Acts 26

1 And Agrippa said to Paul, It is suffered to thee, to speak for thyself. Then Paul held forth the hand, and began to yield reason.

2 Of all things, in which I am accused of the Jews, thou king Agrippa, I guess me blessed at thee, when I shall defend me this day;

3 most for thou knowest all things that be among Jews, customs and questions. For which thing, I beseech, hear me patiently.

4 For all Jews that before knew me from the beginning, know my life from youth; [And soothly all Jews before-witting me from the beginning, have known my life from youth;]

5 that from the beginning was in my folk in Jerusalem, if they will bear witnessing, that by the most certain sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. [that from the beginning was in my folk in Jerusalem, if they will bear witness, for after the most certain sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.]

6 And now for the hope of repromission, that is made to our fathers of God, I stand subject in doom;

7 in which hope our twelve lineages serving night and day hope to come; of which hope, sir king [of which hope, thou king], I am accused of the Jews.

8 What unbelieveful thing is deemed at you [What unbelieveful thing is deemed of you], if God raiseth dead men?

9 And soothly I guessed, that I ought to do many contrary things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 Which thing also I did in Jerusalem, and I enclosed many of the saints in prison, when I had taken power of the princes of priests. And when they were slain, I brought the sentence. [Which thing and I did in Jerusalem, and I enclosed many of saints in prisons, power taken of the princes of priests. And when they were slain, I gave the sentence.]

11 And by all synagogues oft I punished them, and constrained to blaspheme; and more I waxed mad against them, and pursued [till] into alien cities [and more I waxing mad against them, pursued to alien cities].

12 In which, [the] while I went to Damascus, with power and suffering of the princes of priests,

13 at midday, in the way I saw, sir king, that from heaven a light shined about me, passing the shining of the sun, and about them that were together with me. [+in the midday, in the way I saw, thou king, from heaven light shined about me, over the shining of the sun, and them that went together with me.]

14 And when we all had fallen down into the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? it is hard to thee, to kick against the prick [it is hard for thee, for to kick against the prick].

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou pursuest.

16 But rise up, and stand on thy feet. For why to this thing I appeared to thee, that I ordain thee minister and witness of those things that thou hast seen, and of those things in which I shall show to thee [and of those things in which I shall appear to thee;].

17 And I shall deliver thee from peoples and folks, to which now I send thee, [delivering thee from peoples and folks, into which now I send thee,]

18 to open the eyes of them, that they be converted from darkness to light [to open the eyes of them, that they be turned from darknesses to light], and from power of Satan to God, that they take remission of sins, and part among saints [and sort, or part, among saints], by faith that is in me.

19 Wherefore, sir king Agrippa [Wherefore, thou king Agrippa], I was not unbelieveful to the heavenly vision;

20 but I told [I showed, or told,] to them that be at Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and by all the country of Judaea, and to heathen men, that they should do penance, and be converted to God, and do worthy works of penance.

21 For this cause Jews took me, when I was in the temple, to slay me [and would slay me].

22 But I was helped by the help of God [till] into this day, and stand, witnessing to less and to more [and stand, witnessing to less and more]. And I say nothing else [Nothing saying over] than which things the prophets and Moses spake that shall come,

23 if Christ is to suffer, if he is the first of the again-rising of dead men [+if Christ is passible, or able to suffer, if the first of the again-rising of dead], that shall show light to the people and to heathen men.

24 When he spake these things, and yielded reason, Festus said with great voice, Paul, thou maddest [Paul, thou maddest, or waxest mad]; many letters turn thee to madness.

25 And Paul said, I mad not, thou best Festus, but I speak out the words of truth and of soberness [but I speak out the words of truth and soberness].

26 For also the king, to whom I speak steadfastly, knoweth of these things; for I deem, that nothing of these is hid from him; for neither in a corner was aught of these things done.

27 Believest thou, king Agrippa, to prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, In little thing thou counselest me to be made a christian man. [Soothly Agrippa said to Paul, A little thou counselest me for to be made a christian man.]

29 And Paul said, I desire with God, both in little and in great, not only thee, but [and] all these that hear to day, to be made such as I am, except these bonds.

30 And the king rose up, and the president, and Bernice, and they that sat nigh to them.

31 And when they went away, they spake together, and said, That this man hath not done any thing worthy death, neither bonds. [+Which when they went away, spake together, saying, That this man hath not done any thing worthy death, or bonds.]

32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might be delivered, if he had not appealed to the emperor. [Forsooth Agrippa said to Festus, This man might be dismissed, or delivered, if he had not appealed to Caesar.]

