On My Way to Rome
Page 4
interests and not those of the Lord Jesus Christ as Timothy did. He had toiled with me zealously in serving and helping to advance the message of the Gospel.
Cassius was ever present with us as we spoke about our travels to the ends of the earth, advancing the kingdom of God, by preaching the message of Jesus Christ. Our conversations always revolved around the love and grace of God. How Jesus, the Messiah had died in our place upon the cross. That He was buried and laid in a tomb, and on the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures. Cassius pretended that he wasn't paying any attention to us or listening to our conversations but I knew that God was working in him. For faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God over and over again.
Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for me and listened to me talk about faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. How that Jesus died upon the cross for our sins. How He was buried and laid in a tomb and how He was raised back to life on the third day. When I began to discuss righteousness, self control and the coming judgement on Rome and Jerusalem, Felix became frightened and said, "For the time being, go away! I will send for you when I get a chance." At the same time he hoped that I would offer him a bribe. He offered me my freedom in exchange for money. So he sent for me rather often and kept talking to me, hoping I would give in and settle with a bribe.
After two long years, Felix was succeeded by a new Roman procurator and governor of Judea, Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant the Judeans a favour, he left me bound in chains and in prison. At times I thought I was going to be in jail forever, yet deep inside me a small still voice kept speaking to me, saying, "You must first go to Rome."
I am Paul, remember I am still in prison and in chains. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.
Amen - so be it.
Appeal to Caesar. #4
Three days after Festus, the new Roman governor entered the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. There the chief priests and Jewish leaders informed him of my case. They laid charges before him against me and kept begging and urging him to do them a favour by bringing me to Jerusalem to stand trial. Meanwhile they were planning an ambush to kill me on the way there. Festus replied to them that I was being kept under Praetorian Guard in Caesarea and that he himself was planning to leave Jerusalem for there soon. He said to them, "Let those who are in a position of authority among you go down with me, and press charges against the man, that's if he has done something seriously wrong."
The chief priests and elders were a crooked bunch. They were trying every trick in the book to have me extinguished from off the face of the earth. They still wanted me dead after two whole years had passed by. Festus came back down to Caesarea after staying with them for not more than eight to ten days. I had lost count of the days that he was away. The following day he took his seat in the court and ordered me to be brought in. Cassius had been with me for just over two years now. He was no longer a man who stood beside me in the shadows as a stranger. He and I were now well acquainted with one another. This giant of a man, this war veteran had fallen upon his knees in repentance, believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ. We didn't give any evidence to those around us that we were now close friends as they would have rotated him out. Praetorian Guards were encouraged not to become familiar with those they were guarding. There were so many parallels in our lives as if we had been cut out from the same rock.
When I arrived at the court, the Judeans who had come down from Jerusalem stood around me in a circle. They brought many serious charges against me which they could not prove. They had no evidence to support their claims. In reply to their allegations, I said, "I have committed no offence, not against the Law of Moses to which you Jews hold fast, nor against the Temple in Jerusalem, nor against the Emperor." Festus was wanting to do the Jews a favour so he asked me, "Would you be willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there on these charges." I replied in my defense, "I am standing right now in the official court and judgement seat of Caesar the Emperor, and this is where I should be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you very well know. If then I am a wrongdoer or a criminal and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, then I am ready to die." I knew what my rights were according to Roman Law as I was a Roman citizen, and I wasn't going to give them up. In my heart I knew that they were wanting to ambush me on the way.
I stood my ground and continued with my defense, "However If there is no ground for these charges and accusations against me, then no one can hand me over to these men to kill me." I suddenly said the unthinkable. The words came out of my mouth unexpectedly. Only God the Holy Spirit could have caused me to say such a thing. Without thinking I cried out, "I appeal to Caesar!" The entire congregation in the court went silent. Cassius turned and looked directly into my face, his eyes fastened themselves with my eyes. He knew the Laws of Rome just like I did. Caesar had the power to release me or have me put to death. Imperator Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the Emperor was a hard and cruel man.
Festus began to whisper as he conferred with his advisers, then he answered, "You have appealed to Caesar the Emperor, so to Caesar the Emperor you will go!" The Emperor was believe to be a god by many, a deity that lived on the earth among us. They were worshipped by the Romans as the son of god. One Emperor demanded so much worship of himself that he ordered his statue to be placed in our holy Temple in Jerusalem. However he died before this order could be carried out.
Cassius just smiled at me when we returned to my jail cell. He knew that I was on a mission to get to Rome. I had told him what Jesus had told me in a vision. That I was to minister and witness for Him in Rome. After some days, Agrippa the king of Judea and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. They wanted to welcome the new Roman governor and wish him well at his new post.
They stayed there for several days so Festus had the opportunity to acquaint the king with my case. "There is a man here," he said, "a prisoner who was left behind in chains by Felix. When I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish elders informed me about him, petitioning for a judicial hearing and the condemnation of the man. My answer to them was that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up an accused man for punishment before the accused has met his accusers face to face and had the opportunity to defend himself against the charges in a trial. So when they arrived here with me, I did not delay, but took my seat in court the next day and ordered the man brought in.
When the accusers stood up, instead of charging him with some serious crime of misconduct as I had expected. They disputed with him over some controversy about their own religion, and particularly concerning the one Jesus, Who had died but Whom Paul kept asserting over and over again to be alive. Being at a loss on how to investigate such questions, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried on these matters there. Since Paul appealed to His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor to have his case decided and to be kept in custody. I ordered him detained until I could send him to the Emperor in Rome."
King Agrippa said to Festus excitedly, "I myself have been wanting to hear the man speak."
"Tomorrow," he replied, "you will hear him, tomorrow."
So the next day King Agrippa and Bernice approached the court with great display. They entered the audience room accompanied by the military commanders and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus I was brought in by Cassius. Then Festus addressed King Agrippa and said, "King Agrippa and all of you here with us today. Do you see this man. The whole Jewish community has complained to me about him both in Jerusalem and here. Crying that he shouldn't remain alive. But I discovered that he has done nothing that deserves a death sentence. Now when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. However, I have nothing specific to write in a letter to His Majesty about him. This is why I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we have examined him, I might have some thing to write. It seem
s irrational to me to send a prisoner to the Emperor without indicating what the charges are that are against him."
King Agrippa said to me, "You have permission to speak on your own behalf." At that I motioned with my hand indicating to the crowd that I was about to speak. Then I delivered the best sermon of my life.
I am Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God. Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness. May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, make you to increase and overflow in love for one another. May He give you inner strength to be blameless before Him.
Amen - so be it.
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Madness. #5
I had the King of Judea and the Roman governor on my finger tips. The governor had no