January 22 - Paul in Caesarea

January 22 - Paul in Caesarea - Acts 23:23

This point in the story is actually the point that allows scholars to identify a timeline for Paul's story. They know that Felix was the governor in Caesarea from 52-58 AD. This man was known as an evil man. He was married to Drusilla, who was the daughter of Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1), the sister of Herod Agrippa II (Acts 15:13), was Jewish and had left her husband to marry Felix. She was his third wife. The historian Tacitus said that he "exercised the power of a king in the spirit of a slave" and others called him a vulgar ruffian.

The commander of the guard, Claudius Lysias, was an honorable man as were his soldiers. They took Paul out of Jerusalem at night, got him to Antipatris, where he was placed with cavalry who took him on to Caesarea. Once there, the governor put him in Herod's palace awaiting the arrival of his accusers from Jerusalem. (Acts 23:23-35)

It took them five days to get there. The accusers were Ananias and other elders along with a lawyer named Tertullus. Tertullus began with flattery and presented his case. (Acts 24:1-9)

Paul was given a chance to speak. Felix had heard of The Way (the Christians) and didn't really want to deal with this. In fact, we find that he wanted Paul to bribe him. Paul spent a lot of time talking to Felix because of this.

Felix kept Paul in Caesarea for the next two years without conducting a trial. He was then replaced by Porcius Festus. (Acts 24:10-27)

Those same Jews, after two years, were no less determined to get Paul transferred to Jerusalem. They still wanted to kill him. I do wonder, though, how long they managed to hold out on their hunger strike.

While Festus was on his way to Caesarea, he traveled through Jerusalem. He spent eight to ten days with the Jews there and invited them to join him in Caesarea. Luke tells us that court was convened and though they levied many charges against Paul, they could prove none of them.

Festus still wanted to placate the Jews and tried to talk Paul into going to Jerusalem to stand trial. However, Paul layed it all out. He appealed to Caesar. At that point, there was nothing more that anyone could do. An appeal to Caesar meant that Paul would go to Rome. (Acts 25:1-12)

The next part of the story continues to get interesting.

Festus consulted with King Agrippa (Herod). (Acts 25:13-22) Then Agrippa met with Paul. Paul gave his testimony one more time. (Acts 25:23-26:27).

The last bit of the story with King Agrippa is heartbreaking. (Acts 26:28-32) Agrippa asks Paul if he thinks that he can be persuaded to become a Christian. Paul's honest response is that he prays that everyone listening would become what he is.

And then, King Agrippa says it. "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment. ... This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar." (Acts 28:32)