Paul Appeals to Caesar

251 Festus then , having arrived in the province , three days later went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea . 2 And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul , and they were urging him, 3 requesting a concession against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way ). 4 Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly . 5 "Therefore ," he said , "let the influential men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man , let them prosecute him." 6 After he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea , and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought . 7 After Paul arrived , the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove , 8 while Paul said in his own defense , " I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar ." 9 But Festus , wishing to do the Jews a favor , answered Paul and said , " Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?" 10 But Paul said , "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal , where I ought to be tried . I have done no wrong to the Jews , as you also very well know . 11 "If , then , I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death , I do not refuse to die ; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar ." 12 Then when Festus had conferred with his council , he answered , "You have appealed to Caesar , to Caesar you shall go ."

Paul Brought before Agrippa and Bernice

13 Now when several days had elapsed , King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus . 14 While they were spending many days there , Festus laid Paul's case e before the king , saying , "There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix ; 15 and when I was at Jerusalem , the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 "I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges . 17 "So after they had assembled here , I did not delay , but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought before me. 18 "When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him not of such crimes as I was expecting , 19 but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a dead man , Jesus , whom Paul asserted to be alive . 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. 21 "But 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 ." 22 Then Agrippa said to Festus , "I also would like to hear the man myself ." "Tomorrow ," he said , "you shall hear him." 23 So , on the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp , and entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city , at the command of Festus , Paul was brought in. 24 Festus said , "King Agrippa , and all you gentlemen here present with us, you see this man about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me, both at Jerusalem and here , loudly declaring that he ought not to live any longer . 25 "But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death ; and since he himself appealed to the Emperor , I decided to send him. 26 "Yet I have nothing definite about him to write to my lord . Therefore I have brought him before you all and especially before you, King Agrippa , so that after the investigation has taken place , I may have something to write . 27 "For it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner , not to indicate also the charges against him."

A Lame Man Healed at the Gate of the Temple

31 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer . 2 And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful , in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple . 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple , he began asking to receive alms . 4 But Peter , along with John , fixed his gaze on him and said , "Look at us!" 5 And he began to give them his attention , expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said , "I do not possess silver and gold , but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene -walk !" 7 And seizing him by the right hand , he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened . 8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk ; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God . 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God ; 10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms , and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter's Address in Solomon's Porch

11 While he was clinging to Peter and John , all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon , full of amazement .

12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people , "Men of Israel , why are you amazed at this , or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk ? 13 " The God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob , the God of our fathers , has glorified His servant Jesus , the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate , when he had decided to release Him. 14 "But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life , the one whom God raised from the dead , a fact to which we are witnesses . 16 "And on the basis of faith in His name , it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know ; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all . 17 "And now , brethren , I know that you acted in ignorance , just as your rulers did also . 18 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets , that His Christ would suffer , He has thus fulfilled . 19 "Therefore repent and return , so that your sins may be wiped away , in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord ; 20 and that He may send Jesus , the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time . 22 "Moses said , ' THE Lord GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN ; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23 ' And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people .' 24 "And likewise , all the prophets who have spoken , from Samuel and his successors onward , also announced these days . 25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers , saying to Abraham , ' AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED .' 26 "For you first , God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways ."