“He had hoped also,” Luke adds, “that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him:wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.”[160]
For two years, Paul was held a prisoner in Cæsarea. How wonderful that God should, at such a time, have allowed such a man so long to be kept in comparative silence! He was doubtless active in the service of his Saviour in Cæsarea every hour of every day; but we have no record of the results of those labors. At length Felix was summoned to Rome, and was supplanted in the office of governor by Festus. The malice of the Jewish rulers towards Paul continued unabated; “and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.” This was in the year of our Lord 60.
Immediately upon the arrival of the new governor at Cæsarea, the sleepless hatred of the Jews made a fresh attempt upon the life of Paul. Three days after Festus landed at Cæsarea, he went up to Jerusalem, the political metropolis of his province. Immediately the high priest, accompanied by several of the most prominent of the Jews, appeared before Festus, and begged that Paul might be sent back from Cæsarea to Jerusalem for trial. They had in the mean time prepared a band of assassins to fall upon Paul by the way, and put him to death.
Festus wisely declined placing an uncondemned person thus in the hands of his enemies, but stated, that, as he was about to return to Cæsarea, they could send his accusers there with whatever charges they had to prefer against him. After remaining in Jerusalem about ten days, Festus returned to Cæsarea, summoned a court of assistant judges, took his seat upon the judicial tribunal, and ordered Paul to be brought before him. The Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. It would seem, from the summary which is given of Paul’s reply, that he was charged with heresy, sacrilege, and treason,—the same charges which had before been brought against him by Tertullus. “Neither against the Jews,” Paul answered, “neither against the temple, nor yet against Cæsar, have I offended any thing at all.”
Festus was anxious to conciliate the favor of the Jews, andsuggested that Paul should go up to Jerusalem, there to be tried before a tribunal over which he himself would preside. Paul knew that he could expect no justice there, and that he was in danger of being assassinated by the way. He was a Roman citizen, and, as such, had the privilege of appealing to Cæsar at Rome. This was his last resort. He therefore said,—
“I stand at Cæsar’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 Cæsar.”[161]
Even Festus had no power to ignore this appeal. By those potent words, “I appeal unto Cæsar,” Paul had transferred his cause from the provincial governor to the emperor at Rome. Nothing remained for Festus but to send Paul to Rome, with all the documents bearing upon the trial, and with his own official report. Festus, however, was still in perplexity. The charges brought against Paul were so extremely frivolous, that he knew not what statement to make. He was ashamed to send a prisoner to Rome with such trivial accusations; and it seemed to him “unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.”
Festus was governor of the small province of Judæa. Agrippa was king of the whole of Syria, of which Judæa was but one of the provinces; and he also included within his realms other dominions, whose limits cannot now be very accurately defined. It so happened, that, at this time, Agrippa, with his sister Bernice, paid a complimentary visit to the new governor of Judæa at Cæsarea, and remained with Festus several days. He was a Jew, and was thoroughly acquainted with Jewish law. Festus, who was much embarrassed by the position in which he found himself placed in reference to Paul, consulted Agrippa concerning the affair. The account which he gave of the case to Agrippa is quite curious.
“There is a certain man,” said he, “left in bonds by Felix; about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Therefore, when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth; against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed, but had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. And, because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters; but, when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus,I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cæsar.”[162]
The curiosity of Agrippa was excited, and he requested that Paul might be brought before him. Accordingly, the next day, the king and his sister, with great pomp, entered the audience-chamber. The king took his seat in the judicial chair, and was attended by a brilliant suite of military officers, and of the most distinguished men of Cæsarea. Before this august assemblage Paul was led. In the following ceremonious speech, Festus described the circumstances under which the prisoner had been left in his charge:—