MORE PLACES TO GO TO: ROME AND CAESAREA P/17

 

                                                                                    Read Part One HERE

A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                  PART XXV - III

"After I, Paul, had given my defense before Governor Festus in the court room here in Caesarea, I sat down... I then waited... It was time for Governor Festus to speak.... It did not take too long before he got up to address me... I sensed that he wanted to please the Jews who had come back with him to Caesarea.... For he asked if I would be willing to go back to Jerusalem to face charges... However, I knew I should not go back to Jerusalem... Because that would be too dangerous for me...That could only mean one thing.... It was time for me to appeal to Caesar... That is what I did.... I knew that meant I would be going to Rome... Does that mean it is now  time for me to go to Rome?"... Please read the typed out attachment when you learn that Paul appealed to Caesar...

                    ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                           PART XXV - III

Governor Festus, when back in Caesarea, knew that Paul was innocent and he should have released him, as Governor Felix should have done before him However, both governors wanted to win the favour of the Jews so neither of them did what was right. Instead, both continued to keep Paul as a prisoner. In the case of Governor Festus, he asked if Paul was willing to go back to Jerusalem to be tried there as you can read in Acts 25:9

Festus, whishing to do the Jews a favour, said to Paul: "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?"

Paul knew that he could not return to Jerusalem for if he did he would surely be killed. as you can read in Act 25:10

Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done anything wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well."

Paul knew that he was innocent of the charges against him. Moreover, he knew that Governor Festus understood the Jews had no case against him. So he made it clear that, even though he was willing to die if it could be proven he had done something deserving death, he was not willing to be handed over to the Jews just for the sake of it. The only way that could be avoided was for him to appeal to Caesar as you can read in Acts 25:11

"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 true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

Paul knew that by appealing to Caesar Governor Festus would have to make a decision how that was going to happen. All he could do now was to wait for the outcome of that decision.

Read Part Eighteeen HERE