25:1,2
Paul’s trials continue. We should remember that all this took years, with him spending a lot of time under arrest of one form or another. Felix is now off the scene, replaced by Festus. The various Roman rulers all seemed keen to placate the Jews as much as possible, and Festus was no exception. He went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. The Jewish leaders, probably the Sanhedrin, appeared before Festus and presented their trumped up charges.
25:3-5
The Jewish leaders had not given up on their plan to ambush Paul, though no doubt they had not been fasting all that time! Festus being new to the situation would be unaware of the plot to kill Paul. However, Festus, unknowingly, foiled their plot by inviting the Jewish leaders to come to Caesarea to present their case. It seemed simpler to him for the case to be heard in Caesarea as he was going there, and Paul was being held there.
25:6-8
Festus spent eight or ten days in Jerusalem. On returning to Caesarea he convened court and Paul was summoned. “The Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him”. This may have been a rather threatening position. They brought the same serious charges against him as before, but without any evidence to support their claims. Paul answered in the same way as before, declaring that he had done nothing against Jewish Law, the temple nor against Caesar.
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