Monday: Before Festus
After two years holding Paul in prison just to win the favor of the Jews, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus as the governor of Judea (Acts 24:27). Festus ruled from A.D. 60 to 62.
Read Acts 25:1-5. How does this help reveal the hatred that preaching the truth can cause in those who don’t want to believe it?
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Probably because they had already failed once in their attempt to convince Felix of the charges against Paul, the leaders did not want to take any chances again. In what appears to have been Festus’ first visit to Jerusalem, they requested, as a favor to them, a change of jurisdiction, asking him to hand Paul back to them so he could be tried by the Sanhedrin in accordance with Jewish law.
Yet, the request was only a camouflage to conceal their real intent: to kill Paul. Although Festus was willing to reopen the case, he said that the hearing would take place in Caesarea, not in Jerusalem, which means that Paul would be tried by Roman law.
As soon as Festus was back in Caesarea, he convened the tribunal, and Paul’s opponents started laying out the charges against Paul (Acts 25:7). This time Luke does not repeat the charges, but based on Paul’s answer (Acts 25:8) we can see that they were similar to the ones of two years before, perhaps with the further emphasis that, for being an agitator, Paul also represented a threat to the empire.
Read Acts 25:9-12. When sensing that Festus could use him for political reasons, how did Paul react?
In the end, Festus turned out not much different from Felix with regard to his political strategies (Acts 24:27). Unwilling to lose the Jews’ support so early in his administration by declaring Paul innocent, he thought of granting them their original request: to have the apostle tried by the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.
This, however, was not acceptable to Paul, who knew he could not expect to be treated fairly there, left to the whim of his enemies. So, capitalizing on his Roman rights, he insisted that he was entitled to be tried by a Roman tribunal, and envisaging no other way out of that precarious situation, he resolved to appeal to the highest instance of Roman justice, which was the emperor himself.
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Is this week’s lesson telling us we sometimes get a fairer hearing, even on religious matters, from the civil authority than we do from the church?
Surely seems that way, doesn't it?
And we have a record even in the Seventh-day Adventist Church that positive changes came about only as a result of enforcement by civil authorities. Equal pay for equal work is one of these. From the "olden days" I remember that one of my professors at an Adventist university was only paid 60% of what her male colleagues were paid for the same work. Since her husband was an invalid, she was the sole support of her family and appealed to the university for "head of family" pay. This was denied - in the name of saving money for the Lord's work, I'm guessing. 🙁
How our generous and gracious Lord must weep when we withhold support from those who need it!!
My mom went through the same situation, but being a strong personality woman, she appealed to her superiors and after a good (praying) dispute she finally got paid as the "head of family" - I believe she was one of the first women to get that in our region! There was another situation when, by local state laws, the sons and daugthers of teachers who were working in private schools were supposed to be dismissed of charges, and because of one teacher´s effort this right was granted, years after the Law being approved.
We cannot forget that the organizations are made of men, subjected to error! That´s why our ultimate strenght has to be founded on the Bible solely.
Thanks for your comment. 🙂 I think the key to your mom getting what she deserved was that she was "a strong personality woman." The professor of whom I wrote had a rather mild personality. But that really shouldn't make a difference in matters of right and wrong, should it? Unconverted human nature hasn't changed. And even administrators in God's church may be at heart unconverted, and that's why we make similar mistakes over and over again.
It could be. In spite of all our (human) mistakes, and even when sometimes God's church seems to be loosing with His (supposedly) people, God still makes everything right! No matter how big our limitations, God is Lord and His wisdom still prevails over this crazy and lost world! Thanks and glory to Him because He gave His Son for all humanity, to give us a chance of getting things right back! Have a lovely day!
Wow. Remember The Lord also sets up governments and instituted governments. Is this to keep over zealous church leaders in check? Unfortunately there are many instances of wrong actions done in the name of doing “work for the Lord.” I believe this is why the Lord gave us a conscience, to do what is fair and right. Remember the Lord loves justice and mercy.
When thinking what Paul went through is same as Jesus before His death on the Cross. Paul was allowed to defend himself, and did a good job in presenting his case. Only Jesus spoke not a word for His defense.
When there's an agenda that's not fair or selfish, plans will never work. This also was known by Paul, he would not get a fair trail, if the Sanhedrin were in charge.
My question is where were the 'leaders of the church'? in all of this debacle? James Peter John and the others. None of them stood up for the embattled apostle whom they had previously affirmed as one appointed by God. It shows that when you stand up for the truth the words of the song take on new meaning, "The arms of flesh will fail you, you dear not trust your own. The church is still full of bigotry and there are many self-serving individuals who are concern only with keeping up man-made traditions and teaching them for doctrine. May the Lord help us.
Unfortunately it seems that after the Jerusalem council, the leaders of the church in Jerusalem gradually lapsed back into their prejudices. There is no record in the Bible that any of the Jewish Christians visited Paul in his long imprisonment. Only the Gentile believers supported Him.
I believe Jesus suffered with His disciple, and the Jewish Christians neglected Christ Himself when they neglected Paul.
Perhaps appealing to Caesar was the only way to fulfill the words of Jesus that he would be a witness in Rome.
In Acts 25:8-10 it is clear why Paul appealed to Caesar. If he had been turned over to the Sanhedrin, as Festus, who wanted to please the Jews suggested, Paul would have lost his life.
Appealing to Caesar was the only way for Paul to stay alive and have a reasonable hearing.
If your religion makes you a liar and a murderer, there is something wrong with your religion.
We don't know the intentions of Festus why he refused to grant the request of the Jewish leaders for the trial in Jerusalem.
One point is made very clear, God is faithful in protecting Paul to testify in Rome.
Festus, it is not a political advantage for him to release.
People of power or powerless to do anything powerful.
How have you used your power of influence?