Acts 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

Paul's defence before Agrippa. (1-11) His conversion and preaching to the Gentiles. (12-23) Festus and Agrippa convinced of Paul's innocence. (24-32)

Verses 1-11 Christianity teaches us to give a reason of the hope that is in us, and also to give honour to whom honour is due, without flattery or fear of man. Agrippa was well versed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, therefore could the better judge as to the controversy about Jesus being the Messiah. Surely ministers may expect, when they preach the faith of Christ, to be heard patiently. Paul professes that he still kept to all the good in which he was first educated and trained up. See here what his religion was. He was a moralist, a man of virtue, and had not learned the arts of the crafty, covetous Pharisees; he was not chargeable with any open vice and profaneness. He was sound in the faith. He always had a holy regard for the ancient promise made of God unto the fathers, and built his hope upon it. The apostle knew very well that all this would not justify him before God, yet he knew it was for his reputation among the Jews, and an argument that he was not such a man as they represented him to be. Though he counted this but loss, that he might win Christ, yet he mentioned it when it might serve to honour Christ. See here what Paul's religion is; he has not such zeal for the ceremonial law as he had in his youth; the sacrifices and offerings appointed by that, are done away by the great Sacrifice which they typified. Of the ceremonial cleansings he makes no conscience, and thinks the Levitical priesthood is done away in the priesthood of Christ; but, as to the main principles of his religion, he is as zealous as ever. Christ and heaven, are the two great doctrines of the gospel; that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. These are the matter of the promise made unto the fathers. The temple service, or continual course of religious duties, day and night, was kept up as the profession of faith in the promise of eternal life, and in expectation of it. The prospect of eternal life should engage us to be diligent and stedfast in all religious exercises. Yet the Sadducees hated Paul for preaching the resurrection; and the other Jews joined them, because he testified that Jesus was risen, and was the promised Redeemer of Israel. Many things are thought to be beyond belief, only because the infinite nature and perfections of Him that has revealed, performed, or promised them, are overlooked. Paul acknowledged, that while he continued a Pharisee, he was a bitter enemy to Christianity. This was his character and manner of life in the beginning of his time; and there was every thing to hinder his being a Christian. Those who have been most strict in their conduct before conversion, will afterwards see abundant reason for humbling themselves, even on account of things which they then thought ought to have been done.

Verses 12-23 Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who are yet ignorant of them. A world that lies in wickedness must be sanctified and reformed; it is not enough for them to have their eyes opened, they must have their hearts renewed; not enough to be turned from darkness to light, but they must be turned from the power of Satan unto God. All who are turned from sin to God, are not only pardoned, but have a grant of a rich inheritance. The forgiveness of sins makes way for this. None can be happy who are not holy; and to be saints in heaven we must be first saints on earth. We are made holy, and saved by faith in Christ; by which we rely upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness, and give up ourselves to him as the Lord our Ruler; by this we receive the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. The cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews, and they were in a rage at Paul's preaching the fulfilling of the Old Testament predictions. Christ should be the first that should rise from the dead; the Head or principal One. Also, it was foretold by the prophets, that the Gentiles should be brought to the knowledge of God by the Messiah; and what in this could the Jews justly be displeased at? Thus the true convert can give a reason of his hope, and a good account of the change manifest in him. Yet for going about and calling on men thus to repent and to be converted, vast numbers have been blamed and persecuted.

Verses 24-32 It becomes us, on all occasions, to speak the words of truth and soberness, and then we need not be troubled at the unjust censures of men. Active and laborious followers of the gospel often have been despised as dreamers or madmen, for believing such doctrines and such wonderful facts; and for attesting that the same faith and diligence, and an experience like their own, are necessary to all men, whatever their rank, in order to their salvation. But apostles and prophets, and the Son of God himself, were exposed to this charge; and none need be moved thereby, when Divine grace has made them wise unto salvation. Agrippa saw a great deal of reason for Christianity. His understanding and judgment were for the time convinced, but his heart was not changed. And his conduct and temper were widely different from the humility and spirituality of the gospel. Many are almost persuaded to be religious, who are not quite persuaded; they are under strong convictions of their duty, and of the excellence of the ways of God, yet do not pursue their convictions. Paul urged that it was the concern of every one to become a true Christian; that there is grace enough in Christ for all. He expressed his full conviction of the truth of the gospel, the absolute necessity of faith in Christ in order to salvation. Such salvation from such bondage, the gospel of Christ offers to the Gentiles; to a lost world. Yet it is with much difficulty that any person can be persuaded he needs a work of grace on his heart, like that which was needful for the conversion of the Gentiles. Let us beware of fatal hesitation in our own conduct; and recollect how far the being almost persuaded to be a Christian, is from being altogether such a one as every true believer is.