Acts 26
BolesActs 26:1-32
PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA
1 And Agrippa said unto Paul,—After Festus had introduced the case, Agrippa seems to assume the chairmanship of the meeting; so he addressed Paul and told him that he was permitted to speak for himself. Agrippa as a king and guest presides at the grandest place. No charges are preferred against Paul; Festus had admitted that he had no proof of any charges. When Paul was granted the privilege of speaking for himself, he “stretched forth his hand.” This was the usual gesture for silence. Paul now stood before the assembly as a prisoner, with one arm, probably his left arm, chained to the soldier who guarded him. A wide contrast in earthly pomp and glory between Paul, an innocent prisoner in chains, and the royal robed court is here seen.
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa,—Paul now makes “his defence.” It is not a “defence” in the strictest sense of that word; Paul is only being examined that Festus may learn more about him. Paul did not flatter King Agrippa when he said, “I think myself happy,” but was speaking courteously to the king. He was glad of the opportunity to preach Christ. The accusations which were made against him involved the gospel. It is only another opportunity for Paul to preach the gospel. Agrippa could understand Paul in all his references to Jewish beliefs and hopes. Paul’s beginning in his defense before Felix (Acts 24:10) was adorned with courteous language.
3 especially because thou art expert in all customs—Agrippa knew the Jewish religion; he knew the sects of Pharisees and Sad- ducees; he knew their expectations of a Messiah, their ceremonial laws; hence, he could hear Paul with patience and understanding. Paul’s defense is divided into two divisions: (1) his early life which was well known as a Pharisee (Acts 22:3; Galatians 1:14; Philippians 3:5-6), and (2) his life as a prisoner. Agrippa II was especially fitted to act as judge, for he was not merely a ruler of Jewish lands, and the appointed guardian of the temple, but he was also in religion, professedly at least, a Jew. His father, Agrippa I, was famous for his rigid observance of Jewish rites.
4-5 My manner of life then from my youth up,—Paul’s early life in Tarsus and in Jerusalem was open and known to all. Here Paul emphasizes his training and beliefs before his conversion. It is thought that Paul went as a youth to Jerusalem from Tarsus to get his education. Since all the Jews knew of his early life they could testify, if they would, that Paul belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, and was very jealous of all the tenets of faith and practice of the Pharisees. “After the straitest sect’’ comes from the Greek “akribestaten hairesin,” which is a superlative expression.
Paul was most rigid and precise in his life as a Pharisee. The word for “sect” is the same as that used in Acts 24:5, and is sometimes translated “heresy.” “Religion” is from the Greek “threskeias,” and is the old word for religious worship or discipline. Paul knew the rules of the Pharisees, and he lived rigidly according to these rules.
6-7 And now I stand here to be judged—Thus far Agrippa could bear testimony to the truthfulness of all that Paul had said. It was his belief in the fulfillment of an old national hope that had brought him to the place that he now stands as a prisoner before Agrippa. The Pharisees had firmly and persistently hoped in the promises of God that a Messianic kingdom would be established, and Paul in preaching Christ was declaring that that hope had been realized. It was a strange paradox! Paul was now a prisoner for the very thing which the Jews emphasized so strongly and believed so confidently, and now he was made a prisoner by the Jews themselves! Paul had made the resurrection of Christ the basis of his gospel of the Messianic kingdom, and this had enraged the Jews. Paul declared that Jesus, who had been crucified and buried, was now raised from the dead, but the Jews denied this. (Acts 25:19.)
8 Why is it judged incredible with you,—Paul turned suddenly from Agrippa to the audience. “Incredible” means “unfaithful” (Luke 12:46), “faithless” (John 20:27), or “unbelievable.” It is from the Greek “apiston.” The Greek shows that Paul is not only addressing Agrippa, but his audience. If God can or does raise the dead, why should anyone not believe that he has raised Jesus? If he has raised Jesus, has not the crucified One become the Christ? All that Paul had done was to preach that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah; he had preached that this Jesus had been crucified, buried, and raised from the dead, and that he was now at the right hand of God, reigning over his Messianic kingdom. Why should Agrippa and others not believe in him ?
