Bible Strands
Acts 25:10
Paul replied, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Paul addresses Festus in Caesarea, rejecting the governor’s proposal to transport him to Jerusalem. He declares that his proper legal venue is the judgment seat of Caesar.
The words — βῆμα (bēma) refers to the raised magistrate’s platform where official verdicts were rendered. Καίσαρος (Kaisaros) names the Roman emperor as the final judicial authority Paul invokes.
The thread — The appeal to imperial jurisdiction parallels the politically motivated trial in Matthew 27:18, while his insistence on factual innocence aligns with the transparent conduct in 2 Corinthians 4:2 and Festus’s later confirmation in Acts 25:25.
Why it lands — It states that Roman citizens possess a legal right to demand trial before the emperor, regardless of local religious opposition. It requires readers to accept lawful appeal as the proper response to unjust accusation, not evasion or compromise.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
Cross-references
- Matthew 27:18 For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
- Acts 25:25 But I found he had done nothing worthy of death, and since he has now appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
- Acts 26:31 On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
- Acts 28:18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.
- Matthew 27:23 “Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
- Acts 16:37 But Paul said to the officers, “They beat us publicly without a trial and threw us into prison, even though we are Roman citizens. And now do they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”
- Acts 22:25 But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”
- Acts 23:29 I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
- Acts 25:6 After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered that Paul be brought in.