From the onset, let me say that “Peace” comes in strange places. The drama surrounding Paul’s arrest and examination continues to unfold. The Roman commander has taken Paul into custody to examine his alleged misconduct…and to avoid the riotous actions of the Jews. Yet…he is unable to find any allegations to charge Paul with. Paul exposes the impurity of the motives by pitting the Pharisees against the Sadducees in a battle of wills (23:6). In the midst of the confusion, Paul is given a temporary reprieve. Then…peace comes.
23:11 is a visit from the Lord to Paul: Do not fear, you are going to Rome. Notice that there was no promise of vindication. There was not hint of comfort…only an appointment in Rome promised by the Lord Himself. [The peace that Paul would have is that no harm could befall him until he visited Rome.] Now this promise of standing before Caesar may not bring comfort to many…nor did it seem comfortable for Paul; however, it did bolster his confidence in the Sovereign hand of God at work in his life. It should give us the same type of peace as well.
NOTE: Remember the statement of the Lord in Acts 9…that Paul would suffer many things for the name of Jesus. This was at the start of his Christian life. When Paul was first “saved,” Jesus announced that his life would not be comfortable… (Which really shoots the whole health and wealth gospel message in the foot.) Paul’s life story is bearing out what Jesus has promised.
I think Paul’s manner of approach to the argument is key to hear. He characteristically finds common ground, affirms common truth, and then launches into the gospel. This is the nature of effective APOLOGETICS (giving an explanation/defense for the faith). We saw it at Mars Hill…and it is still true throughout the drama.
Notice that the speed of these hearings was not what we would be used to today (24:27). Paul sat in custody for over 2 years as a “favor” from Felix to the ruling Jewish leaders. 2 years without a disposition. [I wonder if this stretched Paul's faith in the promise he heard from Jesus...that he would testify in Rome as he had in Jerusalem.]
When Festus took over, we saw that he “kicked the can down the road too.” Rather than to pronounce righteously that Paul was innocent, he was willing to delay judgment…until Paul appealed to Caesar. It is not that Festus was ignorant…he was just political.
APPLICATION: Politics has a place. There should be a desire to build consensus and move people along a path willingly. To get there though…one must not be manipulative. These men sitting in judgment had a higher responsibility than building consensus..they were called to act righteously…a calling which they perverted for expediency, profit, and political gain. The mantle of leadership is seldom understood. It is weighty. Many people pontificate as if they would make better leaders…but they have very little idea the weight of decisions. I feel a little empathetic toward Festus…and the Roman commander…and Agrippa. Whatever decisions they make…there will be consequences. Much pain will come from their decision…but that is what leadership is all about.
POINT: Don’t chastise the leader for doing a job that you are not willing to do yourself. I may disagree with nearly every philosophy of the President…but I do recognize that pressures of leading…and I would not want his job. I may not want him to have it any longer…but I don’t want it either. 
Proverbs 8:34 is the takeaway today. “Blessed is the man who listens to [Wisdom], watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts.” [The man who seeks wisdom and waits for wisdom, will find it and will be blessed].
Thank you very much for your thoughts. Paul’s situation help me to learn from the Roman leaders the “what NOT to do while in a position of leadership”, but I also learn and take to heart “what to do as a leader” from Paul. We will learn later on, with his letter to the brethren, how he kept his eyes on God’s plan and how he was still a leader and a guide to Christian around the region.