In dealing with Paul, Festus was a fox and proposed that Paul go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before Festus. Regarding this, 25:9 says, “But Festus, wanting to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things?” This proposal exposed the corruption of yet another Roman politician. Here again we see the crookedness of the Roman politicians.
Paul was wise and saw through the subtlety of Festus’ proposal. According to verse 10, Paul said strongly, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.” Paul’s word concerning “Caesar’s judgment seat” indicated to Festus that he intended to appeal to Caesar.
In verse 11 Paul went on to say, “If therefore I am doing wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is nothing in the things of which these accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” The Greek words translated “hand me over” may also be rendered “grant as a favor,” both here and in verse 16. The Caesar to whom Paul appealed was Caesar Nero.
For his defense Paul wanted to appeal to Caesar. Without such an appeal, the apostle Paul might have been killed by the Jews through Festus’ unjust handling of him, and thus his life might not have been preserved for the finishing of the course of his ministry. Paul’s appeal to Caesar would fulfill his desire to see Rome for the furtherance of the Lord’s testimony (19:21; 23:11). Without this appeal, he would have been killed by the plot of the Jews (23:12-15; 25:1-3, 9), and he would not have been able to write his last eight Epistles.
Before his appeal to Rome, Paul had written only six Epistles: 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Galatians, Romans, and 1 and 2 Corinthians. It was during his first imprisonment in Rome that he wrote Colossians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Philemon. It was after his first imprisonment that he wrote 1 Timothy, Titus, and Hebrews. Then during his second imprisonment he wrote 2 Timothy. Without these last eight Epistles, what a lack the divine revelation would have had and what a loss the church would have suffered! His appeal did render a great profit and benefit to the Lord’s interest.
Acts 25:12 says, “Then when Festus had conferred with the council, he answered, To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.” The council here was the council of the Roman province, composed of the councillors or assessors chosen by the governor of the province, with whom the governor usually consulted concerning an appeal like Paul’s.
Why was Paul so strong in daring to appeal to Caesar? Paul was strong in this matter because, as a Roman, he knew Roman law. He knew that when he appealed to Roman law, Festus did not have any choice except to honor this appeal. No doubt, the Roman politicians were corrupt, but the Roman government had strong laws which gave Paul a basis to appeal to Caesar.
On two previous occasions Paul stood on the fact of his Roman citizenship. In chapter sixteen Paul said to his captors, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now they are thrusting us out secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out. And the deputies reported these words to the magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans” (vv. 37-38). Later, when Paul was about to be examined by scourging, he said to the centurion standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? And when the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it, saying, What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman” (22:25-26). Paul knew the value of Roman citizenship. He knew that Roman law protected those who were Roman citizens. The law did not give anyone the right to mistreat a Roman citizen. Now in chapter twenty-five Paul, according to Roman law, appealed to Caesar.