NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 70
A cts 2 4 : 1 7
2026
17 “After several years away, I returned to
Jerusalem with money to aid my people and
to offer sacrifices to God. 18 My accusers
saw me in the Temple as I was completing a
purification ceremony. There was no crowd
around me and no rioting. 19 But some Jews
from the province of Asia were there—and
they ought to be here to bring charges if they
have anything against me! 20 Ask these men
here what crime the Jewish high council*
found me guilty of, 21 except for the one time
I shouted out, ‘I am on trial before you today
because I believe in the resurrection of the
dead!’”
22 At that point Felix, who was quite fa
miliar with the Way, adjourned the hearing
and said, “Wait until Lysias, the garrison
commander, arrives. Then I will decide the
case.” 23 He ordered an officer* to keep Paul
in custody but to give him some freedom
and allow his friends to visit him and take
care of his needs.
24 A few days later Felix came back with
his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending
for Paul, they listened as he told them about
faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As he reasoned with
them about righteousness and self-control
and the coming day of judgment, Felix be
came frightened. “Go away for now,” he re
plied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call
for you again.” 26 He also hoped that Paul
would bribe him, so he sent for him quite
often and talked with him.
27 After two years went by in this way,
Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And
because Felix wanted to gain favor with the
Jewish people, he left Paul in prison.
Paul Appears before Festus
Three days after Festus arrived in
Caesarea to take over his new re
sponsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, 2 where
the leading priests and other Jewish leaders
met with him and made their accusations
against Paul. 3 They asked Festus as a favor
to transfer Paul to Jerusalem (planning to
ambush and kill him on the way). 4 But Fes
tus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he
himself would be returning there soon. 5 So
he said, “Those of you in authority can return
with me. If Paul has done anything wrong,
you can make your accusations.”
6 About eight or ten days later Festus re
turned to Caesarea, and on the following
day he took his seat in court and ordered
that Paul be brought in. 7 When Paul arrived,
the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered
around and made many serious accusations
they couldn’t prove.
8 Paul p denied the charges. “I am not guilty
of any crime against the Jewish laws or the
Temple or the Roman government,” he said.
9 Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews,
asked him, “Are you willing to go to Jerusa
lem and stand trial before me there?”
10 But Paul replied, “No! This is the official
Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here.
You know very well I am not guilty of harming
the Jews. 11 If I have done something worthy
of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am in
nocent, no one has a right to turn me over to
these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!”
12 Festus conferred with his advisers and
then replied, “Very well! You have appealed
to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
25
24:17
Acts 11:2930
Rom 15:2528
1 Cor 16:14
2 Cor 8:14
Gal 2:10
24:18
Acts 21:2627
24:21
Acts 23:6
24:23
Acts 27:3; 28:16, 30
24:25
Acts 10:42
Gal 5:23
2 Pet 1:6
24:27
Acts 25:9, 14
25:1
Acts 24:27
25:2
Acts 24:1; 25:15
25:3
Acts 23:15
25:5
Acts 23:30
25:6
Acts 25:17
25:7
Acts 24:56, 13
25:8
Acts 6:13; 24:12;
28:17
p apologeomai (0626)
Acts
25:16
25:9
Acts 24:27
25:10
Acts 25:21
25:11
Acts 26:32; 28:19
2 4:20 Greek Sanhedrin. 24:23 Greek a centurion.
24:17 money to aid my people: See note
on 20:12; see also Rom 15:2529; 1 Cor
16:12; 2 Cor 9:17. • and to offer sacrifices to God: See Acts 21:2326.
24:22 Perhaps Felix delayed his deci
sion hoping that Paul would bribe him
(24:26).
24:23 It was in keeping with the proper
treatment of a Roman citizen to give
him some freedom and allow his friends
to visit him and take care of his needs.
24:24 Drusilla was the sister of Herod
Agrippa II and Bernice (25:13; see “The
Herod Family,” Matt 2:120); Drusilla
had abandoned her former husband,
Azizus the King of Emessa, and married
Felix. Drusilla was Jewish, so in forsaking
her original husband and marrying Felix
she had disregarded God’s commands
(Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18; cp. Mal 2:16;
Mark 10:12). Josephus criticized her for
this (Antiquities 20.7.12). Drusilla and
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
her husband were confronted in their
conversation with Paul by the prospect
of judgment.
24:25 Paul’s words about righteousness,
self-control, and coming divine judgment frightened Felix, who was notably
corrupt (24:2627; see notes on 23:24;
24:24).
24:2627 Felix kept Paul in custody hop
ing for a bribe. When this failed and his
own term ended, he left Paul in prison
to gain favor with the Jewish people.
24:27–25:5 Felix’s successor was Porcius
Festus, appointed by Nero to be gover
nor of Judea, about ad 59~62. Josephus
describes Festus as a conscientious,
honest administrator who was not able
to stem the rising tide of Jewish unrest
despite his strong action against the
party of the Assassins (Josephus, Antiquities 20.8.10; cp. Acts 21:38). He resisted
the Jewish leaders’ attempt to have
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
Paul’s trial moved to Jerusalem, but he
was not immune to their pressure (25:9).
25:7 The serious accusations were prob
ably those raised previously (21:2728;
24:59), but the accusations were
unsupported by the evidence (24:1013).
25:9 Festus, wanting to please the
Jews: The governor would later state
his official reason for delaying Paul’s
trial and asking to move it to Jerusalem
(25:1720). His request was driven by
politics, however, not justice.
25:1011 Festus’s suggestion that Paul
be tried in Jerusalem motivated the
apostle’s appeal to Caesar. Paul was not
afraid of death, but he objected to being
turned over to a biased court intent on
murder, not justice (25:7).
25:12 Festus granted Paul’s appeal. This
fulfilled Paul’s conviction that he must
see Rome (19:21; see also 23:11; 27:24;
Rom 1:1315; 15:2229).
POETRY & WISDOM
