Year 7, Day 258: Acts 25

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Festus is governor now.  As we hear from Festus’ own words, he views Paul as an inherited problem.  He has no personal investment in Paul.  In fact, we see that Festus views Paul as an opportunity to make friends with the Jews.  Here is where we find Paul. He a captive in a home that doesn’t value him except as a negotiating pawn.

What does Paul do?  To be honest, I think Paul is very shrewd here.  Paul couldn’t escape Felix; Felix wanted a bribe on way or the other.  Paul isn’t likely to survive Festus, who wants to please the Jews.  Paul does the only thing he can.  As a Roman citizen, he appeals to Caesar.  He avoids the trap of the Jews by asking to be transferred to Rome, where the Jews have little influence.

Here’s why this is actually a neat idea.  We’ve heard very little about the ministry of Paul over the last two years of his life.  That doesn’t mean he hasn’t had any; it just means that we haven’t heard about it.  Therefore, it probably has been fairly minimal.  Paul is an evangelist.  He’s cooped up with no chance of getting out.  By appealing to Rome, he puts himself on the move again.  He opens up his life to new people to whom he can talk and relate.  Sure, Paul is interested in escaping the grip of the Jews; but this act is also about him getting back into what he does best.

This is a unique perspective on life.  Sometimes we have to make unique decisions in order to keep going.  Sometimes we have to choose to look for creative solutions.  In the end, though, it is about being the person that God has made us to become.  It is about willing to do whatever it takes to live out the will of God for our life.  In this situation, Paul does that by appealing to Caesar and voluntarily being taken to Rome as a prisoner.

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