9 I verily thought with myself—Here Paul in his defense makes a turn to his conversion. His words express sympathy for those who are now as he was before his conversion; he had been led from unbelief to faith; he will not become discouraged even in Agrippa in a like transition. (1 Timothy 1:12-17.) Paul did not reason himself into Christianity by a chain of arguments, but he was brought into the highest degree of faith in it from the highest degree of prejudice. Paul is politely saying that he could excuse them more readily, because he was then sincerely doing the same kind of wrong to others which he was suffering then as a prisoner.
10 And this I also did in Jerusalem:—Paul here relates some incidents of his persecution of Christians before he was converted. He was an official persecutor of the saints under the direction of the Sanhedrin. He mentions “the chief priests" who were Saddu- cees, though he himself was a Pharisee. Both Pharisees and Sad- ducees were then joined in persecuting Christians. When they were put to death, he says: “I gave my vote against them.” The Greek “katenegka psephon” literally means “I cast down my pebble.” The ancient Greeks used white pebbles for acquittal (Revelation 2:17) and black ones for conviction or condemnation. They literally cast the pebbles into the urn.
Many think from this that Paul was a member of the Sanhedrin, and if a member of it, that he was married at that time, as no one was permitted to be a member of the Sanhedrin who was unmarried. It is possible to take this language figuratively as meaning that he gave his approval; hence, he would not be necessarily a member of the Sanhedrin. It seems more likely that he was a member. We know that he was not married when he wrote 1 Corinthians 7:7 f. It is possible that he was a widower at the time he wrote First Corinthians.
11 And punishing them oftentimes—Paul had no mercy on Christians at that time. Paul describes very accurately his zeal in persecuting Christians. He went from one synagogue to another in Jerusalem searching for Christians that he might bring them before the proper authorities and punish them. Sometimes the local Sanhedrin sat in the synagogues and were judges under Jewish law; punishment was administered in the presence of the judges and in the synagogues. (Matthew 10:17 Matthew 23:34; Mark 13:9.) “I strove to make them blaspheme” indicates that he was not successful in making them “blaspheme.” He attempted to make them “blaspheme” because the sentence of death was passed upon the one who blasphemed. In his mad efforts to cause them to blaspheme he used every means available. To “blaspheme” means to speak against God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit.
Christians did not yield and maintained their integrity before God. “Being exceedingly mad against them” means that Paul not only acted in ignorance (1 Timothy 1:13), but that he might plead the temporary insanity of madness. He even went into strange cities, or “foreign cities,” which means that he went into cities outside Judea, perhaps in Galilee and Samaria, and especially Damascus.
12-13 Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus—Paul was clothed with his official authority as he journeyed to one of these “foreign cities,” Damascus. This is the third account in Acts of Paul’s conversion; the other two accounts are found in chapters 9 and 22. In this third account of Paul’s conversion some new details are introduced; they are as follows: (1) it was at midday (verse 13); (2) the light was “above the brightness of the sun” (verse 13) ; (3) this light enveloped not only Paul, but those “that journeyed with me” (verse 13) ; (4) the whole company fell to the earth (verse 14); (5) Jesus spoke “in the Hebrew language” (verse 14); (6) he said, “It is hard for thee to kick against the goad” (verse 14); and (7) a much fuller account of what Jesus said to him, and in particular how he commissioned him to preach to the Gentiles (verses 16, 18). The variations noted in the three records of his conversion impress us with the truthfulness of the narrative, because they are so natural as to be a certain accompaniment of the same story told at different times.
14 And when we were all fallen to the earth,—Paul and the entire company traveling with him were smitten to the earth, and Paul heard the voice of the Christ speaking to him in the Hebrew language, and asking him why he persecuted Christ. The voice quoted a proverb: “It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.” This is found as a proverb in both Greek and Latin literature; some think that there was a similar proverb among the Hebrews. A reference to this proverb by Paul at this time would impress upon Festus and Agrippa Paul’s culture and education. This throws some light on the state of Paul’s mind before his conversion. Some think that Paul was already stifling conscientious doubts and scruples, and that he is warned against rebelling against God’s will and wounding his conscience the more deeply. The “goad” was a stick six or eight feet long.
