Acts 25 - Introduction

Grievous Complaints Against Paul Acts Twenty-Five

God wanted Paul's innocence to be proven before the world. The only thing he was guilty of was having faith in Jesus as the Christ and preaching the resurrection from the dead. The Jews seemed to increase in their hatred of Paul. They desired Festus to bring him to Jerusalem because they were planning to attack and kill him on the way. Festus was unable to do this because Paul asked to be tried by the Roman Emperor.

Paul's conduct before these rulers was that of a man bearing witness to the truth. His relationship with God was obvious as he dealt with these difficult circumstances. He had been God's faithful missionary among the Gentiles. He had preached Christ as the end of the Law. This should not have been an offense against the Jews. Yet, now he is subject to the blind hatred of these people.

Paul was a man who had great respect for the laws of the land. He would willingly accept whatever punishment he deserved for preaching Christ as man's only hope. Paul was not willing to accept injustice when there was a higher court to which he could appeal.

Agrippa and Festus both had more interest in being politicians than in serving the Creator. How sad for men like these who have had the great opportunity to be instructed concerning Christ's resurrection and man's hope and yet have rejected that hope. These rulers heard Paul not in order to learn truth but to gratify their curiosity. There was nothing certain that these rulers could charge Paul with!