Acts 25:21

But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.

The emperor ... Caesar ... Two titles given here to Nero should be noted. The first of these is actually "Augustus" (English Revised Version margin), which was the title given by the Roman Senate on January 17,27 B.C. to Gaius Caesar Octavianus (63 B.C. to A.D. 14).[14] "Augustus" also translates "Sebastos," and sometimes emperor, as in this verse. It was later applied as a title to any head of the Roman state. The same is true of "Caesar." Still a third title of Roman emperors, "Lord," is used a little later in this chapter (Acts 25:26).[15] This title of "Lord" or "Dominus" carried a divine connotation and was first used by Caligula (A.D. 12-41).[16] "Augustus and Tiberius rejected such a title and would not suffer it to be applied to them."[17] However, we may suppose that Nero would have received it gladly.

The names of these ancient Roman rulers are still continued today in the names of the months of July and August, the cities of Augusta, Augsburg, Sebastopol, etc., all being derived from them.

[14] Encyclopedia Britannica (Chicago: William Benton, Publisher, 1961), Vol. 2, p. 686.

[15] Jack P. Lewis, op. cit., p. 151.

[16] Everett F. Harrison, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 477.

[17] Albert Barnes, op. cit., p. 345.