Acts — Chapter 26
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1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
4Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.
5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
7the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
8Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
19So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance.
21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
22But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
23that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”
25But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?”
29“Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”
30Then the king and the governor rose, along with Bernice and those seated with them.
31On their way out, they said to one another, “This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.”
32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:
2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
3Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
7Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
21For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.
22Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
23That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
24And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
25But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
30And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
1And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:
2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:
3especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify, that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6And now I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers;
7unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, earnestly serving [God] night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!
8Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?
9I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
11And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.
12Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,
13at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the goad.
15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
17delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
18to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
19Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
20but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me.
22Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come;
23how that the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
24And as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.
25But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness.
26For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.
29And Paul [said], I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.
30And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them:
31and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.
1So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand and began his defense:
2“Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,
3because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversial issues of the Jews. Therefore I ask you to listen to me patiently.
4Now all the Jews know the way I lived from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.
5They know because they have known me from time past, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors,
7a promise that our 12 tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, Your Majesty!
8Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead?
9Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
10And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death.
11I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities.
12“While doing this very thing, as I was going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the chief priests,
13about noon along the road, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around me and those traveling with me.
14When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.’
15So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance as a servant and witness to the things you have seen and to the things in which I will appear to you.
17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you
18to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.
21For this reason the Jews, after they seized me while I was in the temple courts, were trying to kill me.
22I have experienced help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen:
23that the Christ was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24As Paul was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25But Paul replied, “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking true and rational words.
26For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely to him because I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner.
27Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe.”
28Agrippa said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?”
29Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.”
30So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them,
31and as they were leaving they said to one another, “This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment.”
32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
1Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.
2“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews,
3especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
4“Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;
5having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
7which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!
8Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead?
9“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.
11Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12“Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,
13at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.
14When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15“I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you;
17delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,
18to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
19“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.
22Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,
23how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”
24As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.
26For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”
28Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”
29Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”
30The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.
31When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”
32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Summary
Given leave to speak, Paul describes his strict upbringing as a Pharisee and his former zeal in persecuting the followers of Jesus, even voting for their deaths and forcing them to blaspheme (vv. 1-11). He recounts his journey to Damascus, the blinding light from heaven, and the voice of Jesus asking why he was persecuting him and commissioning him to open the eyes of Jews and Gentiles alike, turning them from darkness to light (vv. 12-18). Paul explains that he was not disobedient to that heavenly vision, but preached repentance and a turn to God everywhere he went, which is why the Jews seized him in the temple (vv. 19-21). He insists he has said nothing beyond what Moses and the prophets foretold — that the Messiah would suffer, rise first from the dead, and proclaim light to Jews and Gentiles alike (vv. 22-23). Festus interrupts, calling Paul insane from too much learning, but Paul appeals directly to Agrippa's own knowledge of these events, asking if he believes the prophets; Agrippa responds that Paul is almost persuading him to become a Christian, and the rulers agree privately that Paul has done nothing deserving death or imprisonment and could have been freed had he not appealed to Caesar (vv. 24-32).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Caesarea (v.1): Paul made his defense before Agrippa and Bernice in the audience hall at Caesarea, the Roman headquarters.
- Damascus (v.12): Paul recounts his conversion on the road to Damascus.
- Paul's mission field summarized: "Throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles" (v.20) — from Jerusalem outward to the entire Mediterranean world.
Places on this map
- CaesareaCaesarea, IsraelHerod built an artificial deep-water harbor on an open coast that had none, and it became the Roman administrative capital of Judea. Paul was held here two years and sailed for Rome from it; it is also where the gospel first went to a Gentile household. Wikipedia
- DamascusDamascus, SyriaAn oasis city where the Barada river runs out of the Anti-Lebanon into the desert, about 135 miles north-east of Jerusalem. It sat astride the caravan roads to Mesopotamia and Arabia, which made Aram rich and made it Israel's most persistent northern rival. Wikipedia
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- Mediterranean SeaCalled simply the Great Sea, and treated as the western edge of the world. Israel's coast has almost no natural harbors, so for most of its history the sea was a boundary rather than a road, and seafaring was left to the Phoenicians. Wikipedia
- Judeasouthern Israel and the West BankThe southern hill country around Jerusalem, high, stony and dry, with the wilderness on one side and the Philistine plain on the other. Poor farming and hard access are what let it stay independent longest. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Deep Dive
Setting: The audience hall at Caesarea, about AD 59, the day after Festus briefed King Agrippa (25:23–27). Royalty in purple, Roman officers and the city's leading men are seated. Paul stands with a chain on his wrist. Technically this isn't a trial. Paul has already appealed to Caesar. It's a hearing to help Festus write his report. But it becomes Paul's fullest and most polished defense in Acts, and the third telling of his conversion (chs 9, 22, 26). Many think it is the high point of his ministry as Luke records it.
Paul's Defense Before Agrippa (vv1–23)
- "Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense" (v1). This is the gesture of a trained speaker. It is also the hand with the chain on it (v29). Agrippa presides, as the senior royal guest.
