[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team:
REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]
Acts XXV : 1-12
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| St Paul. J-J Tissot. |
[2] And the chief priests, and principal men of the Jews, went unto him against Paul: and they besought him,
[3] Requesting favour against him, that he would command him to be brought to Jerusalem, laying wait to kill him in the way.
[4] But Festus answered: That Paul was kept in Caesarea, and that he himself would very shortly depart thither.
[5] Let them, therefore, saith he, among you that are able, go down with me, and accuse him, if there be any crime in the man.
[6] And having tarried among them no more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he sat in the judgment seat; and commanded Paul to be brought.
[7] Who being brought, the Jews stood about him, who were come down from Jerusalem, objecting many and grievous causes, which they could not prove;
[8] Paul making answer for himself: Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in any thing.
[9] But Festus, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, answering Paul, said: Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
[10] Then Paul said: I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no injury, as thou very well knowest.
[11] For if I have injured them, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die. But if there be none of these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me to them: I appeal to Caesar.
[12] Then Festus having conferred with the council, answered: Hast thou appealed to Caesar? To Caesar shalt thou go.
[1] Festus ergo cum venisset in provinciam, post triduum ascendit Jerosolymam a Caesarea. [2] Adieruntque eum principes sacerdotum, et primi Judaeorum adversus Paulum : et rogabant eum, [3] postulantes gratiam adversus eum, ut juberet perduci eum in Jerusalem, insidias tendentes ut interficerent eum in via. [4] Festus autem respondit servari Paulum in Caesarea : se autem maturius profecturum. [5] Qui ergo in vobis, ait, potentes sunt, descendentes simul, si quod est in viro crimen, accusent eum.
[6] Demoratus autem inter eos dies non amplius quam octo, aut decem, descendit Caesaream, et altera die sedit pro tribunali, et jussit Paulum adduci. [7] Qui cum perductus esset, circumsteterunt eum, qui ab Jerosolyma descenderant Judaei, multas et graves causas objicientes, quas non poterant probare. [8] Paulo rationem reddente : Quoniam neque in legem Judaeorum, neque in templum, neque in Caesarem quidquam peccavi. [9] Festus autem volens gratiam praestare Judaeis, respondens Paulo, dixit : Vis Jerosolymam ascendere, et ibi de his judicari apud me? [10] Dixit autem Paulus : Ad tribunal Caesaris sto, ibi me oportet judicari : Judaeis non nocui, sicut tu melius nosti.
[11] Si enim nocui, aut dignum morte aliquid feci, non recuso mori : si vero nihil est eorum quae hi accusant me, nemo potest me illis donare. Caesarem appello. [12] Tunc Festus cum concilio locutus, respondit : Caesarem appellasti? ad Caesarem ibis.
ff
Notes
1. come into the province. Judea was not strictly speaking a province, as it was dependent upon the proovince of Syria, and was governed by a procurator, not by a proconsul, who ruled a province. Josephus, however, also refers to Festus, as though he were the governor of a province (ἑπαρχος), whence we may conclude that the term “province” was given to Judea because it depended directly upon the emperor, and judicial functions were exercised there by Roman officials.
after three days. It was customary to have public games in honour of the installation of a new governor ; these rejoicings generally lasted several days.
he went up to Jerusalem. He would naturally proceed as soon as possible to the capital, to receive the congratulations of the Jewish rulers, and to visit the Jewish capital.
2. chief priests. A few MSS. give the singular, but the plural is better supported.
The high-priest at this time was Ishmael, son of Phabi, who had been appointed by Agrippa II., with the approbation of the legate of Syria, just before Felix was recalled to Home.
principal men. Both the civil and religious Jewish authorities assembled to welcome the new governor. These influential men were chiefly Sadducees.
went unto him. They brought a formal accusation against St Paul. See Annot. on ch. xxiv. 1.
besought him. They evidently asked him to condemn St Paul ; on this being refused, they requested that he should be handed over to be tried by their tribunal. The lapse of two years had not softened their hostility to the apostle,
3. requesting favour. Knowing that he desired to propitiate them, they preferred their iniquitous request.
laying wait to kill him. The ‘‘chief priests and principal men” now adopt the tactics of the forty Jews (see ch. xxiii. 21).
They doubtlessly justified their line of action by the precepts of the Law, which commanded those guilty of sacrilege to be put to death, for the Jews considered St Paul to be guilty of this sin.
in the way. The country was still infected by the Sicarii, whose assistance could be hired for the purpose.
4. Festus answered, etc. The governor merely states the facts of the case and insinuates that Cesarea was the proper place for trying the case. Probably he was not aware of their plot, though he may have heard of the previous conspiraccy from Felix.
5. go down with me. This shews that St Paul’s accusers were men of position, since Festus invites them to accompany him Undoubtedly they profited by the journey to calumniate St Paul to the governor.
7. the Jews stood about him. They stood round the apostle, vociferating their calumnies and thirsting for his blood.
causes. Better, “ charges” or “ complaints” (αἰτιώματα).
8. Paul making answer for himself : Neither against, etc. From St Paul's answer we gather that the three charges of heresy, sacrilege, and sedition had been again brought forward.
9. willing to shew the Jews a pleasure. The fact that their complaints had procured the dismissal of his predecessor would naturally dispose him to conciliate them.
Wilt thou go up ? etc. Festus was desirous to get rid of St Paul ; hence he asks him if he is willing to waive his rights as a Roman citizen, by being tried by a Jewish tribunal in Jerusalem.
10. I stand at Cesar's judgment, etc. St Paul, by his answer, shews that he stands by his rights, as he had done in the past ; as a Roman citizen, he is entitled to be judged by a Roman tribunal.
11. no man may deliver me. Lit. “no man can deliver me up as a favour to them.” This was a gentle reminder to Festus that he could not legally hand over his prisoner to the Jews.
I appeal to Cesar. The Roman law originally allowed an appeal to the people in capital cases (provocatio ad populum). This right of appeal was expressly confirmed by various statutes, e.g. the Lex Valeria, B.C. 300. Under the Empire this right was replaced by an appeal to the emperor — in this case to Nero.
St Paul knew that it was God’s will that he should go to Rome, and this, like so many other events in the life of the apostle, was accomplished by the instrumentality of human agents.
12. the council. His own councillors or “assessors.” The chief officers in attendance on the Roman procurators frequently served as his council. They were known as cohors.
To Cesar shalt thou go. “By these solemn and decisive words the Jews, who had been thronging Paul like hungry wolves, were balked of their prey.” Festus had nothing to do now except to send the prisoner to Rome, with a full statement of his case by “ literae dimissoriae ” (i.e. letters dimissory). Hence all the documents bearing on the trial and his own judgment in the matter had to be forwarded with the prisoner. In drawing up this account, Agrippa probably rendered Festus service.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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