The plow had but one handle and the plowman held the plow with one hand and the goad in the other; it was carried horizontally and used to prod the ox to make him go faster or obey the plowman. If the ox kicked when pricked with the goad he received a severer prod.
15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord?—Here the record is brief; Saul simply asks who spoke to him, or “Who art thou, Lord?” The record of the answer of Jesus is equally brief; he simply says, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” The word “persecute” is the Latin “persequor,” which means “to follow through or after.” Paul was following the disciples of Jesus and punishing them; to persecute a disciple of Jesus is to persecute him.
16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet:—Paul had been cast down; now he is to be raised up; he was smitten down and humbled before God that he might be exalted. There was no occasion for Paul to be afraid; he is summoned to a new and nobler work. He is to cease his persecution of Christ and go preach him as the Savior of man. He was to become a witness for Christ both in what he had already seen and heard and what he was yet to see and hear. Paul was an apostle because Jesus had appeared to him, taught him, and commissioned him. (1 Corinthians 9:1 1 Corinthians 15:8.) Paul had other visions besides the one on the road to Damascus. (Acts 18:9 Acts 23:11; 2 Corinthians 12:2.) Paul is here given a twofold mission : (1) he is to be “a minister,” which meant a servant; the service was to proclaim remission of sins and an inheritance among the saints to the Gentiles; (2) furthermore, he was to be “a witness”; that is, he was to testify what he had seen and heard. The witness oftentimes must go further than verbal testimony: he must suffer and perhaps die for Christ. “Witness” and “martyr” are represented by the same word in the Greek, “martures.”
17-18 delivering thee from the people,—“Delivering” is from the Greek “exairoumenos,” which means both “to choose out, to select” one from many and also “to rescue, to deliver.” Some commentators hold to one meaning here and others to the latter sense; even some have given it both meanings. It seems that the American Standard revisers have given it the correct meaning. It must have been an encouragement to Paul to recall the assurance given him; he could face the trials and persecution with the assurance that the Lord would “deliver” him from the enemy. We have here condensed what Jesus said to Saul: (1) as he lay on the ground; (2) by the mouth of Ananias; (3) and in the vision in the temple. Paul was commissioned to convince, enlighten, and instruct. By enlightening the people they could see their lost condition; by instructing them they would know how to “turn from darkness to light,” and be delivered “from the power of Satan unto God”; they would then be cleansed of their sins and receive a promise of “an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith” in Christ. “Satan” is from the Greek “satana,” and means “adversary,” the inveterate adversary of God and all good; Satan is the head of the kingdom of evil, and of the whole hierarchy of evil spirits and evil influences. (2 Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 1:21 Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:9.) Paul’s recitation of these words of Jesus to him justifies himself before this cultured audience for his response to the command of Jesus, which resulted in Paul’s arrest and imprisonment.
19-20 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient— Paul here makes a direct address to Agrippa. He had made it clear that his command had come from God, his message was a “heavenly vision.” He emphasized the divinity and authority by which he was commanded; he omitted the personal affliction of blindness and restoration to sight. The divine authority of his command is made clear to Agrippa; this would impress Agrippa more than the others. For Paul to be disobedient to this command from heaven would have been disobedience to God. How could any devout Jew refuse to obey the command? Next Paul began to recite what he did; he began to declare “both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles” the gospel of God.
This included a demand of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance of sins, and obedience in baptism. This sketch of Paul’s work showed to Agrippa that he began with his own people, and then went to the Gentiles. His service both to Jew and Gentile, according to his commission, was promptly rendered; he did not hesitate for a moment, but began at once. We know from the record that Luke has given that it is easy to trace Paul’s preaching at Damascus and Jerusalem. Barnabas testified that he preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:27), and that in Jerusalem he disputed against the Grecian Jews (Acts 9:28-29), but we have some difficulty in fixing the exact date of his preaching throughout all the country of Judea. “Works worthy of repentance” is an expression frequently used by John the Baptist. (Matthew 3:8.) This meant the natural fruit of true repentance.
