Act 24:27 | NETfull | STEP | After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

Acts 24:27

27 After two years ^{▼▼ Grk “After a two-year period.”} had passed, Porcius Festus ^{▼▼ Porcius Festus was the procurator of Palestine who succeeded Felix; neither the beginning nor the end of his rule (at his death) can be determined with certainty, although he appears to have died in office after about two years. Nero recalled Felix in a.d. 57 or 58, and Festus was appointed to his vacant office in a.d. 57, 58, or 59. According to Josephus (Ant. 20.8.9-10 [20.182–188]; J. W. 2.14.1 [2.271–272]), his administration was better than that of his predecessor Felix or his successor Albinus, but Luke in Acts portrays him in a less favorable light: He was willing to sacrifice Paul to court Jewish favor by taking him to Jerusalem for trial (v. 9), regardless of Paul’s guilt or innocence. The one characteristic for which Festus was noted is that he dealt harshly with those who disturbed the peace.} succeeded Felix, ^{▼▼ Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.”} ^{▼▼ See the note on Felix in 23:26.} and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ^{▼▼ Grk “left Paul imprisoned.”} ^{▼▼ Felix left Paul in prison. Luke makes the point that politics got in the way of justice here; keeping Paul in prison was a political favor to the Jews.}