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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_25:1-5
1Festus then, having arrived in the province, three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were urging him, 3requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way). 4Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5"Therefore," he said, "let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them prosecute him."
Act_25:1 "Festus" This was Felix's successor. He was a nobler personality, but obviously under the same political pressure and mind set. He was in office for two years and died in a.d. 62 while still in office (cf. Josephus, Antiq. 20.8.9).
▣ "three days later" This shows how upset and persistent the Jewish leadership was concerning Paul. Festus also wanted to make a good first impression.
Act_25:2 "the chief priest and the leading men of the Jews" This may refer to the Sanhedrin, which was made up of 70 Jewish leaders from Jerusalem. They formed the highest judicial body of the Jews in both politics and religion. See Special Topic at Act_4:5. However, it could also refer to the other wealthy and elite citizens of Jerusalem who would be very anxious to meet the new Roman procurator and begin to establish a good relationship with him.
It is surely possible that it refers to both groups. After two years there was a new high priest, Ishmael ben Fabus (a.d. 56-62). He, too, wanted to establish himself and a good way to do this was to attack the renegade Pharisee, Paul.
▣ "they were urging him" This is an imperfect active indicative. They asked again and again.
Act_25:3 This shows animosity against Paul on the part of these religious leaders. They saw Paul as an enemy from within!
▣ "(at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way)" The tactics of the Jewish leadership had not changed (cf. Act_23:12-15).
Act_25:5 "if" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his purposes (cf. A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. 3, p. 429). Dr. Bruce Tankersley, the Koine Greek specialist at East Texas Baptist University, says it might be third class because there is no verb in the protasis. Festus assumed Paul was guilty. Why else would the Jerusalem leaders be so persistent, and so tenacious?