Study Guide for Acts 26 - Paul's Defense Before King Agrippa
A. Paul on trial before King Agrippa (continued).
12 "In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language,[a] 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 And I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles-to whom I am sending you
19 "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
4. (Acts 26:21-23) Paul summarizes his defense.
21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."
B. Agrippa's response to Paul's defense.
1. (Acts 26:24-26) Agrippa asserts Paul is mad, and Paul responds.
24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind." 25 But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.
2. (Acts 26:27-29) Agrippa is almost persuaded to become a Christian.
"King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe." Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian." And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."
ACTS 26:19-29 - S. COLE COMMENTARY - BIBLE.ORG
"For what does it profit a man [or woman] to gain the whole world, and forfeit his [or her] soul?" (Mark 8:36) These profound words of Jesus sum up the scene in Acts 26. Luke describes how Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice entered the auditorium amid great pomp, accompanied by the commanders and the prominent men of the city (25:23). If you've ever watched the Oscar Awards night on TV, you have some idea of the glitter and glamour of the rich and famous, who are all trying to impress one another and the world. Into this superficial scene the guards bring a little Jewish man in chains, the apostle Paul, to speak about eternal truths.
It was not a trial per se, but more like entertainment. Festus needed to know what charges he could write to the emperor. Agrippa, who was somewhat an expert in Jewish matters, wanted to hear this man who had stirred up such vehement opposition among the Jewish leaders. It would be fun to hear the man's quaint story and discuss it afterwards over drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
In the middle of the proceedings, after Paul had proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus, Festus reached his limit. He blurted out loudly, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." Paul calmly replied, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth" (26:24-25). Paul proceeded to target King Agrippa, seeking to bring him to personal faith and repentance.
This exchange, which puts Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice on one side, with all of their worldly pomp and show, and Paul the prisoner for Jesus Christ on the other side, makes us ponder the question, "Who's crazy?" Is Paul crazy to give up all that this world offers to follow Jesus Christ? Or, are those who live for all that this world offers-riches, fame, and pleasure-crazy, who die without repenting of their sins? The biblical answer is,
The crazy person lives for this present world, whereas the sane person obeys Jesus Christ and lives in light of eternity.
1. The crazy person lives for this present fleeting world.
Martin Luther said, "I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all. But the things I have placed in God's hands, I still possess" (cited without reference by Ray Stedman, Expository Studies in 1 John [Word], p. 109). Or, as Jim Eliot, who was martyred at 28, wrote in his journal at age 22, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" (Elisabeth Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty [Zondervan], p. 15).
Those comments make perfect sense to the believer, and yet each of us would have to admit that this present world holds a strong attraction for most of us. Few of us who know Christ would abandon our faith in favor of the world, but many professing Christians try to live with one foot in each realm, hoping to get the best of both worlds. Even Demas, whom Paul at one point called his fellow worker (Philemon 24), later deserted Paul because he loved this present world (2 Tim. 4:10). Thus we all need to remember Jesus' words, "You cannot serve God and mammon" (Luke 16:13); and John's warning, "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).
Why would a person live for something as superficial and short-lived as this evil world? A brief glance at the lives of Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice will uncover at least six factors that should serve as a warning to us:
1) A wrong view of success can cause us to live for this present world.
Once when Marla and I lived in Dallas during my seminary years, President Ford came to town and was having lunch at the mansion of a businessman who lived just about a mile from our humble apartment. We rode our bikes over to the entrance. Secret Service agents had cordoned off the sidewalks and were shouting to the crowd as to where they could and could not stand. Soon we heard the roar of motorcycles, and about a dozen police in formation rode in front of the presidential limousine. A dozen more rode behind the vehicle. Secret Service agents stood on the running boards. As they turned into the driveway of the mansion, we got a brief glimpse of President Ford, waving out of the window. He went through the gate to have lunch with a rich, successful businessman. It would be very hard to be either the President or that wealthy businessman and not let it go to your head!
It must have felt great to Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice to be surrounded by armed guards, to step out of the royal chariots in their expensive robes and wave to the common people as they went up the steps into the auditorium. All of the invited guests bowed before them and greeted them respectfully. Servants stood by to wait on their every whim and need. In the eyes of the world, they had it made! Ah, the sweet smell of success!
