Trials before Roman Governors
Acts 24:1–25:12
With Paul’s capture in Jerusalem, his evangelizing missions have come to an end. In the final chapters of Acts, we observe Paul, innocent of wrongdoing, enduring multiple trials, imprisonments, and adversities after the example of Jesus his Lord. He suffers much not only from his original Jewish enemies but also at the hands of Roman officials, especially Felix but also Festus, both of whom are far from just in their treatment of him. Even Paul’s appeal to his Roman citizenship, though it spares him an immediate flogging and assassination, does not prevent him from having to suffer long incarceration and aggravating legal trials.
Trial before Felix (24:1–23)
1Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an advocate, a certain Tertullus, and they presented formal charges against Paul to the governor. 2When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Since we have attained much peace through you, and reforms have been accomplished in this nation through your provident care, 3we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. 4But in order not to detain you further, I ask you to give us a brief hearing with your customary graciousness. 5We found this man to be a pest; he creates dissension among Jews all over the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazoreans. 6He even tried to desecrate our temple, but we arrested him. [7] 8If you examine him you will be able to learn from him for yourself about everything of which we are accusing him.” 9The Jews also joined in the attack and asserted that these things were so.
10Then the governor motioned to him to speak and Paul replied, “I know that you have been a judge over this nation for many years and so I am pleased to make my defense before you. 11As you can verify, not more than twelve days have passed since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor anywhere in the city did they find me arguing with anyone or instigating a riot among the people. 13Nor can they prove to you the accusations they are now making against me. 14But this I do admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors and I believe everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets. 15I have the same hope in God as they themselves have that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. 16Because of this, I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man. 17After many years, I came to bring alms for my nation and offerings. 18While I was so engaged, they found me, after my purification, in the temple without a crowd or disturbance. 19But some Jews from the province of Asia, who should be here before you to make whatever accusation they might have against me— 20or let these men themselves state what crime they discovered when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21unless it was my one outcry as I stood among them, that ‘I am on trial before you today for the resurrection of the dead.’”
22Then Felix, who was accurately informed about the Way, postponed the trial, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I shall decide your case.” 23He gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from caring for his needs.
OT: Dan 12:2; Num 19:11–12
NT: 1 Cor 16:1–3; 2 Cor 8–9; Phil 2:22–25; 4:18, Philem 13
Catechism: Christians and civil authority, 2255, 2266, 2498; clear conscience, 2471, 2776–82; resurrection and judgment, 1021–22, 1038–41
[24:1]
Luke provides a vivid picture of Paul’s judicial trial before the governor Felix, with arguments by the attorney hired by the Jewish Sanhedrin, a certain Tertullus, followed by Paul’s defense speech on his own behalf. The trial begins five days after Paul’s arrival in Caesarea, when the high priest Ananias arrives with some elders who share his authority over Jews in Jerusalem. Their advocate (Greek rhētōr, an orator or lawyer) presents formal charges against Paul to the governor.
[24:2–4]
Tertullus begins his speech with a flattering attempt to win a positive hearing from most excellent Felix. Since Felix had a reputation for being a very poor administrator (see sidebar, p. 347), the compliment is not even believable. Tertullus claims that the Jews have attained much peace through you, although first-century Roman historians record precisely the opposite. The lawyer credits Felix with reforms achieved through his provident care, for which he expresses all gratitude. Having buttered up the governor as much as he dares, Tertullus asks for a brief hearing with your customary graciousness.
[24:5]
Then come Tertullus’s actual charges against Paul: he is a pest or troublemaker who creates dissension (Greek stasis, which can refer to quarrels, civil strife, or even riots) among Jews all over the world—an obvious exaggeration. Although Tertullus is trying to portray this dissension as a threat to Roman order, it comes across as an unconvincing accusation. Also unpersuasive is the charge that Paul is a menace as a ringleader of the sect of the Nazoreans (the only New Testament use of this term for followers of Jesus of Nazareth). The term “sect” (hairesis, from which “heresy” is derived) is often used by Luke and other ancient authors to indicate parties within Judaism. Thus the implication is that the conflict in question is primarily between two Jewish parties, which does not bolster Tertullus’s effort to portray these problems as public matters undermining imperial order.
[24:6–9]
Tertullus’s most serious charge is that Paul even tried to desecrate our temple, for that would indeed threaten civil order in Jerusalem, because such desecration was likely to provoke a disturbance. According to Tertullus that charge is the reason the Jews arrested Paul. He ends his opening argument with an invitation to Felix to examine Paul himself and verify the accusations. The Jewish leaders join in the attack, vouching for the truth of Tertullus’s charges.
[24:10]
The governor gives Paul a chance to defend himself. Paul’s courteous introductory words attempt to win a positive hearing, while steering clear of flattery. He acknowledges that Felix has been a judge over this nation for many years, implying that he is well informed about Jewish concerns, so Paul can describe himself as pleased to make his defense before him.
