From Acts to Revelation Part 70 – Paul Before Festus

From Acts to Revelation

Part 70  – Paul Before Festus

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org

INTRODUCTION

Paul, obeying the Holy Spirit, travelled to Jerusalem during the time of the Feast or Passover, to make one last attempt at sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the God-Fearing Jews from around the world, who, once a year would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate God's Feast.

In an attempt to smooth out differences with the Jews, and create an environment where Paul may have dialog with the Jews who hated him, Paul agreed to take the Nazarite vow, which would show the Jews that Paul was not teaching against the Law of Moses, nor the Temple.

Recognized by some Jews from Asia, he was captured and dragged from the Temple. The Jews were going to beat him to death, when the Roman guards came and broke up the riot.

Paul was taken into custody, and the following morning, taken before the Sanhedrin by the Captain of the guard, in order to discover why the riot broke out. However, another argument broke and the Captain decided this case needed to be heard by Felix, the Governor of Caesarea.

Before they left for an audience with Felix, the High Priests and 40 men made a pact to kill Paul on the way to the hearing. Upon hearing this, the Captain of the guard surrounded Paul with hundreds of soldiers, and got him to the court, untouched.

Paul, being a Roman Citizen, was not in bondage, but protective custody.

Before Felix, the High priests, and a Roman prosecutor who was versed in Roman Law, laid accusations against Paul, all of which were lies. Paul then stood and made his case as well.

Felix decided he would wait to make his decision, sending Paul back to the hold within the Palace.

Felix, who knew about the Jewish belief and a little about Jesus because his wife was a Jew, went to see Paul in his cell privately, where Paul shared the Gospel with him.

Paul explained everything about Salvation, but when he came to discussing the coming judgment of God against sin, Felix stopped him, saying he had heard enough. The scriptures tell us Felix was afraid.

Then Felix waited to see if Paul would pay a bribe, which he did not.

The scriptures then tell us that Felix sent to Paul often, in hopes of receiving a bribe for his judgment. This never takes place. Paul never pays, and ends up staying in prison for two years, where we pick up today.

Paul has been in prison now for two years. Felix, who had never passed judgment on Paul in hopes of receiving a bribe from him, has now been replaced as Governor of Caesarea by Porcius Festus.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Acts 25:1-12

Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul. ³ They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way. ⁴ Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. ⁷ When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

¹⁰ Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

In today's scripture we will see;

1. Continued Accusations because Hate does not die

2. A new Trial, a new judge, yet, nothings new...

3. Paul continues in Truth

I.       CONTINUED ACCUSATIONS

a.      Two years have passed

i.       Paul is still being held in the palace

a.      PERSPECTIVE!

b.     Paul is protected from the Jews and Assassins

c.      Surrounded 24-7 by trained armed guards

d.     He is fed, clothed and taken care of during this time

ii.    God has a plan, and it is in the works

iii. Sometimes we need to stop what we are doing when things happen in our lives, and try to see things with a different perspective.

iv.   If we have surrendered our lives to the Lord, He will be at work, regardless of whether or not we fully understand what He is doing.

b.     Seasons in our lives

i.       "Next Week's Sermon: A Time For Everything"

ii.    Don't fight the seasons, embrace them!

c.      This is God's Will for Paul, and Paul knows it.

II.   A NEW TRIAL, A NEW JUDGE, NOTHINGS NEW

a.      A new trial begins for Paul

i.       This can only take place because Felix never passed judgment, waiting for a bribe from Paul

b.     A new judge, now Paul stands before Festus

c.      The Jewish leaders came, once again, with many accusations against Paul, unable to prove any of them.

i.       Lies are lies, no matter how many times they are told

ii.    They will never "become" truth

III.   PAUL STICKS TO THE TRUTH

a.      The truth remains the truth, no matter how many lies are told

i.       Paul's defense has been truth, and remains truth.

ii.    Paul does not change course to try and manipulate the situation in his life for a better result, or a result he feels he "should" be getting. He accepts God's Will!

iii. Paul's defense was truth two years ago...and he is still being held by Rome.

a.      He could have tried to change his defense, to get released, but instead, sticks with the truth.

b.     Paul says in verse 8, “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”

b.     Sometimes we may feel the ends (or ends we think we should obtain), justify the means.

i.       We may act or behave other than in a way that is complimentary to the scriptures and Christ, in order to achieve what we think God's Will wants, as opposed to acting like Paul, and sticking with TRUTH, no matter the outcome.

c.      Festus, fearing the power of the Jew lies, and afraid they may take lies to Rome about him, made Festus want to "do the Jews a favor".

i.       To win their favor, Festus asks Paul in verse 9, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

ii.    To which Paul responds, “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

CONCLUSION

1. Just because we are living in accordance to scripture, does not mean people will stop hating, and falsely accusing us in life...sometimes, they end up hating us more, and their accusations will not die, because they have hate in their hearts.

2. Circumstances change around us in life, but we need to hold strong to the truth, regardless of outward circumstances, and remain steadfast.

3. Paul held to the truth, even though it did not change his unfavorable circumstances, and he remained in hold for two years, yet, he did not waver from the truth, believing in God's Will and plan, over his comfort and will.

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