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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_25:6-12
6After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, 8while Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." 9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?" 10But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." 12Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, "You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go."
Act_25:6-9 These events showed Paul that he had no real hope for justice with Festus. He knew what awaited him in Jerusalem (cf. Act_25:3). He also knew Jesus wanted him to go to Rome (cf. Act_9:15).
Act_25:6 "After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them" I would imagine the Jewish leaders wined and dined Festus. They manipulated all the Roman officials.
Act_25:8 Paul asserts that he is innocent of all charges against
1. the Law of Moses (cf. Act_21:21; Act_21:28)
2. the temple (cf. Act_21:28; Act_24:6)
3. Caesar (cf. Act_16:21; Act_17:7)
Numbers 1, 2 are exactly what Stephen was charged with in Act_6:13-14.
Act_25:10-11 Paul asserts that he was already before the proper authority and in the proper place. Luke records in Act_25:11 Paul's official appeal to Caesar.
The right of appeal to Caesar initially started with Octavian in 30 b.c. (cf. Dio Cassius, History, 51.19). This initial dictate was expanded to forbid blinding, scourging, and torture to any Roman citizen who appealed to Caesar (cf. Paulus, Sententiae 5.26.1).
There is a good discussion of Roman Law of the first century in A. N. Sherwin-White's Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, "lecture four: Paul before Felix and Festus," pp. 48-70.
Act_25:11 "If. . .if" These are two first class conditional sentences which are assumed to be true from the author's perspective or for his purpose. These two usages in context show how this grammatical construction was used to make a point. The first is false to reality (but exactly the same condition used by Felix in Act_25:5); the second is true to reality.
▣ "I do not refuse to die" Paul recognized the power of the state (cf. Rom_13:4). The OT perspective on capital punishment can be found in Gen_9:6. See an interesting discussion of capital punishment in Hard Sayings of the Bible, pp. 114-116.
NASB, TEV "no one can hand me over to them"
NKJV "no on can deliver me over to them"
NRSV "no one can turn me over to them"
NJB "no one has the right to surrender me to them"
The term charizomai basically means "to gratify" or "grant as a favor." Paul realized that Festus was trying to impress the Jewish leadership by giving them himself!
However, it is possible that Festus is trying to abide by a decree from Julius Caesar (cf. Josephus, Antiq. 14.10.2), which encouraged Roman officials in Palestine to allow the wishes of the high priest.
▣ "I appeal to Caesar" This was the legal right of every Roman citizen in capital punishment cases (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96). At this point in history, Nero was the Caesar (a.d. 54-68).
Act_25:12 "his council" This refers to Festus' Roman legal experts, not the Jewish leaders.
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO Act_25:13 to Act_26:32
BACKGROUND
A. Herod Agrippa II (Marcus Julius Agrippa)
1. He is the son of Herod Agrippa I (cf. Acts 12), who was the political ruler of Judea and who had control of the Temple and Priesthood (a.d. 41-44) and grandson of Herod the Great.
2. He was educated in Rome and was pro-Roman. He returned to Rome after the Jewish war of a.d. 70 and died there in a.d. 100.
3. At the age of 17 his father died, but he was too young to assume his kingdom.
4. In a.d. 50 Herod Chalcis, Agrippa II's uncle, the King of Chalcis (a small kingdom in Northern Palestine), died and Agrippa II was given his kingdom by Emperor Claudius. Also, he was given control over the Temple and the High Priesthood.
5. In a.d. 53 he exchanged this small kingdom for the tetrarches of Herod Philip (Ituraea and Trachonitis) and Lysanius (Abilene).
6. Later, Emperor Nero added certain cities and villages around the Sea of Galilee to his control. His capital was Caesarea Philippi, which he renamed Neronias.
7. For historical reference cf:
a. Josephus Jewish Wars 2.12.1,7-8; 15.1; 16.4; 7.5.1
b. Josephus' Antiquities of the Jews 19.9.2; 20.5.2; 6.5; 7.1; 8.4; 9.6.
B. Bernice
1. She was the oldest daughter of Herod Agrippa I.
2. She was the sister of Agrippa II, and for a period of time may have been his incestuous lover (there is no evidence of this, only rumor). Later she was a mistress to Emperor Titus while he was a general. He was the Roman general who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in a.d. 70.
3. She was Drusilla's sister (cf. Act_24:24).
4. She was married to Herod Chalcis (Herod Agrippa I's brother, her uncle), but when he died she moved in with her brother.
5. She later married Polemon, King of Cilicia, but left him to return to her brother who had just been given the title of "King."
6. She was the mistress of Emperor Vespasian.
7. Historical references
a. Josephus Jewish Wars 2.1.6; 15.1; 17.1.
b.Josephus' Antiquities of the Jew 19.9.1; 15.1; 20.1.3
c. Tacitus' History 2.2
d. Seutonius' Life of Titus 7
e. Dio Cassius' Histories 65.15; 66.18
f. Juvenal's Satire 61.156-157