[24:11–13]
Paul summarizes his case, inviting Felix to verify the details for himself. Some twelve days ago, he went up to Jerusalem as a good Jew to worship, not to cause trouble. Paul does not consider his conversion to Christ a departure from Judaism; rather, he has continued his Jewish devotional practices. He flatly denies that the Jews found him arguing with anyone or instigating a riot anywhere. Paul also asserts that his opponents are unable to prove any of their accusations against him.
[24:14–16]
Paul explains to Felix that he worships the God of his Jewish ancestors, the same God who has now been revealed in his Son Jesus Christ. Paul emphasizes the continuity between Judaism and his Christian faith. He practices Judaism according to the Way, that is, Christianity, the whole way of life that is entailed in being a disciple of Jesus. He continues to believe everything in the Jewish Scriptures, the law and the prophets, which he now recognizes as pointing forward to the Messiah Jesus. He also has the same hope in God as the Jews, that is, hope in a future resurrection of the dead, both the righteous and the unrighteous. Many Jews, including the Pharisees, believed in a resurrection on the basis of Dan 12:2: “Many of those who sleep / in the dust of the earth shall awake; / Some to everlasting life, / others to reproach and everlasting disgrace.” Because Paul believes in God’s future judgment, he strives to keep his conscience clear before God and man.
[24:17]
Paul says he came to bring alms for his nation and offerings to God in the temple. This offering should not be confused with the Antioch church’s earlier collection for the Jerusalem church during a famine, which Barnabas and Paul carried to Jerusalem (Acts 11:27–30). During his later evangelizing missions, Paul collected funds from his Gentile churches for the poor of the church in Jerusalem (Rom 15:25–28; 1 Cor 16:1–3; 2 Cor 8–9). Paul’s Letters put major emphasis on that collection, which may have included the alms he mentions here. That collection fulfilled a promise he made to the Jerusalem apostles when they blessed his apostolate to the Gentiles (Gal 2:10).
[24:18]
Paul completed his purification, probably with water (Acts 21:26; see Num 19:11–12), and was found in the temple without a crowd or disturbance. This is Paul’s defense against Tertullus’s charge that he had desecrated the temple (v. 6).
[24:19]
Those who found him in the temple were some Jews from the province of Asia. Paul complains that those eyewitnesses are not present to bring their accusation before Felix in person. Without their presence, the charges are mere hearsay, which is not valid evidence in a court trial. Roman jurisprudence took a dim view of accusers who did not come forward to bear witness to their charges.
[24:20–21]
In the absence of eyewitnesses to his temple arrest, Paul insists that his accusers are not qualified to give any testimony about him, other than to state what crime they discovered at his earlier trial before the Sanhedrin. Based on what they witnessed then, the only charge they can validly support is, ironically, Paul’s exclamation that he was on trial for the resurrection of the dead, which is no crime at all. Paul’s defense demonstrates that his accusers have no evidence that he caused a civil disturbance or defiled the temple. The real issue, he suggests, is a theological disagreement.
[24:22]
Felix, either judging the evidence insufficient or not wanting to displease the Jewish leaders, postpones deliberation until Lysias, the officer who removed Paul from the mob in the temple, should arrive. Felix promises to decide Paul’s case after he hears Lysias’s testimony. Luke notes that Felix was accurately informed about the Christian movement. Perhaps this is one of Paul’s reasons for welcoming a hearing before him (v. 10). During his time in office, Felix would have become familiar with the conflicts between the followers of Jesus and other Jews.
[24:23]
In the meantime Felix puts Paul in custody under the centurion. Paul is to be allowed some liberty, and his friends are permitted to care for his needs. It was Roman practice to allow an inmate’s family or friends to supply his needs, which reduced the cost of feeding prisoners. In his letters Paul refers to help given him by fellow Christians such as Epaphroditus (Phil 2:22–25; 4:18) and Onesimus (Philem 13) during his imprisonments.
Captivity in Caesarea (24:24–27)
24Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He had Paul summoned and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25But as he spoke about righteousness and self-restraint and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now; when I find an opportunity I shall summon you again.” 26At the same time he hoped that a bribe would be offered him by Paul, and so he sent for him very often and conversed with him.
27Two years passed and Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.
OT: Deut 16:19; Eccles 7:7
NT: Rom 2:16; 14:12; 1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10; 1 Tim 2:15; 2 Tim 1:7; Heb 9:27
Catechism: righteousness, 1987–95; self-control, 1832; the coming judgment, 1021–22, 1038–41
[24:24–25]
Felix does not keep his promise to decide Paul’s case when Lysias arrives. Instead, he has Paul brought before him for a conversation with his Jewish wife Drusilla, who might help him understand some of the Jewish issues in Paul’s case. As Herod Antipas had listened to the preaching of John the Baptist (Mark 6:18, 20), Felix listens to Paul speak about faith in Christ Jesus, a message that includes teaching about the kind of conduct God requires and the accountability of every person before God. At Paul’s mention of righteousness and self-restraint and the coming judgment, Felix becomes frightened, probably because these points hit close to home regarding his adulterous relationship with Drusilla and other vices (see sidebar, p. 347). He dismisses Paul for the time being.