But those whom the world considers successful are soon dead and forgotten. Festus would be dead within two years. If he, Agrippa, and Bernice had not had their names recorded in the Bible, no one today would know anything about them. Paul, whom most people in Caesarea wouldn't have walked across the street to see, was the truly successful man in the room that day, because he lived his life in the light of eternity.
2) Trying to impress others while forgetting God can cause us to live for this present world.
Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice were like all the rich and famous, trying to impress others with their own greatness. But their fatal mistake was that they did not give any thought about how to live so as to please God. And, while few of us here would ever be as superficial as these worldly people were, it's easy to fall into the trap of trying to impress others and forget that our focus should be on pleasing God, who examines our hearts. We should always keep in mind the Lord's words (Isa. 66:3, NIV), "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word."
3) An over-emphasis on reason without factoring in God's power can cause us to live for this present world.
Festus was a rationalist. For him, the notion that Jesus or anyone else could rise from the dead was just plain crazy. He thought that in spite of Paul's great learning, saying such things proved that the man had lost his mind. He believed in philosophy and logic, not in religious superstition.
Festus' mistake was that he had not factored in God, who spoke the universe into existence by the word of His power. Reason is fine to a point; God gave us minds capable of thinking, and we should use them. His Word gives us many truths that require careful thinking to grasp. But if we exalt human reason to the point that we exclude God and His power or set aside His revelation in His Word, we fall into error. To leave God out only leaves this present world as all that there is. If this world is all there is, then we should eat, drink, and be merry because tomorrow we die.
4) Embarrassment about what others might think without regard for what God thinks can cause us to live for this present world.
When Paul backed Agrippa into a corner with his pointed question (26:27), to save face Agrippa made light of it by saying, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian" (26:28). He was embarrassed in front of all of these important people. What would they think if he took seriously what this controversial Jew was saying? So with no regard for what the living God might think, Agrippa joked away his opportunity for eternal life!
Peer pressure has always been a powerful force to draw people away from God and to keep them in this world. You don't want the other kids at school to think that you're weird! So don't take a stand for Christ. Just go to all of the parties and have a few drinks like everyone else. Just laugh along with the dirty jokes. At work just cut corners and fudge the truth like everyone else. Just go with the flow! But the flow is heading straight toward hell!
5) Living for and loving material things can cause us to live for this present world.
In their day, Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice had what everyone else wanted. They lived well. They had plenty of money, the finest clothes, the best food, and the most comfortable places to live. Paul owned no property, had no investment portfolio, and probably could pack all of his earthly belongings in one suitcase. But who was truly wealthy? As Jesus taught us, the one who piles up this world's goods and is not rich toward God is the fool (Luke 12:15-21). While we can legitimately enjoy the material blessings that God has given us, we need to be on "guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions" (1 Tim. 6:17-19; Luke 12:15). We need to remember that we are stewards of what God has entrusted to us. When we stand before Him, we will give an account of how we invested it in light of eternity.
6) Living for sensual pleasure in violation of God's Word can cause us to live for this present world.
It was rumored that Agrippa and Bernice were living together in incest, which was even scandalous in worldly Rome. Later she married a petty monarch, divorced him and then became the lover of the Roman general Titus. These worldly rulers were living for sensual gratification without regard for God's moral standards.
You can't stand in line at the supermarket without being bombarded by magazines with pictures of sensuous men and women and articles promising ten new ways to please your lovers. The power of the flesh, especially when you are in the beauty and strength of youth, is a strong temptation, even for Christians. But if we yield we are crazy, because we gain momentary pleasure, but long term misery and pain. The lives of Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice show us that the crazy person is the one who lives for this superficial, fleeting world.
2. The sane person obeys Jesus Christ and lives in light of eternity.
Contrary to the charge of Festus' outburst, Paul was the sanest man in that room! He calmly counters Festus' charge by saying, "I am not out of my mind, most noble Festus, but I utter words of truth and rationality" (26:25, lit.). As we saw last week, Paul's faith (along with the faith of all of the apostles) rested completely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was not an irrational leap in the dark, but was based on their eyewitness testimony. It was Paul's encounter with the risen Savior that converted him and changed him from insanity to sanity Note three things about the sanity of obeying Jesus Christ in light of eternity:
1) Sanity begins with conversion.
