Acts 26 (NLT)
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.”
So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: 2 “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3 for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!
4 “As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. 5 If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. 6 Now I am on trial because of my hope in the fulfillment of God’s promise made to our ancestors. 7 In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel zealously worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, Your Majesty, they accuse me for having this hope! 8 Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?
9 “I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the very name of Jesus the Nazarene. 10 Indeed, I did just that in Jerusalem. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many believers there to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. 11 Many times I had them punished in the synagogues to get them to curse Jesus. I was so violently opposed to them that I even chased them down in foreign cities.
12 “One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. 13 About noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. 14 We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, (Hebrew) ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.’
15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
19 “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven. 20 I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do. 21 Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22 But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— 23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”
24 Suddenly, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!”
25 But Paul replied, “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. What I am saying is the sober truth. 26 And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” (Or a little more, and your arguments would make me a Christian)
29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.”
30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left.31 As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”
To be honest, if I had been there in that courtroom, I might have thought the same thing as Festus – “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!” Just think. If someone who you knew was quite religious told you that they had seen a vision of God/Jesus and decided that their religion had a whole new twist, what would you have thought?
On the other hand, Paul’s defense was very logical and they all knew the facts he used were true. They knew he had been trained under the best (Gamaliel), and that he had been fervent in his devotion to his faith. According to the research done by Intervarsity Press, Agrippa was very knowledgeable about the Jewish faith, and had heard about this new movement, The Way. Now, standing before them, Paul doesn’t ramble like many who deal with mental illness might; his defense is short and to the point. He has friends who helped take care of him over the past two years, he hasn’t tried to escape, and likely appears calm and dressed well. As well, Paul isn’t asking his followers to be part of an armed rebellion. In fact, he says, “all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do”. (v.20)
I wonder if Festus’ outburst might have been an emotional reaction to inner convictions that Paul may be right. Remember how Festus and Drusilla had talked with Paul and Festus became upset? Acts 24: 24 – 25 – “A few days later Felix came back with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.”
What we see happening here is not that different from what we may see today. The men who have been dealing with Paul so far have been men with great political influence who want to retain their positions that are accompanied with wealth and power. Squashing rebellion is one of their primary jobs. So, they are in a quandary about how to deal with Paul. Legally, he is innocent, but realistically, he is causing a lot of uproar among the Jewish population. We see this with our politicians. They do their best to keep their supporters happy by passing laws, or handing out money for projects that appeal to that group. They try to discredit any opposition. Yet they do abide by the law as much as possible.
At the end of this chapter, Agrippa and Festus agree that Paul is innocent. However, since Paul has asked to be tried in Rome, they have to send him on. They likely wished that Felix had dealt with the issue before they came on the scene. However, we know that God is in control, even when we think we are. Paul needs to go to Rome, and that is where God will make sure he goes. That is comforting for us today as we watch crazy political situations around our world. Nothing happens that God is not aware of and doesn’t use for His plans.
Take a look at these verses:
Romans 13:4 – “The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.” God allows authorities to keep order in their countries, but they are actually operating under God’s control.
God’s power is aimed at one thing. Romans 1:16 – “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.”
Our song for today is Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp.