Acts 25 19

Acts 25:19 kjv

But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Acts 25:19 nkjv

but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Acts 25:19 niv

Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive.

Acts 25:19 esv

Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive.

Acts 25:19 nlt

Instead, it was something about their religion and a dead man named Jesus, who Paul insists is alive.

Acts 25 verses

Acts 25 19 Meaning

Acts 25:19 conveys Festus's assessment of the accusations against Paul, presented to King Agrippa. Festus simplifies the Jewish complaints as not involving any actual crime against Roman law, but rather as internal religious disputes centered on "their own religion." Crucially, he identifies the core of the controversy as the conflicting claims regarding "one Jesus," whom all acknowledge was dead, but whom Paul vehemently asserted was alive, referring to the resurrection. From a Roman legal standpoint, these were theological differences, not criminal acts.

Acts 25 19 Context

Acts chapter 25 details the events following Festus's arrival as the new Roman governor of Judea, succeeding Felix. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem immediately pressured Festus to send Paul back to Jerusalem for trial, plotting an ambush along the way. Festus, however, insisted on Paul's appearance before him in Caesarea. During the hearing, Paul firmly denied all Jewish accusations of wrongdoing against the Jewish law, the temple, or Caesar. When Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul if he would agree to be tried in Jerusalem, Paul, knowing the danger, appealed to Caesar. This appeal transferred his case to the emperor's court in Rome, preventing Festus from handing him over. Subsequently, Festus sought the counsel of King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice, who arrived to pay their respects. Festus presented Paul's case to Agrippa, explaining the unusual nature of the charges, setting the stage for Acts 25:19 as his summation of the core issue. Festus, from his Roman administrative perspective, could not understand the deep theological chasm at the heart of the dispute. He needed Agrippa's Jewish expertise to properly articulate the charges for the emperor's dispatch.

Acts 25 19 Word analysis

• but had certain questions against him: (Greek: ēsan de autō zētēmata tina)
  • questions (zētēmata): Signifies points of dispute, controversial matters, or inquiries. Festus specifically differentiates these from criminal charges (adikerōn or klematos), underscoring their internal, non-criminal nature from a Roman viewpoint. This implies legal matters but not of the kind that fell under Roman criminal jurisdiction.
• of their own superstition: (Greek: peri tinos deisidaimonias)
  • their own (idia): Emphasizes that these matters were particular to the Jewish people and their specific customs, making them appear irrelevant or trivial to Roman governance.
  • superstition (deisidaimonia): This Greek term carries ambiguity. For Festus, a Roman governor, it likely held a somewhat pejorative or at least neutral-to-negative connotation, referring to an "over-religiousness," foreign religious practices, or fear of deities he didn't understand. In other contexts, it could simply mean "religious devotion" or "piety." However, in a Roman court setting, especially when dealing with non-Roman cults, it often implied something alien, irrational, or excessive. It suggests Festus found the Jewish religious observances peculiar and beyond Roman imperial concern, reinforcing the non-criminal aspect of Paul's charges.
• and of one Jesus: (Greek: kai peri tinos Iēsou)
  • one Jesus (tinos Iēsou): The indefinite pronoun tinos ("a certain one," "someone") suggests a casual or dismissive tone by Festus. He treats Jesus as merely "some man" or "a certain person" who was part of the internal Jewish religious disagreements, highlighting his lack of understanding of Jesus' unique significance to both Jews and Christians.
• which was dead: (Greek: tethnēkotos)
  • This is a perfect participle, indicating a completed past action with continuing results—Jesus "had died" or "is one who died." This factual statement establishes the commonly acknowledged historical reality of Jesus' physical death, recognized by all parties (Jews, Romans, and Christians). It provides the undisputed starting point for the religious controversy.
• whom Paul affirmed to be alive: (Greek: hon epheiden ho Paulos zēn)
  • affirmed (epheiden): "Declared," "asserted," "claimed strongly." It denotes Paul's unwavering and powerful testimony. This isn't a mere suggestion but a definite and repeated assertion.
  • to be alive (zēn): The present infinitive indicates ongoing life. This is the absolute core of Paul's gospel and the precise point of theological and practical contention: the resurrection. Paul’s preaching about Jesus’ life after death (resurrection) was fundamentally opposed by the Jewish authorities who insisted he remained dead. This contrast encapsulates the chasm between nascent Christianity and traditional Judaism.

Acts 25 19 Bonus section

The seemingly dismissive words of Festus about Jesus ironically contain the precise kernel of truth that defines Christian faith: Jesus’ death and subsequent life (resurrection). Festus’s Roman pragmatism meant he completely missed the profound theological and eternal implications of Paul's affirmation. This incident is not just a historical report but an early testament to the consistent Christian claim about the historical reality of Jesus' death and the miraculous reality of his resurrection. Even by its detractors, the event of Jesus’ death was never denied; rather, it was the affirmation of his living state that caused conflict. This provides an unintentional apologetic point, showing how early critics wrestled not with Jesus' death, but with his claimed victory over it.

Acts 25 19 Commentary

Acts 25:19 serves as a pivotal statement by Festus, succinctly encapsulating the Roman administration's perception of the burgeoning Christian movement. For Festus, Paul’s "crime" was not a transgression against imperial law, but rather an entanglement in an obscure Jewish "superstition." His dismissive framing of "one Jesus, who was dead," stands in stark contrast to the revolutionary declaration that "Paul affirmed to be alive." This simple phrase highlights the heart of the Gospel—the resurrection of Jesus Christ—as the central and most offensive point of the Christian message to both traditional Judaism and secular Roman thought. It underscores how the greatest truth of Christian faith was, to a powerful Roman official, merely a bewildering religious squabble. This verse powerfully illustrates the tension between earthly, political judgment and the spiritual, transformative truth proclaimed by God’s messengers.