140 Acts 26:24-30 KING AGRIPPA ALMOST PERSUADED Introduction: At the time of this text the Apostle Paul is a prisoner of the Roman government at Caesarea. In order to keep from being carried back to Jerusalem to be tried before the Sanhedrin Council, he has appealed his case to the Roman Caesar. While he is waiting for transportation to Rome, King Agrippa and his sister, Bernice, have paid a visit to Governor Festus. During that visit, Festus has told Agrippa about Paul being his prisoner and seeks to get Agrippa’s help in wording a letter that must be sent with Paul to the Roman Caesar. Agrippa and Bernice both desire to see and hear Paul and so a hearing was arranged before them with a large gathering of prominent men from the city being present in honor of King Agrippa, who was guest in the city. Paul has been given opportunity to speak in his own defense and is the midst of explaining to Agrippa and to them all that Jesus is the Christ which the Old Testament prophets had foretold would come and who would be crucified and risen from the grave. Paul further explained that he had been a fierce persecutor of Christians until he had a close encounter with Jesus as he was on the road to Damascus. In this encounter Paul had seen Jesus in heaven and had heard Jesus speak to him from heaven. He had explained that the reason he had gone among the Gentiles to preach Jesus to them is because Jesus, Himself, had instructed him to do so. Paul further explained that he had done no crime against the Jewish people nor against the Jewish people nor Jewish temple. He explained that all that he had preached and all that he had done was in keeping with the teaching of the Old Testament prophets. I. Paul interrupted by governor Festus V. 24, “And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” As Paul spoke, suddenly Festus, the Governor of Judea, cried out in a loud voice, interrupting Paul. It does not appear that Festus was angry with Paul. It just appears that he was irritated by what he considered to be the ravings of a maniac. He considered Paul to be just that --- a mad man, a maniac. He had evidently heard that Paul was a scholarly man --- a prize student of Gamaliel, a noted Jewish teacher. Festus thought that Paul had studied too long and too hard. He thought that Paul had strained his brain. In effect he said, “Paul, you are crazy! You have studied so hard that you have lost your mind!” Festus was excited. He was irritated and he yelled out at Paul interrupting Paul’s speech. II. Paul’s response to Governor Festus But Paul was not to be deterred. Paul spoke right back to the governor. Only Paul did not yell. Paul was not excited. He was calm and deliberate. He exercised self-control. He was very confident in the situation. He was confident that he was right. He knew that he was right. And he was confident that the Lord would help him to reason with the governor. It certainly would not help his case with the Caesar for Festus to write the Caesar a letter saying that in his opinion and in the opinion of King Agrippa Paul was insane and ought to be kept in confinement. So Paul spoke up and boldly told Festus that Festus was wrong and that he was perfectly sane. V. 25, “But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.” Paul pointed out to Festus that King Agrippa knew that he was not mad. V. 26, “For 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.” King Agrippa knew that the Jewish prophets of old had foretold the coming of the Christ. Agrippa knew that the prophets had foretold that the Christ would be put to death and that he would be resurrected. Agrippa knew about the life and ministry of Jesus and knew that the life and ministry of Jesus fitted the predictions made by the prophets about the Christ. Agrippa knew that John the Baptist had said publicly that Jesus is the Christ. He knew that the disciples of Jesus proclaimed Him to be the Christ. He also knew that the disciples of Jesus proclaimed that Jesus had arisen from the grave and ascended back to heaven. Agrippa knew that Paul had once been a fierce persecutor of Christians and that suddenly Paul had stopped persecuting Christians and had started preaching that Jesus is the Christ. He knew that the Jewish leaders had opposed Jesus and that they now oppose Paul because Paul preached that Jesus is the Christ. King Agrippa knew that Paul was not mad. He knew that what Paul was saying about Jesus was not the ravings of a mad man. He knew that Paul was speaking the truth. King Agrippa was present and could verify that Paul was sane and that he spoke the truth. III. Paul calling upon King Agrippa to testify that he believed the writings of the prophets Paul not only knew that Agrippa knew that the prophets of old had foretold the coming of the Christ, but Paul was persuaded that Agrippa believed that the writings of the prophets would come to pass. Paul knew that Agrippa believed that the writings of the prophets were true and that the Christ would come even as the prophets of old had predicted. So he called upon Agrippa to acknowledge to