Paul Appeals to Caesar
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Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from a Caesarea to Jerusalem.
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b Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,
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asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem - c while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.
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But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.
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"Therefore," he said, "let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see d if there is any fault in him."
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And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
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When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about e and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
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while he answered for himself, f "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all."
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But Festus, g wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, h "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?"
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So Paul said, "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.
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i "For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. j I appeal to Caesar."
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Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!"
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Cross References
Acts 8:40
But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Acts 25:4
But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.
Acts 25:6
And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
Acts 25:13
And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
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Cross References
Acts 24:1
Now after five days Ananias the high priest came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus. These gave evidence to the governor against Paul.
Acts 25:15
About whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him.
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Cross References
Acts 23:12
And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.
Acts 23:15
"Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near."
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Cross References
Acts 18:14
And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you.
Acts 25:18
When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed.
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Cross References
Mark 15:3
And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.
Luke 23:2
And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.
Luke 23:10
And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
Acts 24:5
For we have found this man a plague, a creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
Acts 24:13
Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.
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Cross References
Acts 6:13
They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.
Acts 24:12
And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city.
Acts 28:17
And it came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: "Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
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Cross References
Acts 12:2
Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
Acts 24:27
But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
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Cross References
Acts 25:20
And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.
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Cross References
Acts 18:14
And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you.
Acts 23:29
I found out that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged against him deserving of death or chains.
Acts 25:25
But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him.
Acts 26:31
And when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, "This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.
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Cross References
Acts 26:32
Then Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Acts 28:19
But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.