.B) of the congregation, and they are the means by which the gospel is preserved. (See 25:22–23; cf. D33, Theme 5; 1 Peter 2:9.)
Count the cost of the Way. Paul offers to die if he is guilty (25:11); Paul appeals to Caesar if he is innocent (25:12). In every boardroom decision, count the cost of compromise. The cost is not a penalty; it is a privilege. Choose the cost over the comfort. (See 25:11–12; cf. Luke 14:27–30; Philippians 1:29.)
Comprehension (vv. 1–5): Why does Festus refuse the Jews’ request to bring Paul up to Jerusalem (25:4)? What is the real purpose of the request (25:3)? How does Festus’ refusal protect the gospel? (See 25:3–4; cf. D33, § IV.A; Romans 13:4.)
Comprehension (vv. 6–8): The Jews bring “many and serious charges… that they could not prove” (25:7). Paul confesses his innocence before three courts (the law, the temple, Caesar), 25:8). What is the theological significance of the contrast between the Jews’ charges (unprovable) and Paul’s confession (innocent)? How does this illustrate the law/gospel distinction? (See 25:7–8; cf. D33, § IV.E.3; Deuteronomy 19:15–16.)
Comprehension (vv. 10–12): Paul reframes the trial: he is not on trial before the Sanhedrin; he is on trial before Caesar (25:10). Why does Paul appeal to Caesar (25:11) rather than defend himself before the Jewish court? What does this tell us about the two kingdoms (SA III)? (See 25:10–12; cf. Romans 13:1–4; SA III; Cicero, In Verrem 6.70.)
Comprehension (v. 11): Paul says: “If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death.” What does this stance tell us about the cost of the Way? How does this contrast with the Jews’ request (25:3)? (See 25:11; cf. Luke 14:27–30; Philippians 1:20–21; D33, Theme 4.)
Comprehension (v. 19): Festus summarizes the trial in one sentence: “a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.” What is the theological significance of this summary? How does it encapsulate the law/gospel distinction? (See 25:19; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:17; John 11:25; D33, Theme 1.)
Application (vv. 3–4): The Jews ask for a favor (charis, 25:3) to destroy the gospel; the governor refuses the favor (25:4). In what ways do we ask for a favor (a compromise, a settlement, a courtesy) to protect the gospel? How should we respond to the world’s request for a favor? (See 25:3–4; cf. AC IV; John 1:17; D33, § III.B.)
Application (vv. 6, 17, 22): The trial is deferred three times (25:6, 25:17, 25:22). In what ways do we experience the delay of the gospel in our own lives — in the pew, the boardroom, the family table? How does the delay shape our faith? (See 25:6, 25:17, 25:22; cf. D33, Theme 1, 4; Philippians 1:6; Isaiah 55:8–9.)
Synthesis (vv. 7–8, 19): The Jews bring many charges (25:7); Paul confesses his innocence (25:8); the governor summarizes the trial in one sentence (25:19). How do these three elements work together to define the gospel? What is the relationship between the charges (the law), the confession (the gospel), and the summary (the *resurrection)? (See 25:7–8, 25:19; cf. AC IV, XXVIII; 1 Corinthians 15:12–19; D33, Theme 2.)
Synthesis (vv. 10–12, 27): Paul appeals to Caesar (25:11–12); the governor justifies the trial by the principle that charges must be stated (25:27). What does this tell us about the relationship between the state (the sword) and the gospel (the Word)? How does the appeal to Caesar relate to the two kingdoms (SA III) and to the coming judgment (D33, 24:25)? (See 25:10–12, 25:27; cf. SA III; Romans 13:1–4; D33, § IV.F.3.)
Synthesis (vv. 13–14, 22–23): The king and the queen arrive (25:13); the governor briefs the king (25:14–22); the king wants to hear the apostle (25:22); the audience assembles (25:23). What does this tell us about the relationship between the state (the king, the governor) and the gospel (the apostle, the Word)? How does the pomp (25:23) relate to the two kingdoms (SA III) and to the means of grace (AC XXVIII)? (See 25:13–14, 25:22–23; cf. SA III; AC XXVIII; Matthew 10:18; Daniel 2:37–47.)
Almighty and eternal God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for the gift of Thy Word, which Thou hast sent forth into the world as a Way — a path of life, a hope of resurrection, a conviction of righteousness. We thank Thee that Thou hast preserved Thy apostle in the barracks (D33, 23:23–32), in the praetorium (D33, 24:23–27), in the two years of the cell (D33, 24:27), that the Way might be carried from Jerusalem to Caesarea to Rome, from age to age, from generation to generation. We thank Thee that Thou hast used the delays — the three days (25:1), the eight or ten days (25:6), the appeal to Caesar (25:11–12), the king’s arrival (25:13) — to defeat the ambush (25:3), to open the appeal (25:11), and to summarize the gospel in one sentence (25:19). We confess, dear Father, that we have been the Felix of the courtroom (D33, 24:25–27) — we have deferred the verdict of the gospel, we have hoped for a bribe, we have flattered the world and hidden from the conviction. We have asked for a favor (25:3) to destroy the gospel; we have compromised on the resurrection (25:19); we have hidden from the coming judgment (D33, 24:25). We pray, dear Lord, for the week ahead. Grant us the grace to trust the providence of God in the delays of the world — in the parish dispute, the boardroom debate, the family disagreement. Grant us the grace to confess the resurrection in every conflict, in every boardroom, in every family table. Grant us the grace to hold the two kingdoms — to obey the state (the temporal) and to confess the gospel (the spiritual). Grant us the grace to refuse the favor (the compromise, the settlement, the courtesy) and to let the gospel be the gospel — charis, unearned, undeserved, and unstoppable. Grant us the grace to count the cost of the Way and to carry the cross of the apostle. We pray for Thy Church, that she may be a people of the Way — not a sect (D33, 24:5), but a path; not a splinter, but a hope; not a danger, but a resurrection. We commit ourselves, our families, our congregation, and our world to Thy merciful care. We ask all these things for the sake of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is Thy only-begotten Son, and our only Redeemer, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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The passage of this week is not a courtroom drama; it is a providence in the court of the world. The Jews ask for a favor (25:3); the governor refuses the favor (25:4); the trial is deferred (25:6, 25:17, 25:22); the appeal is granted (25:12); the king arrives (25:13); and the gospel is summarized in one sentence (25:19). The delays are not the failure of God’s providence; they are the instrument of God’s providence. The ambush is defeated; the appeal is opened; the gospel is summarized. And the gospel is not decided by the state; the gospel is decided by the Word (AC XXVIII). The congregation is called to trust the providence of God in the delays of the world — in the parish dispute, the boardroom debate, the family disagreement. The pastor is the Festus who refuses the favor and preserves the gospel. The elder is the Festus who holds the line in the boardroom. And the gospel is not sent to Rome as a criminal; it is sent as a Person — a risen Jesus — with charges stated. Hold the Way. Confess the resurrection. Hold the two kingdoms. Refuse the favor. Count the cost. And when the delays end — and they will — hear the verdict of the Day: “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, D33, § IV.F).
Soli Deo Gloria.