Paul Appeals to Caesar

Sometimes God's workers get more support from nonbelievers than from the church.

This chapter is relatively short, but there is still some key points to highlight. Festus has replaced Felix as the provincial leader, and the Jewish leaders hoped to take advantage of this situation and tried to convince him to have Paul transported back to Jerusalem. Festus declined their request and said that he was going to Caesarea, and that they should go there as well. This was not what they had in mind.

This was not what the Jews wanted. They had not forgotten their former defeat at Caesarea. In contrast with the calm bearing and forcible arguments of the apostle, their own malignant spirit and baseless accusations would appear in the worst possible light. Again they urged that Paul be brought to Jerusalem for trial, but Festus held firmly to his purpose of giving Paul a fair trial at Caesarea. God in His providence controlled the decision of Festus, that the life of the apostle might be lengthened. pg. 429

After hearing the arguments in Caesarea, Festus determined that it was a matter of Jewish law, so he suggested that Paul be transported under Roman guard back to Jerusalem. Paul knew that there was no way he was going to get a fair trial there, so he exercised his right as a Roman citizen.

In answer to the governor's question, Paul said: "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar." pg. 430

 Festus was surprised by this request, but after some deliberation granted it. Now comes the sad part.

Thus it was that once more, because of hatred born of bigotry and self-righteousness, a servant of God was driven to turn for protection to the heathen. It was this same hatred that forced the prophet Elijah to flee for succor to the widow of Sarepta; and that forced the heralds of the gospel to turn from the Jews to proclaim their message to the Gentiles. And this hatred the people of God living in this age have yet to meet. Among many of the professing followers of Christ there is the same pride, formalism, and selfishness, the same spirit of oppression, that held so large a place in the Jewish heart. In the future, men claiming to be Christ's representatives will take a course similar to that followed by the priests and rulers in their treatment of Christ and the apostles. In the great crisis through which they are soon to pass, the faithful servants of God will encounter the same hardness of heart, the same cruel determination, the same unyielding hatred. pg. 430, 431

This is doubly sad because of how things went back then, and how things will happen in the future. E.G. White wrote in another place that we will have more to fear from within than from without. She summarizes this chapter by saying,

When the darkness is deepest, the light of a godlike character will shine the brightest. When every other trust fails, then it will be seen who have an abiding trust in Jehovah. And while the enemies of truth are on every side, watching the Lord's servants for evil, God will watch over them for good. He will be to them as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. pg. 432

May we all have godlike characters so that we will be on the right side when the trials come.