We have seen that the apostle Paul, in his trials and tribulations, has been passed from pillar to post, but he never lost sight of the fact that God was in control of life as long as he remained faithful to the task of witnessing for Christ.
In the previous chapter, we saw how, if any man ever had an excuse to give up on God, Paul would be that man. But he decided not to give up, even when he was being passed around from one legal courtroom to another. God really does know who’s going where, and even though Caesar didn’t know the apostle Paul was coming to Rome, Acts 23:11, God certainly did, Acts 27:24.
Before God gets Paul to Rome, he has some unfinished business in yet another courtroom. In this chapter, we read about Paul continuing to make his defence before King Agrippa.
Remember that Festus had the full authority of Rome behind him, but here Luke tells us that it was Agrippa who told Paul he was permitted to speak, Acts 26:1 / Luke 21:12-13 / Acts 25:23.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The privilege of addressing a king and the governor was one that Paul appreciated; and, since he had already been cleared of all charges of sinning against Caesar, he could confine himself strictly to things pertaining to the gospel, which things alone were the cause of the hatred he had encountered.’
With an outstretched hand, Paul began by saying he was happy to make his defence before the king, especially because King Agrippa would have been familiar with Jewish teachings and customs, Acts 26:2-3 / Acts 24:2-4 / Acts 24:10.
Paul must have had a long talk in mind, which is the reason he begged the king to be patient, Acts 26:3 / Acts 24:4, and so, he goes on and talks about his citizenship. He reminds the king that though he was born in the city of Tarsus, he was brought up in Jerusalem and was well known among the Jews, Acts 26:4.
In fact, he was so well known amongst the Jews, Paul says, why not ask those who are accusing me today? Acts 26:5. Because the truth of the matter is, some of his accusers may well have remembered the zealous young Pharisee from his school days, Acts 22:3 / Philippians 3:5-6. They would have remembered Saul as he was known back then during his time as a persecutor, Acts 8:3 / Acts 9:1-2 / 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.
Remember earlier, Paul said he was being judged for his hope in the resurrection, Acts 24:21, but here, notice what Paul tells Agrippa he was being judged for. Have the charges been changed without anyone knowing about it? Is Paul changing his argument?
I don’t believe he is, I believe that when Paul says, he was now being judged ‘for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers’ and ‘the promise our twelve tribes, Acts 2:9 / Matthew 19:28 / Luke 2:36 / Luke 22:30 / James 1:1 / Revelation 7:4 / Revelation 21:12, are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night,’ Acts 26:6-7.
I believe he is referring to the promised Messiah. And what was the hope that the Messiah would bring with Him? The hope the Messiah brought with Him was the hope of the resurrection of the dead, Romans 1:4.
The Jews had over four hundred years to wait for the very Messiah they were promised. And they missed Him because they were so focused on all the technicalities in looking good, and they forgot to look up. That’s why Paul argued that this very hope was sought by all the tribes of Israel. In fact, he said their daily earnest service to God was based upon that very hope.
And Paul couldn’t understand this charge because he said it was the very essence of that hope which was the basis of the Jews’ accusations against him. They missed the Messiah, and they didn’t even understand their own argument. The Jews knew about the Messiah; they knew about the hope they had in the resurrection of the dead, but they forgot the Scriptures applied to them, too.
But not only did the Jews know about God’s abilities, but so did King Agrippa. That’s why Paul asked him, ‘Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?’ Acts 26:8 / Job 19:25-27 / Matthew 19:26.
Because Paul asked this specific question, this shows us that his accusers were primarily of the Sadducees, who, if we remember, didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, Acts 23:8, which is sad, you see. Paul, from looking at his upbringing as a Jew, moves on to his time as a persecutor of the Lord’s church.
Paul says he took action to stop the teachings about Jesus and His followers because he was convinced that is what the Lord wanted him to do, Acts 26:9 / Acts 8:3 / Acts 9:1-2 / 1 Corinthians 15:9-10.
And so, just as Agrippa’s family had pursued an end to the life of Jesus, Paul had pursued an end to the teachings of Jesus. He says that many of those saints were shut up in prison in Jerusalem because of his actions, Acts 26:10.
