ACTS CHAPTER 25 ACTS 25:1 The Jews accuse Paul to Festus, first at Jerusalem, and afterwards at Caesarea. ACTS 25:8 He answereth for himself, and appealeth to Caesar; his appeal is admitted. ACTS 25:13 Festus being visited by king Agrippa openeth the matter to him, who desireth to hear Paul. ACTS 25... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHIEF OF THE JEWS; the same who are called the elders, in ACTS 24:1. INFORMED HIM AGAINST PAUL; continued their accusation and prosecution of Paul. So restless is the rage and enmity, the adversaries of truth have against the professors of it.... [ Continue Reading ]
DESIRED FAVOUR; though it seems to have been but justice, that they might be allowed to try Paul for such crimes as were within their cognizance; yet that they might the more easily obtain their desire, they beg it as a favour. LAYING WAIT IN THE WAY TO KILL HIM; which did worse become magistrates a... [ Continue Reading ]
It is most probable that Festus had been informed by Felix of the Jews malice against Paul; for Felix having been accused by the Jews unto the emperor, might be supposed to have recriminated wheresoever he had any opportunity; and in all the time of his government they were not guilty of a worse fac... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH AMONG YOU ARE ABLE; fit to prosecute Paul in your behalf; as Tertullus was, whom the Jews had carried with them formerly, ACTS 24:1. GO DOWN WITH ME; because Jerusalem was in a mountainous part of the country, and much of it built upon a hill. WICKEDNESS; the word properly signifies a foolish... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; MORE THAN TEN DAYS; the margin gives an account of a diverse reading, unto which might be added another, viz. eight or ten days; which reading many follow, and is according unto the usual expression of such a short space of time, which need not to be exactly set down. Thus though God hath pr... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE WAS COME; the judge sat, and the prisoner brought. THE JEWS WHICH CAME DOWN FROM JERUSALEM; his accusers, which were many, and came with a full cry against him, STOOD ROUND ABOUT him, or about the judgment seat. MANY AND GRIEVOUS COMPLAINTS; what these accusations were, appears in the next v... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul answers unto the three crimes which he was charged with: 1. He had not offended against the law, having been always a religious observer of it: nor: 2. Against the temple, which he went into devoutly, and upon a religious account: nor: 3. Against Caesar; having never taught any rebellion, no... [ Continue Reading ]
WILLING TO DO THE JEWS A PLEASURE; as his predecessor, Felix, before him, ACTS 24:27, to gain popular applause, and the good will of that nation; especially Felix having been displaced upon the complaint of the Jews against him. ANSWERED, or spake to _Paul; _ as ACTS 3:12. WILT THOU GO UP TO JERUSAL... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul might justly suspect his judges, and the place where they would have him judged, and also his journey thither, knowing with what difficulty, and not without a great guard, he came from thence. I STAND AT CAESAR'S JUDGMENT SEAT; he was now before Caesar's tribunal, whose vicegerent Festus was; a... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I BE AN OFFENDER; if I have injured the Jews, and my fault be WORTHY OF DEATH, such as by law deserves death, I beg no favour. NO MAN MAY DELIVER ME UNTO THEM; according to law, (which the Romans did punctually observe), before sentence was passed. I APPEAL UNTO CAESAR: it was lawful for any that... [ Continue Reading ]
CONFERRED WITH THE COUNCIL; either of the Jews, and those of the sanhedrim, that he might inform them of the law or custom of the Romans, and how that he could not but admit of St. Paul's appeal; or with his own council; it being usual with the Roman presidents to do nothing of moment without the ad... [ Continue Reading ]
This _Agrippa_ is called by Josephus, the younger, and was the son of Herod Agrippa, or Agrippa the Great, who in this book of the Acts is called Herod, whose death is mentioned, ACTS 12:23. But this Agrippa was brother to Drusilla and Bernice, here spoken of, and lived in incest with her, whom Juve... [ Continue Reading ]
