STUDIES IN ACTS

LESSON 103

FESTUS TELLS KING AGRIPPA ABOUT PAUL

Acts 25:13-22 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

¹³ A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus. ¹⁴ They stayed there many days, and Festus told the king about Paul’s case. Festus said, “There is a man that Felix left in prison. ¹⁵ When I went to Jerusalem, the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders there made charges against him. They wanted me to order his death. ¹⁶ But I told them, ‘When a man is accused of doing something wrong, Romans don’t hand him over for others to judge. First, he must face the people accusing him. And then he must be allowed to defend himself against their charges.’ ¹⁷ “So when these Jews came here for the trial, I did not waste time. The next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. ¹⁸ The Jews stood up and accused him. But they did not accuse him of the kind of crimes I thought they would. ¹⁹ Their charges were all about their own religion and about a man named Jesus. Jesus died, but Paul said that he is still alive. ²⁰ I did not have any idea about how to judge these matters. So I asked Paul, ‘Do you want to go to Jerusalem and be judged there?’ ²¹ But Paul asked to be kept in Caesarea. He wants a decision from the emperor. So I ordered that he be held until I could send him to Caesar in Rome.” ²² Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man too.” Festus said, “Tomorrow you can hear him.”

1.   KING AGRIPPA V. 13-14A

2.   FESTUS EXPLAINS ABOUT PAUL V. 14B-21

Ø  Festus explains why Paul is being held in prison v. 15-16

Ø  Tells about the Jews charges v. 17-19

Ø  Festus’s uncertainty how to judge Paul v. 20

Ø  Paul’s request to be heard by Caesar v. 21

3.   AGRIPPA ASKS TO HEAR PAUL V. 22A

4.   FESTUS AGREES FOR TOMORROW V. 22B

THE WORLD DOESN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH CHRISTIANS!

STUDIES IN ACTS

LESSON 101

PAUL DEFENDS HIMSELF BEFORE FELIX PART 2

Acts 24:17-23 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

^17-18 “I was away from Jerusalem for many years. I went back there to take money to help my people. I also had some gifts to offer at the Temple. I was doing this when some Jews saw me there. I had finished the cleansing ceremony.^[a] I had not made any trouble, and no one was gathering around me. ¹⁹ But some Jews from Asia were there. They should be here, standing before you. If I have really done anything wrong, they are the ones who should accuse me. They were there! ²⁰ Ask these men here if they found any wrong in me when I stood before the high council meeting in Jerusalem. ²¹ I did say one thing when I stood before them and shouted, ‘You are judging me today because I believe that people will rise from death!’” ²² Felix already understood a lot about the Way. He stopped the trial and said, “When commander Lysias comes here, I will decide what to do with you.” ²³ Felix told the army officer to keep Paul guarded but to give him some freedom and to let his friends bring whatever he needed.

1.   PAUL’S STORY V. 17-21

Ø  V. 17-18 PAUL EXPLAINS WHY HE HAD COME TO JERUSALEM

Ø  V. 19 NAMES ACTUAL ACCUSERS

Ø  V. 20-21 THE CHALLENGE

2.   FELIX’S REACTION V. 22-23

Ø  V. 22 FELIX UNDERSTOOD ‘THE WAY’

Ø  V. 22B DELAYED JUDGEMENT

Ø  V. 23 PAUL’S STATE

OUR DEFENSE IS GUIDED BY THE LORD AND IS RIGHT.