Wesley, in his commentary, says the following concerning the word ‘saints, Acts 26:10.
‘Although Paul had avoided calling the Christians ‘saints’ when he spoke in Jerusalem, here before an unbiased audience, he did so, ‘in order to bear witness for Christ and his church.’
And when Paul says, ‘when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them,’ Acts 26:10 / Acts 22:20. What he is saying here is that as a married man and a member of the Sanhedrin, he voted to condemn them, Acts 8:1 / 1 Corinthians 7:7-9.
And as we know, he didn’t stop there; he punished them in every synagogue, and he even went to cities outside of Jerusalem in an effort to get them to speak against the name of Jesus, Acts 26:11 / 1 Corinthians 15:9 / 1 Timothy 1:15.
What Paul is basically saying here is, don’t tell me what the Jewish beliefs are, I know them, don’t tell me how zealous you have to be against anyone who teaches anything against our forefather’s teachings, I was.
Paul says when it came to being a Jew, he was right at the top with the best of them, Philippians 3:5-6. And so, Agrippa must be a patient man as Paul continues with his defence.
In these verses, Paul basically repeats what happened on the road to Damascus, but here he shares the account of his conversion and his purpose for that conversion, Acts 9:5-6 / Acts 22:8 / Acts 22:10.
And to further make his point to Agrippa, he tells him that on his way to Damascus in pursuit of even more Christians, he saw a great light, which was brighter than the sun, coming out of heaven at midday and surrounding him and his companions, Acts 26:12-13.
And after the group fell to the ground, a voice spoke to him in Hebrew, saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads,’ Acts 26:14 / Acts 9:3-6.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Goads were sharp sticks used to drive cattle. The figure of kicking against goads was and is a common rural metaphor that describes opposing the inevitable (like ‘banging your head against a wall’). Such action only hurts the one doing it, not the object of his hostility.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following concerning ‘kicking against the goads’.
‘This is allegedly a Gentile proverb not in use among the Jews, but there is no reason thus to limit the prevalence of it. Every agricultural country on earth has either this or a similar proverb, and certainly nobody had to explain it to Paul. As the Lord was sending Paul to the Gentile nations, it was appropriate that such a Gentile proverb should have been used.’
Naturally, Paul asked the Voice to identify Himself, and the Voice identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth, Acts 26:15. This Jesus of Nazareth told him to stand up because He intended for him to minister and witness for Him both as to the things he had seen and would see, Acts 26:16 / Acts 22:14-15.
The Lord went on and promised to protect Paul from harm coming either from the Jews or the Gentiles, to whom he was being sent, which we saw very powerfully last time, Acts 26:17.
And just in case Agrippa wondered what Paul’s purpose was, Paul tells him his purpose was to open their eyes to their own sinfulness, Acts 26:18 / Isaiah 35:5 / Isaiah 42:6-7 / Isaiah 42:16.
To show them the way of receiving forgiveness of sins and the great inheritance available to those set apart by their faith in Jesus, Acts 26:18 / Matthew 28:19-20 / Colossians 1:12-14.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul had gone to Damascus as the apostle, i.e., sent one, of the Sanhedrin. He returned as the apostle of Jesus Christ.’
Paul, as you can imagine, is now in full flow sermon mode and, like all good preachers, he knows when it’s time to get to the point.
Paul could not disobey a voice from heaven, so he preached the Gospel in Damascus and Jerusalem, both to the Jews and Gentiles, Acts 26:19-20. Notice that Paul’s preaching included the necessity of repentance, a turning toward God and living a life showing the works of repentance, Acts 26:20 / Acts 3:19.
We all know the importance of repentance before a person becomes a Christian, Luke 13:3 / Acts 17:30, but please don’t ever think that is the only time we ever need to repent. Christians are a repentant people, and when they sin and confess those sins to God, they need to repent, 2 Corinthians 7:10 / 1 John 1:8-10.
In other words, repentance produces fruit; repentance is proven by the actions which follow, 2 Corinthians 7:10. It’s more than feeling sorry for ourselves; it’s a clear demonstration to God and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that we are sorry for our sin.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following concerning repentance and the believer.