- "I consider myself fortunate… you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews" (vv2–3). This is genuine courtesy, not flattery like Tertullus's. Agrippa really was an expert. He controlled the temple treasury and appointed the high priests. Paul is glad to finally have a judge who understands the issues.
- "My manner of life from my youth… spent… in Jerusalem" (v4). This confirms 22:3: Paul was raised in Jerusalem from an early age, not just educated there. He was no Hellenistic Jew with loose habits picked up abroad.
- "According to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee" (v5). "Strictest" (akribestatos) means most exact, most careful. "Religion" here is thrēskeia, outward worship and practice.
- "On trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers" (vv6–7). This is the core of his defense. The "promise" is the Messiah and the resurrection that his coming would bring. "Our twelve tribes" pictures Israel as still one people waiting, though ten tribes had been scattered for centuries (compare James 1:1; Luke 2:36). "For this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!" The irony is the point. He is accused of believing exactly what every devout Jew hoped for.
- "Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" (v8). He turns suddenly to the whole audience: Romans, Herodians, Sadducees. If God is God, resurrection is not impossible. The question hangs over everything that follows.
- "I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (v9). Paul doesn't claim he was always open-minded. He was sincerely, zealously wrong. Sincerity is not the same as truth.
- "I cast my vote against them" (v10). Literally "I brought down my pebble" (psēphos). Ancient voting used black and white stones. This may mean Paul was a voting member of a council. Or it may be a figure of speech for his approval, like "approving" Stephen's death in 8:1. He was young for the Sanhedrin, so scholars are divided. "Many of the saints" shows that Stephen was not the only one to die.
- "Tried to make them blaspheme" (v11). He tried to force believers to curse Jesus (compare 1 Cor 12:3). The tense suggests repeated attempts, and Paul doesn't claim he succeeded. "Raging fury" (emmainomai) means madness. Paul admits that he, not Festus's version of him (v24), was the one who had been out of his mind.
- "A light from heaven, brighter than the sun… shone around me and those who journeyed with me" (v13). This account adds that the light surrounded everyone and that all of them fell (v14).
- "In the Hebrew language… 'It is hard for you to kick against the goads'" (v14). Only this account records the proverb. A goad (kentron) was a pointed stick used to drive an ox. An ox that kicked against it only hurt itself. It was a familiar Greek saying, used by Euripides and Aeschylus, so it was perfect for this cultured audience. The point is that Jesus had already been pressing on Saul's conscience: Stephen's face, the believers' courage, the Scriptures. Resisting was only wounding himself. The Lord who speaks Hebrew uses a Greek proverb. The gospel speaks every language.
- "I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness" (v16). Here the commission comes straight from Jesus' mouth. In ch 22 it came through Ananias. "Servant" (hypēretēs) is an assistant who carries out another's orders. Preachers often trace it to "under-rower," but by Paul's day it simply meant an attendant or aide (Luke 1:2 uses it of "ministers of the word"). "To those in which I will appear to you" promises later appearances (18:9; 22:17; 23:11).
- "To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God" (vv17–18). This echoes the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah: "to open the eyes that are blind… a light for the nations" (Isa 42:6–7, 16; 49:6). The blinded persecutor is sent to open blind eyes. The gospel in one verse has three movements: eyes opened, a turning (repentance), and two gifts, forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified. Both come "by faith in me."
- "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision" (v19). It is the turning point of Paul's life in a single understatement. The message he then preached everywhere was: "repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance" (v20). That is real change, not just feeling sorry (Luke 3:8; Eph 2:8–10).
- "For this reason the Jews seized me" (v21). This is the real charge: offering God's mercy to Gentiles. The accusation of sedition doesn't even come up.
- "Nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass" (vv22–23). Paul claims no novelty. In three clauses he states what the Hebrew Scriptures foretold. The Messiah must suffer (Isa 53; Ps 22). He would be the first to rise from the dead, the "firstfruits" (1 Cor 15:20; Col 1:18). And he would bring light both to our people and to the Gentiles (Isa 49:6). It is the same summary Jesus gave on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:26–27, 44–47).
- Commentators: Henry observes that Paul could have refused to speak, since he had already appealed to Caesar, but he "cheerfully embraced the opportunity" to honor his cause. Henry adds that Paul "needed no advocate, no Tertullus." His concise commentary adds that those who were strictest before conversion later "see abundant reason for humbling themselves." JFB notes the chained hand, and that the charge of sedition is "not so much as alluded to throughout this speech. It was indeed a mere pretext." JFB on v8: Paul leaves "this pregnant question to find its answer in the breasts of his audience." Guzik points out the irony that Agrippa was an expert in Jewish customs, yet like the Sadducees he could not accept that God raises the dead. He also notes this telling of the conversion is the one shaped for Gentile ears.