21 For this cause the Jews seized me—Paul here tells Agrippa why he was arrested or seized by the Jews; first, because he went about preaching the gospel, and especially because he delivered the message to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews, thereby proclaiming that the kingdom of the Messiah made no distinction on account of nationality. Paul’s unpardonable sin in the eyes of the Jews was his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul had been seized violently and illegally; he had been retained as a prisoner without cause; he now stood before Agrippa in chains as a prisoner for obeying God.
22 Having therefore obtained the help—Paul attributed the help that he had obtained from God as the source of his strength to continue suffering for Christ Jesus. The divine assistance enabled him to continue his work. The same source from which his commission had come was the source of his help. The memories of the stoning which he had received at Lystra, the persecutions of Philippi, Corinth, and Thessalonica, the danger in the theatre of Ephesus, and the later deadly perils at Jerusalem, all were endured by the help that was from Jehovah. Paul did not regard rank or age; he preached the gospel “both to small and great.” He had preached the gospel to the poor, and now he was preaching it to King Agrippa and Governor Festus and the nobility of Caesarea. He had not gone beyond “what the prophets and Moses did say should come.” He neither added to nor left off anything that had been said through Moses and the prophets.
23 how that the Christ must suffer,—The prophets had foretold the sufferings that Christ would endure; some give the interpretation of “must suffer” to mean that there was no escape of Christ from suffering; others give this the meaning of his nature as to how he may suffer; that is, the degree of sufferings that he could endure. When John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God,” it was a new idea to those who had studied Isaiah and learned that the Messiah would be the suffering “servant” of God. Paul here showed two things: (1) that the Messiah was divinely destined to suffer; and (2) that the Messiah having suffered was the first fruits of the resurrection of the dead. Christ having been raised from the dead would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. “People” usually means God’s people, Israel, as distinguished from the heathen.
24 And as he thus made his defence,—At this point Paul was rudely interrupted by Festus; it seems that he forgot the usual dignity of his office and burst out into a loud laugh of scorn and said; “Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.” “Mad” is from the Greek “mainei,” which means “raving.” Festus did not understand Paul’s enthusiasm and his speaking of visions and the resurrection of the dead. He thought that Paul’s “much learning” was turning him to madness. “Much learning” literally means “many letters.” (John 7:15.) Our word “mania,” or “maniac,” comes from the Greek “manei.” Paul had not displayed any high degree of learning, but what he had said was beyond the comprehension of Festus.
25 But Paul saith, I am not mad,—Paul was not “mad”; he was not a “maniac” as Festus declared, but spoke the truth. He spoke words of truth and not vain imaginations or fancies; he had no disease of the mind; his words were well chosen and expressed accurately what he had seen, heard, and experienced. Paul addressed Festus with his usual courtesy. He had not spoken words of fancy, but solid facts; not wild flight of the imagination, but literal and exact truth.
26 For the king knoweth of these things,—Festus did not understand, but King Agrippa understood. Agrippa was a Jew by practice, and knew about the hopes that the nation had in a coming Messiah; he knew something of the predictions of the prophets. He had heard much about Paul; hence, he understood Paul. Paul knew that his manner of life before his conversion and after his conversion was known to the public; furthermore, he knew that the crucifixion and burial and resurrection of Christ were public facts. Christians did not try to keep them secret, but published them to the world. The Jews had attempted to stop the preaching of these facts, but had failed to do so.
