1Als nun Festus in der Provinz angekommen war, zog er nach drei Tagen von Cäsarea hinauf nach Jerusalem.2Da wurden der Hohepriester und die Vornehmsten der Juden bei ihm vorstellig gegen Paulus und redeten ihm zu, (Apg 24,1; Röm 8,33)3und sie baten es sich als eine Gunst gegen ihn aus, dass er ihn nach Jerusalem holen ließe; dabei planten sie einen Anschlag, um ihn unterwegs umzubringen. (Apg 23,13)4Festus jedoch antwortete, Paulus werde in Cäsarea in Verwahrung gehalten, er selbst aber werde in Kürze wieder abreisen.5So lasst nun, sprach er, eure Bevollmächtigten mit hinabziehen; und wenn eine Schuld an diesem Mann ist, sollen sie ihn anklagen! (Apg 25,18; Apg 25,25)6Nachdem er aber mehr als zehn Tage bei ihnen gewesen war, zog er nach Cäsarea hinab, und am folgenden Tag setzte er sich auf den Richterstuhl und ließ Paulus vorführen. (Mt 27,19; Joh 19,13)7Und als dieser erschien, stellten sich die Juden, die von Jerusalem herabgekommen waren, ringsherum auf und brachten viele und schwere Anklagen gegen Paulus vor, die sie nicht beweisen konnten, (Ps 109,2; Mt 5,11; Apg 24,13)8während er sich so verteidigte: Weder gegen das Gesetz der Juden, noch gegen den Tempel, noch gegen den Kaiser habe ich etwas verbrochen! (Apg 22,1; Apg 24,12; Apg 28,17)
Paulus beruft sich auf den Kaiser
9Festus aber, der sich die Juden zu Dank verpflichten wollte, antwortete dem Paulus und sprach: Willst du nach Jerusalem hinaufziehen und dich dort hierüber von mir richten lassen? (Apg 24,27; Jak 4,4)10Aber Paulus sprach: Ich stehe vor dem Richterstuhl des Kaisers, dort muss ich gerichtet werden! Den Juden habe ich kein Unrecht getan, wie du selbst sehr wohl weißt. (Mt 27,19; Joh 19,13; Apg 12,21; Apg 18,12; Apg 25,6; Röm 14,10; 2Kor 5,10)11Denn wenn ich im Unrecht bin und etwas begangen habe, was den Tod verdient, so weigere ich mich nicht zu sterben. Wenn aber ihre Anklagen nichtig sind, so kann mich niemand ihnen preisgeben. Ich berufe mich auf den Kaiser![1] (Apg 25,25; Apg 26,32; Apg 28,19)12Da besprach sich Festus mit seinem Rat und antwortete: Du hast dich auf den Kaiser berufen; zum Kaiser sollst du gehen! (Apg 23,11; Röm 1,10)
Statthalter Festus und König Agrippa besprechen sich
13Als aber etliche Tage vergangen waren, kam der König Agrippa[2] mit Bernice nach Cäsarea, um Festus zu begrüßen. (Apg 12,1; Apg 25,22; Apg 26,1; Apg 26,27)14Und als sie sich mehrere Tage dort aufgehalten hatten, legte Festus dem König die Sache des Paulus vor und sprach: Es ist ein Mann von Felix gefangen zurückgelassen worden; (Apg 24,27)15seinetwegen wurden, als ich in Jerusalem war, die obersten Priester und Ältesten der Juden vorstellig und verlangten seine Verurteilung. (Lk 23,21; Apg 4,14; Apg 22,22; Apg 24,5)16Ich antwortete ihnen, es sei nicht der Brauch der Römer, einen Menschen dem Tod preiszugeben, ehe der Angeklagte die Kläger vor Augen habe und Gelegenheit erhalte, sich der Klage wegen zu verteidigen. (Joh 7,51)17Als sie nun hier zusammengekommen waren, setzte ich mich ohne irgendeinen Aufschub am folgenden Tag auf den Richterstuhl und ließ den Mann vorführen. (Apg 25,6)18Als nun die Kläger auftraten, brachten sie über ihn gar keine Klage wegen Sachen vor, die ich vermutet hatte;19sondern sie hielten ihm einige Streitfragen vor, die ihre besondere Religion betrafen und einen verstorbenen Jesus, von dem Paulus behauptete, er lebe. (Apg 18,15; Apg 26,6; Apg 26,22)20Da ich aber nicht wusste, wie ich über diese Sache eine Untersuchung anstellen sollte, fragte ich, ob er nach Jerusalem ziehen und sich dort hierüber richten lassen wolle.21Da sich aber Paulus darauf berief, dass er bis zur Entscheidung des Kaisers in Gewahrsam bleiben wollte, befahl ich, ihn in Haft zu behalten, bis ich ihn zum Kaiser sende. (Apg 24,10)22Agrippa aber sprach zu Festus: Ich möchte den Menschen auch gerne hören! Und er antwortete: Morgen sollst du ihn hören! (Jes 52,15; Mt 10,17; Apg 9,15)23Am folgenden Tag nun kamen Agrippa und Bernice mit großem Prunk und gingen mit den Obersten und den angesehensten Männern der Stadt in den Gerichtssaal, und dann wurde Paulus auf Befehl des Festus gebracht.24Und Festus sprach: König Agrippa und ihr Männer, die ihr mit uns anwesend seid! Da seht ihr den, um dessentwillen mich die ganze Menge der Juden anging in Jerusalem und hier, indem sie laut schrien, er dürfe nicht länger leben. (Apg 22,22)25Weil ich aber feststellte, dass er nichts getan hat, was den Tod verdient, und er selbst sich auch auf den Kaiser berufen hat, so habe ich beschlossen, ihn abzusenden. (Apg 23,29; Apg 25,11)26Ich weiß jedoch dem Herrn nichts Gewisses über ihn zu schreiben. Darum habe ich ihn euch vorgeführt, und besonders dir, König Agrippa, damit ich nach erfolgter Untersuchung etwas zu schreiben weiß.27Denn es scheint mir unvernünftig, einen Gefangenen abzusenden, ohne die gegen ihn erhobenen Klagen anzugeben. (Apg 25,7)
1Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. (Apg 23,34)2And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, (Apg 25,15)3asking as a favor against Paul[1] that he summon him to Jerusalem—because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. (Apg 9,24)4Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly.5“So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”6After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. (Mt 27,19; Apg 25,10; Apg 25,17)7When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove. (Apg 24,13)8Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.” (Joh 7,19; Joh 19,7; Joh 19,12; Apg 6,13; Apg 24,12; Apg 28,17)9But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” (Apg 24,27)10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. (Apg 25,6; Apg 25,17)11If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.” (Apg 26,32; Apg 28,19)12Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”
Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice
13Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.14And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix, (Apg 24,27)15and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. (Apg 25,2)16I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. (Joh 7,51; Apg 23,30; Apg 25,4)17So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. (Apg 25,6; Apg 25,7; Apg 25,10; Apg 25,24)18When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.19Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. (Apg 17,18; Apg 18,15; Apg 23,29)20Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I asked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. (Apg 25,9)21But when Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of the emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” (Apg 25,11; Apg 25,25)22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.” (Apg 9,15)23So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. (Apg 25,13; Apg 26,30)24And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. (Apg 22,22; Apg 25,2; Apg 25,7)25But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. (Apg 23,29; Apg 25,11; Apg 25,21)26But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write.27For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”
1Three days after Festus arrived, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.2There the chief priests and the Jewish leaders came to Festus. They brought their charges against Paul.3They tried very hard to get Festus to have Paul taken to Jerusalem. They asked for this as a favour. They were planning to hide and attack Paul along the way. They wanted to kill him.4Festus answered, ‘Paul is being held at Caesarea. Soon I’ll be going there myself.5Let some of your leaders come with me. If the man has done anything wrong, they can bring charges against him there.’6Festus spent eight or ten days in Jerusalem with them. Then he went down to Caesarea. The next day he called the court together. He ordered Paul to be brought to him.7When Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many strong charges against him. But they couldn’t prove that these charges were true.8Then Paul spoke up for himself. He said, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple. I’ve done nothing wrong against Caesar.’9But Festus wanted to do the Jews a favour. So he said to Paul, ‘Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem? Are you willing to go on trial there? Are you willing to face these charges in my court?’10Paul answered, ‘I’m already standing in Caesar’s court. This is where I should go on trial. I haven’t done anything wrong to the Jews. You yourself know that very well.11If I am guilty of anything worthy of death, I’m willing to die. But the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true. No one has the right to hand me over to them. I make my appeal to Caesar!’12Festus talked it over with the members of his court. Then he said, ‘You have made an appeal to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!’
Festus talks with King Agrippa
13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea. They came to pay a visit to Festus.14They were spending many days there. So Festus talked with the king about Paul’s case. He said, ‘There’s a man here that Felix left as a prisoner.15When I went to Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and the elders brought charges against the man. They wanted him to be found guilty.16‘I told them that this is not the way Romans do things. We don’t judge people before they have faced those bringing charges against them. They must have a chance to argue against the charges for themselves.17When the Jewish leaders came back with me, I didn’t waste any time. I called the court together the next day. I ordered the man to be brought in.18Those bringing charges against him got up to speak. But they didn’t charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.19Instead, they argued with him about their own beliefs. They didn’t agree about a man named Jesus. They said Jesus was dead, but Paul claimed Jesus was alive.20I had no idea how to look into such matters. So I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem. There he could be tried on these charges.21But Paul made an appeal to have the Emperor decide his case. So I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.’22Then Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like to hear this man myself.’ Festus replied, ‘Tomorrow you will hear him.’
Paul in front of Agrippa
23The next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived. They were treated like very important people. They entered the courtroom. The most important military officers and the leading men of the city came with them. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in.24Festus said, ‘King Agrippa, and everyone else here, take a good look at this man! A large number of Jews have come to me about him. They came to me in Jerusalem and also here in Caesarea. They keep shouting that he shouldn’t live any longer.25I have found that he hasn’t done anything worthy of death. But he made his appeal to the Emperor. So I decided to send him to Rome.26I don’t have anything certain to write about him to His Majesty. So I have brought him here today. Now all of you will be able to hear him. King Agrippa, it will also be very good for you to hear him. As a result of this hearing, I will have something to write.27It doesn’t make sense to send a prisoner on to Rome without listing the charges against him.’