Give No Offense in Anything

Acts 25:1-27 

Paul Appeals to Caesar

1 Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem—while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. 4 But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5 "Therefore," he said, "let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him."

6 And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7 When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8 while he answered for himself, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all."

9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?"

10 So Paul said, "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11 For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar."

12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!"

Paul Before Agrippa

13 And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. 14 When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying: "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, 15 about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. 16 To them I answered, 'It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.' 17 Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, 19 but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar."

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself."
"Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."

23 So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said: "King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. 26 I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."

Paul was about to be hauled off to Jerusalem to face those out to kill him when again plotting to ambush him on the way as before.  Fortunately, when the governor Festus heard the petition after the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul, he wisely kept the apostle in Cesaerea and invited them to come to Paul instead.  A couple weeks later they did come before the court judgment seat and failed to prove any of their accusations against him.  Paul maintained and affirmed on his part he did not do anything against the law of the Jews, the temple, or even against Caesar to offend in any way.  The judge found him faultless, just as God the Father on the heavenly side finds us faultless (Jude 1:24-25) to stand before the throne of grace due to our Advocate forever interceding (Hebrews 7:25) for us there.  Festus was swayed by popular opinion to please the Jews afterwards by trying to talk Paul into going to Jerusalem afterwards to face his judgment in that influential place instead of the less politically charged Cesaerea, but Paul was given wisdom to protect him by the act of the Holy Spirit to claim the right to face the king in Rome instead, just as we can exercise our right to a higher court in the earthly and heavenly realms.  Roman law dictated that a citizen had this right and it was granted to him even though it disappointed the political attention hungry Festus to lose the backing of the Jews.  When King Agrippa came to meet Festus and heard the background of Paul’s case and how he was undeserving of punishment, the issue of Christ whom he represented and the resurrection from death came up.  The resurrection is the validation and proof of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 21-22) and its power to grant life to dead men and women (Ephesians 2:5).  He was kept incarcerated with the unproven and unfounded accusations even though he had committed nothing deserving of death.  This was God’s plan, purpose, and promise to bring Paul to Rome to testify to kings (Acts 9:15, 19:21, 28:19-20, 30-31) of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  God arranged it all to happen, moving the hearts of kings like diverting rivers (Proverbs 21:1) as the Spirit worked to accomplish the promise of Acts 1:8 to bring the good news of salvation and reconciliation through the redemptive sacrifice of the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) of God to the nations.  May we follow this example (1 Corinthians 11:1) to give no offense in anything (1 Corinthians 10:32-33, 1 Peter 3:15-17) as we also proclaim these promises in Christ to all people of every country and race we encounter.