"Almost Persuaded" (vv24–32)
- "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind" (v24). Festus interrupts loudly at the word "rise from the dead." To a Roman, resurrection was nonsense (17:32). "Out of your mind" is mainomai, the root of "mania." Festus calls Paul mad, as people said of Jesus (John 10:20; Mark 3:21). "Great learning" (literally "many letters") may point to the scrolls Paul kept with him (2 Tim 4:13).
- "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words" (v25). "Rational" is sōphrosynē, sober-minded and sound. It is the opposite of mania. Paul answers with calm courtesy. Few replies in Scripture are so composed.
- "This has not been done in a corner" (v26). This is one of the great lines of the New Testament. Jesus' ministry, death and resurrection were public events in a real province under named officials. They could be checked. Agrippa's family had ruled the region through all of it. Christianity rests on history that happened in the open, not on private visions.
- "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe" (v27). Now Paul presses the king personally, and Agrippa is trapped. If he says yes, Paul will say the prophets point to Jesus. If he says no, he loses face with the Jews he governs.
- "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" (v28). The KJV made this famous as "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Most modern scholars read the Greek (en oligō, "in a little") as "in a short time" or "with so little." That makes the line more likely a dry deflection than a confession. Some hear sarcasm, some embarrassment, some a half-serious crack in his defenses. The ESV footnote offers "In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!" "Christian" (Christianos) appears only three times in the New Testament (11:26; 1 Pet 4:16). In the mouth of an outsider it was not yet a compliment.
- "Whether short or long, I would to God that… all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains" (v29). Paul takes up Agrippa's word "short" and turns it into a prayer. Picture him lifting his chained hands. He wants for them everything he has in Christ, and nothing of what he suffers.
- "The king rose, and the governor and Bernice" (v30). The king ends the hearing when it becomes too personal.
- "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment" (v31). The verdict is unanimous. Paul is the fourth official to declare him innocent: Lysias (23:29), Festus (25:25), and now Agrippa and the whole court. Luke's readers in Rome needed to know that Christianity was not a criminal movement.
- "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar" (v32). This is a bittersweet line. Legally the appeal couldn't be withdrawn. But Paul was not trapped by a mistake. Jesus had said he "must" testify in Rome (23:11). Without the appeal he might never have left Judea alive (25:3).
- Commentators: Henry calls it "a thousand pities" that Festus cut Paul off just as he reached the death and resurrection of Christ, "the life of the cause," where "he will never know when to conclude." He sees Festus's charge of madness as a convenient excuse to escape "both from condemning Paul as a prisoner and from believing him as a preacher." His concise commentary warns: "recollect how far the being almost persuaded to be a Christian, is from being altogether such a one." JFB: "Can anything surpass this reply, for readiness, self-possession, calm dignity?" And of v29: "What unequalled magnanimity does this speech breathe! Only his Master ever towered above this." JFB imagines Paul "holding up his two chained hands," with an "electrical effect," and Agrippa rising "not over-easy, we may be sure." The Tyndale notes read Agrippa's reply as deliberately evasive, caught between Paul's argument and his Jewish subjects. That leans toward the deflection reading, not the KJV's "almost persuaded."
Pointing to Christ
Paul's whole defense comes down to verse 23: the Messiah must suffer, must be the first to rise, and must bring light to Israel and the nations. The "light brighter than the sun" that blinded Saul was the glory of the risen Christ (2 Cor 4:6). The man in chains is freer than the king on the throne. And the closing scene asks the reader the same question it asked Agrippa: "Do you believe?" Being almost persuaded, or persuaded "in a short time," is not the same as belonging to Christ. Paul's prayer stands open to "all who hear."
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines Paul's defense before Agrippa, the fullest conversion account, the commission statement, and Agrippa's "almost."
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Acts -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Why Resurrection Shouldn't Seem Incredible (v.8) — Paul asks why it should be considered impossible that God raises the dead, when the same God created everything from nothing. Where does your own belief in the resurrection waver, and does it hold up against what you already believe about God's power?
- What Salvation Actually Changes (v.18) — Christ's commission to Paul describes salvation as opened eyes, a turn from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God's, and the reception of forgiveness and inheritance. Which part of that description feels most true in your own story, and which still feels distant?
- A Life Defined by One Obedience (v.19) — Paul sums up thirty years of hardship in a single line: he was not disobedient to the vision God gave him. What has God shown you that you know you're supposed to act on, and are you being faithful to it?
- Faith Built on Public, Checkable Events (v.26) — Paul tells Agrippa these things were not done in a hidden corner but happened openly, where anyone could verify them. How does the historical, public nature of the gospel strengthen your own confidence when doubts arise?
- The Danger of "Almost" (v.28) — Agrippa admits Paul has almost persuaded him, and stops there. Is there an area of your life where you're almost surrendered to Christ but haven't actually crossed the line into full commitment?
- Wanting It for Everyone (v.29) — Even in chains, Paul says he wishes everyone listening could have what he has, minus the imprisonment. Do you want what you have in Christ badly enough for others that you'd say the same thing to the people around you?