Festus and to all the people present that he believed those prophecies about the coming of the Christ to be true. Even if Agrippa refused to answer and only remained silent, his refusal to say that he did not believe the writings of the prophets would be a silent testimony that he did believe the prophets. But Paul wanted more than a silent testimony in his behalf. He wanted King Agrippa to speak up and acknowledge that he believed what the prophets of old had written. He put Agrippa on the spot. In effect, he also put Governor Festus on the spot. Festus had called him mad, insane because he believed prophets. Now if King Agrippa, a fellow Roman official of higher rank than himself, likewise acknowledges that he believes those writings, would Festus then say that the king is insane? V. 27, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? ...” There must have been a long silence after that question. Finally Paul, himself, answered for him. (V. 27), “...I know that thou believest.” IV. Agrippa’s answer to Paul V. 28, “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Agrippa did not directly answer Paul’s question. Paul had asked Agrippa if he believed the prophets. Agrippa did not directly say, “Yes” or “No.” But indirectly he did answer. He said, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Agrippa did believe what the prophets said about the Christ. He was now almost persuaded to believe that Jesus is the Christ. He recognized that what the prophets said about the Christ fit what he knew to be true about Jesus. It seemed reasonable to Agrippa to believe that Jesus actually did arise from the dead and he was on the verge of believing it himself. He was almost persuaded to say, “Paul I do believe what the prophets said about the Christ and I do also believe that Jesus is the Christ. I am almost persuaded to be a Christian.” V. Paul’s appeal to Agrippa and to all who were present V. 29, “And 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.” Paul said, “I would to God...” That is, “This is my wish to God. This is my prayer to God. This is what I ask God to bring to pass.” Paul was the prisoner. He was the one in bonds. He was the one who would be sent to Rome to stand trial before the Roman Caesar. But Paul knew that as far as eternity was concerned, his soul was saved. When his time to die would come he would go out into eternity prepared to meet God in judgment. He would spend eternity in glory in the Paradise of God. But he also knew that this king and this governor and all those people before whom he sat would go out this world unprepared to face God in judgment and that they would suffer eternally in flames of torment unless they would believe in Jesus and be saved. Spiritually Paul was far better off than they were. He was in chains, but he was far better off than they were. Paul said, “I wish you were like me. I wish you would trust Jesus and be saved.” Then Paul must have lifted his hands out to them so that they could see his chains and added, “...except these bonds. I wish you were like me except for these bonds.” VI. Agrippa’s answer to Paul V. 30, “And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them---.” Silently King Agrippa gave his answer to Paul’s appeal for him to be a Christian. Without saying a word, he stood up and according to the next verse, he walked out. He led that whole group out. They all went out with him. Agrippa knew what the Holy Scriptures said about the coming of the Christ. He knew that the life and ministry of Jesus gave testimony that He is the Christ. He knew that it took some overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Christ to change Paul from a persecutor of Christians into a preacher of Christ. He knew that the biblical evidence is that Jesus is the Christ. He knew that it made perfectly good sense to believe that Jesus arose from the grave and that He able to save those who believe in him. He evidently knew that he needed to be saved and that he was taking a huge chance with his eternal destiny if he did not take advantage of this opportunity and trust in Jesus to save his soul. But he walked out and he led others to do the same. If Agrippa had been saved, it is very likely that Festus would have been saved also. It is likely that a number of the town folk present would have been saved. But he walked out and they walked out. We have no evidence in Scripture that any of them ever got saved later. Conclusion: In closing, let me cite to you again the words which the Apostle Paul said to Agrippa and to all of those people present. V. 29, “And 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...” Likewise, it is my desire and my prayer to God that all that hear me this day would, by the close of this service, be both almost and altogether saved just as Paul was saved and just as I am saved. It is my heart’s desire that nobody would leave this service unsaved. If you are unsaved and if you are almost persuaded to be a Christian, then I beg of you to come during this invitation hymn and be altogether persuaded to be a Christian.