²⁰“Being at a loss how to investigate such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters. ²¹But when Paul appealed to be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to Caesar.”

Festus attempts to show that he followed due diligence in dealing with the volatile situation concerning Paul. At the very least, he is trying to impress upon the king that he has been meticulous in his investigation, despite his own confusion. His approach to this delicate political situation reflects that even ranking officials in the Roman hierarchy lived with a certain amount of fear. Every political position was precarious, having been secured by political favors and alliances and held off balance by political intrigues and enemies. Festus was trying to establish himself with the more powerful King Agrippa, who was related to the emperor, and was more established in his relationship with the Jews.

So Festus continues to describe the situation, explaining that since the issues at hand had to do with Jewish religious matter, he had offered to let Paul stand trial in Jerusalem, presumably in a Jewish, not Roman, trial. Ironically, this is what the Jews wanted when they first approached Festus, but he wanted to speak with Paul first.

Paul’s answer, of course, reflected a refusal to stand trial among the Jews—not because he was guilty of breaking the Jewish Law, but because he knew their kangaroo court would try him on a faulty understanding of Jewish Law. Paul himself was well informed in what Moses taught in the Law, and now he had a Christ-centered hermeneutic (or understanding) of the Law. Yet, if he refused to go to Jerusalem, Festus would be in a bind. Paul saw that his way to escape the anticipated unfair trial was to again exercise his rights as a Roman citizen.

So Festus related to Agrippa that Paul had appealed to Rome. Festus must have thought it necessary to present the context for Paul’s appeal because on the face of it, such an appeal seems overkill. Why would anyone want to appeal to take their trial to Rome when it was not a matter of Roman law but of Jewish religious law? However, the genius of Paul’s move was that it provided him an escape from the Jewish trial (in which he would not stand a chance, so to speak), while also providing Festus an “out” from his predicament, for he would have to honor Paul’s request for an appeal.

Festus concludes his presentation to Agrippa and his wife.

Lord, help me know when to fully utilize the laws of the land in my defense against persecution.