after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul,
and besought him,
And desired favour against him,
that he would send for him to Jerusalem,
laying wait in the way to kill him.
But Festus answered,
that Paul should be kept at Caesarea,
and that he himself would depart shortly thither.
Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able,
go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.
And when he had tarried among them more than ten days,
he went down unto Caesarea;
and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought.
And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about,
and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.
While he answered for himself,
Neither against the law of the Jews,
neither against the temple,
nor yet against Caesar,
have I offended any thing at all.
But Festus,
willing to do the Jews a pleasure,
answered Paul, and said,
Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
Then said Paul,
I stand at Caesar's judgment seat,
where I ought to be judged:
to the Jews have I done no wrong,
as thou very well knowest.
For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death,
I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me,
no man may deliver me unto them.
I appeal unto Caesar.
Then Festus,
when he had conferred with the council, answered,
Hast thou appealed unto Caesar?
unto Caesar shalt thou go.
Acts 25:1-12
"Thus it was that once more, because of hatred born of bigotry and self-righteousness, a servant of God was driven to turn for protection to the heathen. It was this same hatred that forced the prophet Elijah to flee for succor to the widow of Sarepta; and that forced the heralds of the gospel to turn from the Jews to proclaim their message to the Gentiles. And this hatred the people of God living in this age have yet to meet." Acts of the Apostles p.431 E.G.W.
