Acts 25:14-15

25:14 While¹ they were staying there many days, Festus² explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion,³ saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem,⁴ the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed⁵ me about him,⁶ asking for a sentence of condemnation⁷ against him.

Acts 25:19

25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement⁸ with him about their own religion⁹ and about a man named Jesus¹⁰ who was dead, whom Paul claimed¹¹ to be alive.

Acts 25:26

25:26 But I have nothing definite¹² to write to my lord¹³ about him.¹⁴ Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa,¹⁵ so that after this preliminary hearing¹⁶ I may have something to write.

¹tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b states, “w. pres. or impf. while, when, as long as…Ac 1:10; 7:23; 9:23; 10:17; 13:25; 19:9; 21:27; 25:14.”

²sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

³tn Grk “Festus laid Paul’s case before the king for consideration.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατίθημι 2 states, “otherw. only mid. to lay someth. before someone for consideration, declare, communicate, refer w. the added idea that the pers. to whom a thing is ref. is asked for his opinion lay someth. before someone for consideration…Ac 25:14.”

⁴map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁵tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “to convey a formal report about a judicial matter, present evidence, bring charges…ἐ. περί τινος concerning someone 25:15.”

⁶tn Grk “about whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 15 (where the phrase περὶ οὗ [peri Jou] occurs in the Greek text).

⁷tn BDAG 516 s.v. καταδίκη states, “condemnation, sentence of condemnation, conviction, guilty verdict…αἰτεῖσθαι κατά τινος κ. ask for a conviction of someone Ac 25:15.”

⁸tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”

⁹tn On this term see BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαιμονία 2. It is a broad term for religion.

sn About their own religion. Festus made it clear that in his view as a neutral figure (and as one Luke had noted was disposed to help the Jews), he saw no guilt in Paul. The issue was a simple religious dispute.

¹⁰tn Grk “a certain Jesus.”

¹¹tn Or “asserted.”

¹²sn There is irony here. How can Festus write anything definite about Paul, if he is guilty of nothing.

¹³sn To my lord means “to His Majesty the Emperor.”

¹⁴tn Grk “about whom I have nothing definite…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 26.

¹⁵sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

¹⁶tn Or “investigation.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνάκρισις has “a judicial hearing, investigation, hearing, esp. preliminary hearing…τῆς ἀ. γενομένης Ac 25:26.” This is technical legal language.