Paul answered, “I’m now standing in Caesar’s court. That’s where I should be put on trial, because I haven’t done anything wrong to the Jews. You know that yourself very well.
Instead, we refuse to do secret and shameful things. We don’t trick anyone, and we don’t twist God’s word. We do just the opposite! We present the truth plainly so that everyone can judge us in their own conscience before God.
They left the room and began to talk with one another. “This man doesn’t need to die or be put in prison,” they said. “He hasn’t done anything to deserve that!”
Festus spent eight or ten days in Jerusalem with them, and then he went down to Caesarea. The next day he called the court together and ordered Paul to be brought before him.
I found out that their charges against him were based on questions about their law. They weren’t accusing him of anything that deserved death or prison.
Pilate also wanted to release Jesus because he’d gotten a message from his wife while he was judging the case. The message said, “Don’t do anything to that man. He’s innocent. I had a terrible nightmare about him last night.”