FESTUS DECLARED PAUL'S CAUSE UNTO THE KING; either amongst common discourse, or matter of novelty, and for the strangeness of it, or for his advice about it. Howsoever, by this means the wickedness of the Jews was published, and the safety of St. Paul provided for, and God's design of publishing the... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; To wit, judgment of death upon Paul, that he might be sentenced according to the crimes they had laid against him; dikh being put for katadikh. Neither do they at all mind that St. Paul's case was not yet heard; they would rather have had him condemned unheard, as they had gotten our Saviou... [ Continue Reading ]
To condemn any man _indicta causa, _ without sufficient cause alleged and proved, is not only against the laws of the Romans, but of the Jews, DEUTERONOMY 17:4; nay, against the law of nature and of all nations. Yet malice had so far blinded the enemies of St. Paul, that they go about such things as... [ Continue Reading ]
Festus had gratified the Jews in what lawfully he might, not detaining them at charges from their habitations: and that not only commends Festus's own justice, but Paul's innocence; for if Paul had not appeared guiltless, he would have left him to the rage of the Jews, whom he desired to gratify wha... [ Continue Reading ]
For Festus, knowing how Paul had been prosecuted by the Jews before Felix, and what charge they had been at, and what journeys they had made about him, could not think less than that he was a capital offender.... [ Continue Reading ]
SUPERSTITION; so this heathen governor profanely calls the religion and worship of God's own institution, and that in the presence of Agrippa and Bernice, who were both Jews, or, at least, brought up amongst them. TO BE ALIVE; to have been raised again from the dead; acknowledging, with them, that h... [ Continue Reading ]
Festus pretends, that he knew not by what rule those cases were to be decided, nor before what judges; whether before himself or the Jewish sanhedrim. But this is only his pretension: the true cause why he would not acquit Paul, though he knew him to be innocent, we read, ACTS 25:9, viz. that he mig... [ Continue Reading ]
_ Augustus:_ the emperor who now reigned, and to whom Paul appealed, was Nero, who was called Augustus; this title being at first appropriated to Octavius, who succeeded Julius Caesar; but out of honour unto him, or because of its signification, it became an appellative, and was given unto all the e... [ Continue Reading ]
Agrippa being well acquainted with the Jewish religion, if not a Jew, could not but have heard of our Saviour, his doctrine, death, and resurrection; and yet makes this desire but out of curiosity; as Herod desired to hear John Baptist, MARK 6:20, and to see our Saviour, LUKE 23:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
OLBGrk; WITH GREAT POMP; the state, attire, and retinue used in this solemnity is much undervalued by the term the Holy Ghost here gives it (fantasia); intimating, that all worldly glory is but in opinion and appearance merely, and that as a show it passeth away. PAUL WAS BROUGHT FORTH; here is a g... [ Continue Reading ]
Well might Paul be aghast, to be friendless in so great a multitude, and to be shown and pointed at as a monster, being _made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men, _ as 1 CORINTHIANS 4:9. But he found surely the benefit and efficacy of that promise, MATTHEW 28:20, I am with you alwa... [ Continue Reading ]
The calumny of the Jews adds to the reputation of St. Paul: so many enemies, and so long in finding or making a fault that might reach his life, and yet to be disappointed! Paul and his religion are vindicated by the testimony of Lysias, the chief captain, ACTS 23:29, and of Felix, the governor, ACT... [ Continue Reading ]
MY LORD; Nero, the present emperor, whose deputy Festus was in this province; though some of the former emperors refused this name, as savouring of too much arbitratiness, the latter did accept of it. SPECIALLY BEFORE THEE; Agrippa, being brought up in the knowledge of the Jewish law, though it was... [ Continue Reading ]
So great a clamour, so hot a pursuit, and yet after all this the judge (who would willingly have condemned Paul, and gratified the Jews) knows not wherefore all this stir had been: but the more must he have been self-condemned, that durst not absolve or free a prisoner who was detained only by the p... [ Continue Reading ]