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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_25:13-22
13Now when several days had elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. 14While they were spending many days there, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix; 15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. 21But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar." 22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."
Act_25:13 "King Agrippa" This refers to Agrippa II. He was the brother of Drusilla and Bernice. He was educated in Rome and was very loyal to Rome's policies and programs.
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Act_25:13-19 This again reveals one of Luke's literary and theological purposes, which was to show that Christianity was not a political threat to Rome (cf. Act_25:25). In the early decades of the first century Christianity was considered a sect of Judaism, which was acknowledged by Rome as a legal religion. Rome wanted no part of disputes between Jewish religious sects!
Act_25:18 "they began charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting" This shows the intensity and nature of the Jewish opposition. It was not political, but religious.
NASB, NRSV,
NJB, NIV"crimes"
NKJV "such things"
TEV "evil crimes"
REB"charges"
NET Bible"evil deeds"
ASV"evil things"
There are several variants.
1. ponçrôn – genitive plural in MSS à cf8 i2, B, E, meaning "things of evil" (cf. Act_28:21)
2. ponçrau – accusative neuter singular in MSS P74, A, C*
3. ponçra – accusative neuter plural in MSS à *, C2
4. omit – MSS L, P, and some Lectionaries (cf. NKJV)
UBS4 puts option #1 in the text with a "C" rating (difficulty in deciding).
Felix was surprised that the charges were not serious and had to do with Jewish religious matters, not legal matters.
Act_25:19 "religion" This is literally a compound term from "fear" and "gods." This term can mean "superstition," which was exactly what these Roman leaders thought about the Jewish religion. However, Festus would have not wanted to insult his Jewish dignitaries, so he used an ambiguous term (so too, Paul, Act_17:22).
Act_25:18-19 show again that Roman justice found no fault with Paul or Christianity.
▣ "about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be alive" The resurrection was one the central pillars of the sermons (kerygma, see Special Topic at Act_2:14) in Acts (cf. Act_26:8). Christianity stands or falls on this theological assertion (cf. 1 Corinthians 15).