Acts 25:12 (KJV)
Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
I’m trying to imagine the tension in this moment. While Paul—as I believe the Bible confirms—was surrendered to the will of God, even in tense circumstances, this would have been no easy experience. The Jews were determined to have him killed and relentless in their efforts.
Festus, new on the job, inherited Paul’s case from Felix. Like Felix, Festus recognized that Paul had done nothing worthy of death. But also like Felix, he couldn’t just slough off the matter.
-The Jews couldn’t prove their accusations.
-Felix knew very well that Paul had done no wrong.
-But still, something had to be done to appease the Jews.
Would Paul be willing to return to Jerusalem to be judged?
The options were slim. Paul knew there were men waiting in Jerusalem who intended to murder him. There would be no real trial there.
So, Paul appealed to Caesar.
Now Festus was left with the awkward task of explaining to Caesar why he was sending this prisoner—at no small expense—who had committed no real crime. But the appeal gave Festus an out. It took the pressure off him. This volatile, unreasonable problem was now passed on to a higher court. If anything were to erupt, it wouldn’t be on Festus’ head.
Every time government attempts to handle matters of the Spirit, it finds itself in a mess too hot to handle. Generally speaking, it ends up the same way:
– Ignore the problem.
– Try to pacify the participants.
– Pass the buck to a higher court.
Eventually, those who choose to deal with spiritual matters rather than surrender to God will face a court far higher than they could have imagined.
Read Revelation 19 to see the final outcome.
#AppealedToCaesar #TruthOnTrial #GovernmentCan’tHandleGod #PaulStoodFirm #FinalJudgmentIsComing
The Pressure to Pass the Buck: Man’s Courtroom, God’s Verdict
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