[24:26–27]
Felix allowed Paul to languish in prison for two years. Luke suggests that the main reason he listened to Paul very often was his hope for a bribe. Bribing officials was common in the Roman Empire, and Felix may have thought that Paul’s network of Christian friends would pay for his release. Eventually, however, Porcius Festus took over the governorship. Felix further showed his lack of concern for justice by leaving Paul in prison in order to ingratiate himself with the Jews.
Reflection and Application (24:24–27)
The repeated conversations between a corrupt Roman governor and his Christian prisoner were most unusual. Besides the hope for a bribe, something else may have induced Felix to keep summoning Paul. As the adulterous King Herod had been both intrigued and disturbed by John the Baptist’s preaching (Mark 6:18, 20), the truth of Paul’s gospel message may have simultaneously attracted and frightened Felix.
Paul was a gifted evangelist. He knew how to talk winningly to all kinds of people (1 Cor 9:22). He did not shrink from speaking about moral issues and final judgment, but he did so skillfully, without causing unnecessary offense to his listener. Despite Paul’s efforts, Felix did not repent but left the man he liked to talk to in prison. Like Paul, we are called to “proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching” (2 Tim 4:2).
Appeal to Caesar (25:1–12)
1Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem 2where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented him their formal charges against Paul. They asked him 3as a favor to have him sent to Jerusalem, for they were plotting to kill him along the way. 4Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea and that he himself would be returning there shortly. 5He said, “Let your authorities come down with me, and if this man has done something improper, let them accuse him.”
6After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the following day took his seat on the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and brought many serious charges against him, which they were unable to prove. 8In defending himself Paul said, “I have committed no crime either against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9Then Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, said to Paul in reply, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there stand trial before me on these charges?” 10Paul answered, “I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar; this is where I should be tried. I have committed no crime against the Jews, as you very well know. 11If I have committed a crime or done anything deserving death, I do not seek to escape the death penalty; but if there is no substance to the charges they are bringing against me, then no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” 12Then Festus, after conferring with his council, replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.”
OT: Num 35:31
NT: Matt 22:21; Acts 18:12–17; 1 Cor 4:3
Catechism: Christians and civil authority, 2255, 2266, 2498
[25:1–5]
After arriving in the province about AD 59, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. Not even Paul’s two-year imprisonment had calmed the anger of the Jewish authorities, who immediately press their formal charges against Paul before the new governor. They even attempt the same plot that some unsuccessfully tried two years before under Felix (Acts 23:12–21), asking Festus to send Paul to Jerusalem so they can ambush him en route. Festus, perhaps knowing of the previous conspiracy, wisely replies that Paul will remain in the governor’s headquarters in Caesarea. He invites the Jewish authorities to bring their charges against Paul there.
[25:6–7]
On his return to Caesarea, Festus takes his seat on the tribunal, an elevated platform for judges, for a second trial of Paul. Luke summarizes this hearing briefly. The Jews who had come down from Jerusalem again bring many serious charges against Paul, this time not bothering to hire a prosecutor like Tertullus. However, just as in Paul’s earlier trial, they are unable to prove any of the accusations.
[25:8]
Again defending himself, Paul denies all their charges, insisting that he has committed no crime against either the Jewish leaders or the Roman government, nor has he desecrated the temple.
[25:9–10]
Festus proves little better than the corrupt Felix, for he too tries to ingratiate himself with the Jews by asking Paul if he is willing to accept a change of forum, to stand trial before the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Festus is less interested in justice for Paul than in avoiding the conflicts with the Jewish leadership that characterized his predecessor’s tenure (see sidebar, p. 347). Realizing this, Paul insists that he should be tried by the Romans, since he stands before the tribunal of Caesar, that is, in a Roman court. In palpable irony, Paul realizes he has a better chance of obtaining justice from the pagan Romans than from his fellow Jews.
[25:11–12]
In a striking expression of both a clear conscience and freedom from fear of death, Paul declares that he does not seek to escape the death penalty if he deserves it. Nevertheless, he insists that the charges against him have no substance. Since he is a Roman citizen, no one has the right to hand him over to a Jewish court in Jerusalem, where the outcome would certainly be negative. Paul therefore exercises his right as a citizen and makes an appeal to Caesar, to be tried in Rome before the emperor or his delegate. According to Talbert, “An appeal to Caesar was a costly business. The appellant would personally have to undertake the costs of travel to Rome, the living costs while there, and perhaps the costs of actually litigating the case, including securing witnesses.” But in Paul’s case, it is better than the alternative. After conferring with his council, Festus declares, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.” No doubt he is relieved to get this controversial prisoner off his hands.
Fig. 22. The Roman emperor Nero, before whom Paul probably stood for trial (see Acts 25:11–12).
Jean-Pol Grandmont/Wikimedia Commons
