Acts 25 18

Acts 25:18 kjv

Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:

Acts 25:18 nkjv

When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed,

Acts 25:18 niv

When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

Acts 25:18 esv

When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed.

Acts 25:18 nlt

But the accusations made against him weren't any of the crimes I expected.

Acts 25 verses

Acts 25 18 Meaning

Acts 25:18 records Governor Festus's report to King Agrippa regarding the Jewish accusers' charges against Paul. Festus was surprised that the accusations, despite being grave enough for the Jews to seek Paul's death, were not for criminal offenses ("such evils") that he, a Roman official, expected or could easily understand within Roman law. Instead, they pertained to theological disputes concerning Jewish custom and a particular religious belief about a dead man named Jesus. This highlights the disconnect between Roman jurisprudence and Jewish religious matters, particularly concerning the Christian faith.

Acts 25 18 Context

Acts chapter 25 details the continuation of Paul's imprisonment under the new Roman governor, Festus, who succeeded Felix. Upon arriving in Judea, Festus traveled to Jerusalem, where the Jewish leaders immediately renewed their fervent desire for Paul's conviction and sought to ambush him on the way to Jerusalem. Festus, however, insisted that Paul be tried in Caesarea. After returning to Caesarea, Festus convened a tribunal. Acts 25:18 recounts Festus's private reflection on this trial as he later explains the complex situation to King Agrippa II and Bernice, who have come to pay their respects. This verse specifically expresses Festus's surprise that the severe charges brought by the Jews were not criminal offenses expected of Roman law, but rather related to their "own religion." This set the stage for Festus's dilemma and his eventual decision to involve Agrippa, an expert in Jewish customs, to understand the accusations against Paul better. The historical context includes Roman law prioritizing civil order and imperial security, often viewing Jewish internal religious disputes with mild disdain unless they threatened public peace.

Acts 25 18 Word analysis

• Concerning whom (Περὶ οὗ - Peri hou): Greek preposition `περὶ` (peri) "concerning" and genitive pronoun `οὗ` (hou) "whom/which." Refers back to Paul (Acts 25:14). It smoothly transitions the subject of Festus's explanation to Agrippa.
• when (ὅτε - hote): A temporal conjunction, "when" or "at the time that." Indicates the moment the action of the accusers occurred.
• the accusers (οἱ κατήγοροι - hoi katēgoroi): Greek definite article `οἱ` (hoi) "the" and noun `κατήγοροι` (katēgoroi) "accusers" or "prosecutors." This term refers to the official complainants in a legal setting, in this case, the chief priests and leading men of the Jews (Acts 25:15). Their role was formal, indicating a legal and official challenge, not mere slander.
• stood up (σταθέντες - stathentes): Greek aorist passive participle of `ἵστημι` (histēmi), meaning "to stand," "to stand up," or "to present oneself." In a legal context, it implies taking a stand or presenting an argument before the court, ready to formally articulate their case.
• they brought (προσήνεγκαν - prosēnenkan): Greek aorist active indicative of `προσφέρω` (prospherō), meaning "to bring forward," "to offer," or "to present." This verb conveys the act of formally laying charges before a judge.
• no charge (οὐδὲν αἰτίαν - ouden aitian): Greek negative `οὐδέν` (ouden) "no/nothing" and noun `αἰτίαν` (aitian) "charge," "accusation," "reason," or "cause." The phrase indicates the complete absence of the kind of charge Festus anticipated. `Aitian` in a Roman legal sense implies an indictable offense.
• of such evils (πονηρῶν - ponērōn): Greek genitive plural of the adjective `πονηρός` (ponēros), meaning "evil," "wicked," "vicious," or "harmful." In Roman legal parlance, this would refer to actual crimes or grave offenses that threatened the state's peace or social order, such as insurrection, sedition, or felony. Festus expected charges of criminal misdeeds.
• as I supposed (ὡς ἐγὼ ὑπενόουν - hōs egō hypenooun): Greek conjunction `ὡς` (hōs) "as/just as," pronoun `ἐγώ` (egō) "I," and imperfect active indicative of `ὑπονοέω` (hyponoeō), "to suspect," "to imagine," "to suppose," or "to assume." Festus's expectation was based on his Roman legal framework and prior experience with serious accusations. His use of the imperfect tense highlights an ongoing or continued expectation that was not met. This reveals his genuine surprise and judicial dilemma.

• "the accusers stood up, they brought": Emphasizes the formality of the Jewish leaders' presentation of their case, adhering to court procedure even though their charges missed the mark from a Roman perspective. They followed protocol to ensure Paul was formally judged.
• "no charge of such evils": This phrase marks the crux of Festus's surprise. "No charge" directly negates the existence of standard Roman legal complaints, while "such evils" highlights his preconceived notion of what serious accusations should entail. This clearly defines the mismatch between the Roman judicial system and the Jewish religious dispute.
• "as I supposed": Reveals Festus's perspective and frustration. He expected allegations concerning Roman law—crimes of civil unrest, theft, murder—but found the complaints entirely different. This underscores the cultural and legal gap he had to bridge.

Acts 25 18 Bonus section

This verse subtly highlights the protective nature of Roman law, which, despite its imperfections, sometimes inadvertently safeguarded early Christians from religious persecution by non-Roman authorities, provided they committed no clear crime against the state. Festus's confusion indicates a broader phenomenon observed elsewhere in Acts (e.g., Gallio in Acts 18:12-17), where Roman officials struggled to engage with what they considered internal "superstitions" or "words and names" of the Jews. Their concern was largely limited to preserving civil order and imperial authority. This disinterest or inability to comprehend the religious accusations inadvertently favored Paul, preventing him from being summarily condemned on purely religious grounds by his Jewish adversaries, which lacked Roman legal weight. The phrase "as I supposed" underscores the purely human, limited understanding of Festus, standing in contrast to the divine plan unfolding through Paul's appeal to Caesar.

Acts 25 18 Commentary

Acts 25:18 offers a critical insight into Festus's perception of Paul's case, exposing the significant cultural and legal chasm between Roman civil law and Jewish religious practice. Festus, as a Roman governor, approached the trial with an expectation of clear criminal charges that would align with Roman statutes against disturbing the peace, sedition, or other common felonies ("such evils"). However, when the Jewish accusers formally presented their case, they failed to provide any such indictment from a Roman perspective. The true "evils" they alleged were entirely theological—disputes over Jewish law, prophecies, and fundamentally, the resurrection of Jesus. Festus found himself bewildered, caught between the persistent, fervent demands of the Jewish leadership for Paul's death and a total absence of grounds for such a penalty under the legal framework he understood. This moment highlights that from a Roman imperial viewpoint, Paul was largely innocent of any prosecutable offense, while from the Jewish perspective, he was a dangerous heretic who threatened their tradition and faith. The verse encapsulates Festus's judicial predicament and sets the stage for his subsequent attempt to secure Agrippa's counsel.