Acts 25:19

But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Acts 25:19 (KJV)

Context

Festus, the Roman governor, is explaining Paul’s case to King Agrippa. He had expected serious criminal charges, but instead found disputes about Jewish religious matters. The Greek word translated “superstition” (deisidaimonia) can also mean “religion” or “worship,” and Festus likely used it in a neutral sense. The questions concerned Jewish law, the temple, and especially the resurrection of the dead.

Meaning

Festus reduces the dispute to a single point: “one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” To the Roman governor, this was a trivial quarrel over a deceased figure. Yet his words unintentionally capture the dividing line between a secular worldview and Christian faith. The resurrection is not a philosophical abstraction but a factual claim about a historical person.

The word “superstition” highlights the contrast between human perception and divine revelation. From a worldly vantage point, the gospel often appears as an obscure religious debate. But for Paul, the resurrection was the concrete foundation of reality and the initiating act of a new creation.

Biblical connections

This single sentence demonstrates that the entire Christian faith stands or falls on the historical reality of the resurrection. Paul did not make his message more palatable by focusing on moral teachings or retreating from the miraculous. He placed the bodily resurrection at the absolute center of his defense. If the Savior remained in the tomb, the message would be a delusion. Because He is risen, it is the power of God unto salvation.

Application

Festus’s words unintentionally testify to the resurrection: he calls Jesus “dead,” but Paul affirms He is alive. Even those who do not believe cannot escape the reality of the risen Christ. The accusations against Paul were not political crimes but theological disagreements, which Festus himself recognized. This underscores that the gospel often appears as a “question” or “dispute” to the world, but for believers it is a certain affirmation.

Believers are called to echo Paul’s confidence, staking everything on the truth that Jesus is alive. The faith is not a dead religion honoring a deceased founder, but a living relationship with a resurrected Savior. In the face of skepticism that dismisses the miraculous as mere superstition, Christians hold firmly to the resurrection as the foundation of their hope and are ready to affirm it clearly.

Reflection

Festus saw a dispute about a dead man; Paul saw the foundational truth of the gospel. The resurrection is not a side issue but the core of Christian faith. Paul’s boldness before governors and kings serves as an example of faithful witness, reminding us that the risen Christ stands at the center of all we believe.