Acts 25:12 kjv
Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
Acts 25:12 nkjv
Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!"
Acts 25:12 niv
After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: "You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"
Acts 25:12 esv
Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go."
Acts 25:12 nlt
Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!"
Acts 25 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 25:12 | when Festus had conferred with the council, he answered, "To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go." | Roman jurisprudence, legal appeal |
| Acts 26:32 | Then Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar." | Consequences of appeal |
| Acts 28:19 | And when the Jews did not agree, the Jews said to me, "You have done well that you did not seek justice in your own land." | Legal proceedings against Paul |
| Phil 1:12 | I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. | Paul's imprisonment advancing gospel |
| Phil 1:7 | It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, since you all share in my grace, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. | Shared ministry during Paul's imprisonment |
| 2 Tim 2:9 | but the word of God is not chained. | Unhindered spread of the Gospel |
| 2 Tim 4:16 | At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! | Legal challenges and desertion |
| Rom 8:1 | There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. | Freedom from condemnation |
| Rom 8:33-34 | Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is there to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. | Christ's intercession |
| Gal 5:4 | You are severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen away from grace. | Grace vs. Law |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Access to God's grace |
| John 14:15 | If you love me, you will keep my commandments. | Obedience as a sign of love |
| John 15:12 | This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. | Command to love one another |
| Matt 5:25 | Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge over to the jailer, and you be put in prison. | Reconciliation and legal matters |
| Luke 12:58-59 | For when you go with your accuser before the magistrate, on the way to the court, settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, and the judge throw you into prison, and the prison into the dungeon. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last copper. | Practical wisdom in legal dealings |
| Deut 19:15 | A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrongdoing, in regard to any offense that may be committed. Two witnesses or three witnesses shall establish the charge. | Legal principle of testimony |
| Num 35:30 | If anyone kills a person, the evidence of witnesses shall be sufficient to put the killer to death. But one witness is not sufficient to put a person to death. | Requirement for conviction |
| Exod 23:1-3 | "You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hand with a wicked man as a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the majority to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit so as to turn aside after a multitude and deny justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. | Justice and impartiality |
| Lev 19:15 | You shall not render an unjust judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the rich, but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. | Righteous judgment |
| Prov 17:15 | Whoever justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous—both of them are an abomination to the LORD. | Righteousness and unrighteousness |
| Isa 1:17 | Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring gladness to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. | Call for justice |
| John 18:31 | Pilate therefore said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." Jews said to him, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death." | Roman authority over Jewish capital punishment |
Acts 25 verses
Acts 25 12 Meaning
When Festus, having conferred with the council, had decided that Paul should be sent to Rome, he stated to Agrippa and the others that they had found no grounds for accusation against Paul. However, the agreed-upon procedure was that if an appeal was made to Caesar, the accused should be sent to Caesar. Thus, Festus's declaration was an affirmation of the judicial process based on Paul's appeal.
Acts 25 12 Context
The events of Acts 25 occur during Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea. He had been appealing to various Roman officials, including Felix and now Festus. Festus, seeking to appease the Jewish leaders, brought Paul before King Agrippa II and Bernice. Paul, seizing the opportunity, presented his defense, recounting his conversion and ministry. In this chapter, Festus, having heard Paul's case and Paul's appeal to Caesar, is bound by Roman law to send Paul to Rome. His statement to Agrippa and the assembled council is a procedural confirmation of this decision.
Acts 25 12 Word Analysis
- "when" (Hote): Greek particle indicating the time when something happens. It sets the chronological sequence of events.
- "Festus" (Festos): Latin name, likely the family name of the Roman governor of Judea, Porcius Festus. He succeeded Felix.
- "had conferred" (sumbalontes): First aorist active participle from sumballo, meaning to throw together, confer, consult, or debate. It signifies that Festus did not make the decision in isolation but after consultation with others.
- "with the council" (sun tou bouliou): "Sun" means with, and "bouliou" is the genitive singular of "boule," which can mean counsel, advice, or council. Here it refers to Festus's advisors or the local judicial council.
- "had decided" (apokritheis): First aorist passive participle from apokrinomai, meaning to answer, respond, or decide. It implies Festus had made up his mind after the consultation.
- "he answered" (eipen): Second aorist active indicative from lego, meaning to say or speak. This is Festus's spoken statement.
- "To Caesar" (Kaisara): Accusative case of "Kaisar," referring to the Roman emperor (at this time Nero).
- "you have appealed" (epeklēthē): Second aorist passive indicative from epikaleō, meaning to appeal, summon, or name. Paul had invoked his right as a Roman citizen to appeal his case to the emperor.
- "to Caesar" (Kaisari): Dative case of "Kaisar."
- "you shall go" (apaxe): Future active indicative from apago, meaning to lead away, take away, or carry off. It indicates the certainty of Paul being sent to Rome.
Word-group analysis:
- "had conferred with the council, he answered": This phrase highlights the formality of the legal proceedings. Festus, as a Roman governor, was expected to consult with his advisors before making a significant judicial decision. It demonstrates a procedural step in Roman governance.
- "To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go": This statement is definitive. It acknowledges Paul's lawful appeal and declares the unavoidable consequence: his transfer to Rome for judgment before the Emperor's court. It underscores the gravity of an appeal to Caesar in the Roman legal system.
Acts 25 12 Bonus Section
Paul's appeal to Caesar was a strategic move, both for protecting himself and for fulfilling his apostolic mission. By appealing to the highest authority, he bypassed potentially biased local judgments and secured a journey that would take him to the heart of the Roman Empire, where a vast audience awaited the gospel. The verse implicitly highlights the rights and protections afforded to Roman citizens, a privilege Paul exercised effectively. This adherence to legal processes, even within a corrupt system, underscores Paul's own understanding of authority and his commitment to proclaiming the truth within its bounds.
Acts 25 12 Commentary
Festus's declaration is a pronouncement of the established legal procedure following Paul's appeal. Despite any personal inclinations or pressures from the Jewish leadership, Festus, as a representative of Roman law, acknowledges that Paul's invocation of his right to appeal to Caesar means his case must be heard by the Emperor. This decision sets in motion the final phase of Paul's journey as recorded in Acts, leading him to Rome and providing him opportunities to share the gospel even during his imprisonment. It is a critical juncture where divine providence is at work through the established human legal system.