Paul In The Cesarea Prison

Nothing happened in Cesarea for a looong time.

produced by static force llc sometimes things don't change.

Transcript

PAUL IN THE Caesarea PRISON

WHEN ARE WE?

I'll say about 62 AD. I'm following the timing given by a website called  BibleHub.com/timeline.

Nero is the emperor in Rome at this time.

WHERE ARE WE?

Caesarea, on the coast of Samaria. South and west of Mt. Carmel. It's part of the Roman empire at this time.

WHY ARE WE HERE NOW?

We're following Paul through his journey to Rome. Two years ago, he escaped a violent meeting of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. He's been in prison here in Cesarea waiting for the resolution of his case.

The Roman empire has given citizens special privileges. Paul has legal options that the other apostles didn't have -- and that Jesus didn't have as a Roman subject. One of those privileges is to appeal certain cases to the emperor in Rome. Other titles for the Roman emperor are “Caesar” or “Augustus”.

There's been a change in the governors in Cesarea, and the new governor -- Festus -- has recently had a trial with Paul. That was when Paul appealed his case to a higher court. But Festus says he has a problem: he has to explain what the charge is against Paul. So Festus has come up with a hearing -- an examination -- so other government officials can give him their ideas.

BY WAY OF BACKGROUND

Our passage will start in Acts 25:13.

By this time Paul has been talking about going to Rome since back in Acts 19, about eight years in the past.

In Acts 23:11, Jesus told Paul again that it was His will for Paul to go to Rome. 

'But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”'

I want you to hear these words:  "you have testified for me." ... "For me."

The biggest part God wants from his servants is for them to know they are His. “For me.”

Like Paul, we still get to trust God that we are His and He is ours.

Now notice Jesus didn't tell Paul all of the details at once.

That's like the life we live on this earth. God will tell you some things, but not all the details. 

But you are still His in Christ. That's the point I really want to make.

Acts 25 shows some more details about what Jesus had planned for Paul.

Passage

Acts 25:13-end

Verse 13 And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. 

NOTE: Festus is the new governor in the region. He rules the part of the Roman empire called "Judea" which includes parts of ancient Samaria. Festus still hasn't acted on Paul's appeal to go to Rome. Paul still isn't very high priority. Listen for the words many days of visiting for Paul to even come up as a subject of discussion.

Verse 14 When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, 

15 about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. 

16 To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’  

17 Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 

NOTE: Ancient kingdoms had different thrones. One was a judgment seat. Remember that God's kingdom has a mercy seat. It has a judgment seat – it also has a mercy seat.

Felix is talking about the trial where Paul eventually appealed to Rome. Paul probably didn't have much warninig that he was going to face that trial. He had to be ready as details of God's plan for him unfolded.

18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, 

19 but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 

20 And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 

21 But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.”

22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.”

“Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

NOTE:  Festus didn't know what to do with Paul's case! He needed help! 

Remember when Jesus was crucified decades before, Pontus Pilate and Herod bounced Jesus’ case around. They didn't know what to do with Him, either.

Verse 23 So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in. 

NOTE: You don't always know when you're going to be called on. We don't know how much advance notice Paul had before this hearing. You have to be patient, and allow God to help you be ready.

Verse 24 And Festus said: “King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. 

25 But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. 

NOTE: “Augustus” is a title. There is no difference between saying “Paul appealed to Augustus” and “Paul appealed to the emperor”.

26 I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. 

27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him.”

That's the end of the passage.

CONCLUSION

In the future, Paul will be sent to Italy. One ship he will board will miss Rome by hundreds of miles. Yet, he and all aboard that ship will live. Paul will make it to Rome.

THANK GOD FOR HIS WORD. 

May Jesus himself live in us, and lead us to life in the Father – in Jesus’ Name.

LET’S HAVE A LITTLE MUSIC