‘The first demand was the demand for repentance, the second demand was the demand for baptism, Acts 2:38 / Acts 3:19, and here are all confirmations of this.’
The minute Paul said the word ‘repentance,’ the Jews got really mad, even to the point of trying to seize him in the temple to kill him, Acts 26:21. But Paul, being the devoted Christian that he was, gave credit where credit was due.
Paul said it was only by God’s help that he was still alive to tell Agrippa that Moses and the prophets had said the Christ would suffer, rise from the dead, and spread the good news among Jews and Gentiles, Isaiah 42:6 / Isaiah 49:6 / Isaiah 53:10 / Isaiah 60:3 / 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
Bock, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Romans did not believe in the resurrection of the body, just the immortality of the soul, Acts 17:32 / Acts 25:19.’
Paul wasn’t alive speaking to Agrippa because he was an eloquent speaker; he was still alive because God had a purpose for him. He gave credit where credit was due, and that’s why it’s important to thank God today for the life He has given us. And so, after a long time of speaking with the king, Festus has heard enough.
Luke tells us that Festus interrupted with a loud declaration that Paul had gone crazy from too much learning, Acts 26:24. But Paul answered that question by simply saying he was not crazy but spoke the truth, and he was reasonable, Acts 26:24.
And from our text, it appears that Paul’s failure to defend himself led him to focus more on trying to convert his judges. The apostle went on to note that the events surrounding and following Jesus’ life were done in the open for all to see, John 12:19, and had been well known to King Agrippa, Acts 26:26.
He then asked Agrippa if he believed the prophets, Acts 26:27. Paul answered for him, perhaps sensing, or through the Spirit knowing, what the King was thinking; of course, he believed the prophets, Acts 26:27.
Agrippa recognised that Paul was using a concise argument intended to persuade him to follow Jesus as the Christ, that’s why he asked if Agrippa ‘do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ Acts 26:28 / Acts 11:26 / Acts 26:18.
Luke tells us that Paul expressed his true desire that Agrippa, along with everyone else who heard his voice, would be converted to the point of zealously following the Lord, just as he did, Acts 26:29.
That should be the goal of every single Christian: to ask others to become a Christian. Now and then, people will realise this and do one of two things. They will either want to know more, or they will walk away.
That was the choice that Agrippa, Festus, and Bernice had to make. Paul, however, did say that all should become Christians except for the chains he is wearing, Acts 26:29.
Spurgeon, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In front of Agrippa was Paul, a strong man, a noble man, and man of wisdom and character, but a man in chains. Did Agrippa say, ‘Well, if I became a Christian, I might end up in chains like Paul; or at the least, I would have to associate with him. We can’t have that, I’m an important person.’ ‘O that men were wise enough to see that suffering for Christ is honour, that loss for truth is gain, that the truest dignity rests in wearing the chain upon the arm rather than endure the chain upon the soul.’
Agrippa, Festus, and Bernice left the room, concluding that Paul had done nothing worthy of death or chains, Acts 26:30-31. In fact, King Agrippa stated that Paul could have been released had it not been for his appeal for the case to be heard by Caesar, Acts 26:32. However, God had plans to get Paul to Rome, Acts 9:15 / Acts 19:21 / Acts 23:11 / Romans 1:9-13.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘By rising to his feet, Agrippa signalled the end of the hearing. Everyone else rose out of respect for him. Luke implied that everyone present concurred that Paul was completely innocent. This had previously been the verdict of the Pharisees, Acts 23:9, Claudius Lysias, Acts 23:29, and Festus, Acts 25:25. Now Agrippa, a Roman ruler with Jewish blood in his veins who was sympathetic to the Jews, voiced the same opinion, Acts 26:32. In Agrippa’s opinion Paul did not even need to be in prison, much less die for what he had done.’
They left the room, but Paul seized the moment and the seed was sown before they left. These people knew where Paul was brought up, they knew what he was like as a child, they knew what he was like as a Jew, and they knew what he was like before becoming a Christian, and they now know what he is like as a Christian.