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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Thursday, July 11, 2019
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Festus Hears Charges Against Paul Bible Verse :Acts 25:1-7 "Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem — because they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.” After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him that they could not prove." Message:
Festus is Porcius Festus, the new governor (procurator) of Galilee and Judea. When he arrives, Paul has been under arrest in Caesarea for over two years; Festus’ predecessor (Felix) handled the difficult situation by simply doing nothing. The Jewish authorities in the Sanhedrin were content as long as Paul was held in prison, and Felix would not find him innocent without a bribe. On the other hand, there was no evidence of Paul’s guilt, and Felix would not find him guilty.
Dove of peace on turquoise background
Festus is thus faced with the exact same situation as Felix had been. The Jews want Paul transferred to Jerusalem, so that they can murder him. And once again, a trial is held just as it had been two years before.
Festus was, by all accounts, a fair-minded and honest governor, in stark contrast to his predecessor, but he did not have Felix’s experience and knowledge. He especially did not have Felix’s deep knowledge of Judaism; Felix, after all, was married to a Jew. And also, the Sanhedrin had certainly had a part in Felix’s recall to Rome, so Festus would not have wanted to offend them unnecessarily.
The Book of Acts skips over the details of the charges against Paul, Paul’s defense, and the Jewish authorities involved. (Ananais had, by this time, been replaced as high priest.) But we will find out more detail later in Chapter 25, when Festus discusses the case with Agrippa (the current Jewish king) and his sister Bernice.
It is easy to get Felix and Festus confused, especially when you haven't read this part of Acts for a few years. Remember that “Felix” comes before “Festus” in alphabetical order.
Meditation : Prayer : And now let me go forth praising you, O Lord, with all my heart, telling of all your wonders, with my words and in my actions. I will be glad and rejoice in you this day. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High............Amen |
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