Paul’s experiences were not kept secret either; his vision on the road to Damascus, his coming to Jerusalem, and all that he had done had been published. Agrippa knew all these things. After answering Festus. Paul turned and continued his address to Agrippa.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?—Paul had “cornered” Agrippa; he makes this direct appeal to Agrippa. As a professor of the Jewish religion Agrippa had accepted the prophets; hence, Paul’s direct challenge to him. He must now reject the prophets or believe Paul. He must give up the Jewish religion or believe what Paul had preached. Paul probes the heart of Agrippa a little deeper when he added: “I know that thou believest.” There was nothing left now for Agrippa but to believe what Paul had preached or to reject it. To reject it would be to reject the prophets and the Jewish religion. Agrippa might dispute Paul’s interpretation of prophecy, but he could not as a Jew and in the presence of a Jew speak of Paul as Festus had.
28 And Agrippa said unto Paul,—Agrippa is forced to make reply; he could not evade; neither could he deny what Paul had said. Paul had not accused his enemies of any crime. His “defence” was the preaching of the gospel; he did not plead for himself, but reasoned and persuaded Agrippa to accept Christ. What a turn affairs had taken! The Authorized Version has Agrippa saying: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” “En oli- gio” does not mean “almost,” but it is not clear as to what it does mean. Some think that it may refer to “time,” “in little time,” while others think that it means “with small effort you are trying to persuade me to be a Christian”; while still others think that Agrippa is speaking ironically, but not unpleasantly.
He seems to push it aside for the time being, as if to say: “Do you think that you can make me become a Christian by your speech making?” Festus was contemptuously ignorant; King Agrippa was sadly in-different. “Christian” is here used the second time by Luke. The first time is in Acts 11:26. There were many reasons for hindrances in the way of Agrippa’s becoming a Christian. His wealth, his throne, his companion, his associations with Bernice and others, all were hindrances in becoming a Christian. Perhaps his nature was touched and he was, like Felix, made to tremble; but also like Felix, he procrastinated, with no intention ever to accept the Christ.
29 And Paul said, I would to God,—Paul makes a very happy response to Agrippa. We can gather some from Paul’s answer as to what Agrippa meant. If Agrippa spoke ironically or sarcastically, Paul ignored his tone and responded courteously and sympathetically. “Whether with little or with much” may be translated “both in little and in great”; it may mean that Paul says: “I would pray to God, not as you put it, lightly, but as fully as I can,” or “I would pray to God that whether persuaded with little evidence or much,” or I would pray to God that “both in a little measure and in a great measure” Agrippa might become a Christian. He desired that Agrippa become as he was “except these bonds.” He would have Agrippa and all others be Christians, but would have them free from the persecution and bonds which he had to endure. Paul had been brought before the assembly chained after the Roman fashion to a soldier or soldiers who kept guard over him. These chains had not been removed while Paul made his “defence.” Paul was bound in chains, but Agrippa and the others were in the bonds of ignorance, bonds of sin, and bonds of imperfection.
30-31 And the king rose up, and the governor,—The entire company led by King Agrippa “rose up” as if to dismiss Paul’s address. The royal assembly had gathered with pomp; some of them may have been moved with curiosity; others to do honor to King Agrippa; but they withdrew—some of them hopelessly ignorant of what they had heard; others withdrew with indifference, and possibly tired of listening to Paul; still others with some conviction and a clearer understanding of Paul’s case. When they had retired, “they spake one to another,” and expressed themselves as being convinced that Paul had done “nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” They may have assembled with different motives and viewpoints, but they are all agreed on this one thing; namely, Paul is innocent. Paul’s words had made a favorable impression on them. However, they were all puzzled as to what disposition to make of Paul’s case. Paul had won none of them to Christ, but he had won their favor. Festus was left by their confusion in the same predicament that he was before Paul made his “defence.” Why did they not set him free ?
32 And Agrippa said unto Festus,—This answers why Paul had not been set free. Agrippa told Festus that Paul could have been set free “if he had not appealed unto Caesar.” Paul had appealed to Caesar only because Festus had tried to get him to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. Festus comes out with no honor in the case. Since Agrippa had some influence with Caesar, it may be that Festus could write something favorable to Paul when sending him to Rome. The authorities could not free themselves from the responsibility for the safe custody of Paul, and by releasing him, they would expose his life to the conspiracies of the Jews. So at least Paul gained that safe journey to Rome which he had for many years been wishing to make.