World English Bible · Under Rome
Acts 25
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therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to from . Then the and the principal men of the informed him against , and they begged him, asking a against him, that he would summon him to , plotting to kill him on . However answered that should be kept in custody at , and that he himself was about to depart shortly. "Let them therefore", he said, "that are in among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him." When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to , and on the next day he sat on the seat, and commanded to be brought. When he had come, the who had come down from stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove, while he said in his defense, "Neither against of the , nor against , nor against , have I at all." But , desiring to gain with the , answered and said, "Are you willing to go up to and be judged by me there concerning these things?" But said, "I am standing before seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the , as you also know very well. For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of , I don't refuse to ; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to !" Then , when he had conferred with , answered, "You have appealed to . To you shall go." Now when some days had passed, King and arrived at and greeted . 14As he stayed there many days, laid case before the king, saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by ; about whom, when I was at , the and the of the informed me, asking for a sentence against him. I answered them that it is not the custom of the to give up any man to before the accused has met the accusers to and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. When therefore they had come together here, I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the seat and commanded the man to be brought. 18When the accusers stood up, they brought no charges against him of such things as I supposed; but had certain questions against him about their own religion and about one , who was , whom affirmed to be alive. Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to and there be judged concerning these matters. But when had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to ." said to , "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him." So on the next day, when and had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of , was brought in. said, "King , and all men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom all of the petitioned me, both at and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of , and as he himself appealed to the emperor, I determined to send him, of whom I have no certain thing to write to my . Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King , that, after examination I may have something to write. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him."
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.