Paul was insanely driven when he persecuted the church, but it was on the Damascus Road that Paul began to live in light of God's eternal kingdom, which is the only sane way to live.
If Paul had viewed Agrippa through worldly eyes, he would have thought, "The man has everything he needs. He's wealthy, he's powerful, he's successful-what do I have to offer him?" But Paul viewed his audience that day through God's eyes: They were lost, enslaved to sin, and under God's condemnation. While Agrippa had a superficial belief in the Old Testament prophets (26:27), he needed to repent of his sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. So Paul sought to bring him to saving faith, which necessarily includes repentance.
Often, there is an intense struggle involved in a person's coming to saving faith. The Lord describes that process for Paul as "kicking against the goads" (26:14). A goad was a sharp stick, sometimes with a metal tip, which was used for prodding oxen, especially as they were harnessed to a plow. To resist serving its master by kicking against the goads would only hurt the oxen. The only safe and sane path was to submit and obey. Paul apparently went through a time of resisting and kicking against the truth of the gospel, perhaps after he witnessed the death of Stephen.
The point is, to fight God on the matter of conversion is insane. It is only to wound yourself. The path to blessing both now and for eternity is to quit fighting God, to repent of your sins, and to trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.
2) Conversion manifests itself in radical, lifelong obedience to Jesus Christ.
As I said, repentance is an essential part of conversion. Paul preached that people "should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance" (26:20). Repentance means doing a 180, turning from sin toward God. Before conversion, we all were living for self and for the things of this world. After conversion, we live to please and glorify Jesus Christ and to seek first His kingdom. Paul describes his own repentance in Philippians 3:7-8,
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.
Here Paul describes his life after conversion: "I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision" (26:19). That vision included his commission to preach not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles (26:17, 20), which was the reason the Jews hated him. It took radical obedience for a zealous Jew like Paul, who thought that any contact with Gentiles was defiling, to devote his life to reaching Gentiles for Christ and to teach that they had equal standing in the church. But Paul obeyed the Great Commission.
Such radical obedience is not just the calling of the super-committed. Jesus said, "if anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Mark 8:34). He told us that, instead of seeking after all of the worldly comforts that worldly people seek, we should seek first His kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:31-33). Each of the Gospels and Acts record His Great Commission, that we should go and make disciples of all the nations, teaching them to observe all that He commanded us (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8).
I fear that many American Christians have dismissed the Great Commission as pertaining only to those who are called as missionaries to foreign lands. Since they have never sensed that call, they pretty much ignore Christ's command and get on with their careers, their families, and their private pursuits and interests. Once in a while they drop a few bucks in the offering plate to do their bit for the cause. Church is a nice slice of the good life that they enjoy as Christians. But they don't live with radical obedience to the Great Commission. It plays little if any part in how they live their lives. In fact, they hardly ever give it much thought at all.
But the Bible clearly teaches that every Christian should put Jesus Christ and His kingdom at the center of their lives. Knowing Him and making Him known, both locally and globally, should be our passion in life. I like the way John Piper's church, Bethlehem Baptist, puts it:
We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples. One of the Biblical truths that drives us is great news that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.
And this vision of reality radically frees us from passing and dying trinkets of the world and compels us (as joy always does) to spread what we love the most through radical acts of love. We long to see those who do not treasure God now, whether in the American urban centers or suburban sprawls or among the unreached peoples of the world, to come to know true and forever Joy -- which is only found in God. (From their web site, http://bbcmpls.org).
You don't accidentally fall into that kind of radical obedience to the Great Commission. It must be your deliberate focus. You've got to keep shrugging off the enticements of this world in order to be obedient to the heavenly vision. One final observation:
3) Radical obedience to Jesus Christ only makes sense in light of eternity.
As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 15:19, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." The world lives as if this life is all that really matters. The obedient Christian says, "No, if this life is all there is, I am crazy!" We put all of our eggs in the eternity basket. We say, "If Christ is not risen, and if there is no hope beyond the grave, please pity me, because I'm nuts!" Would the way that you obey Jesus as Lord, the way you spend your time, and the way you manage your finances cause a worldly person to say, "You're a bit off"? If not, perhaps you need to rearrange your priorities in the light of eternity. Because Jesus is risen, it's the only sane way to live.
Acts 26:19-29 - Grace Int'l Commentary
Obedient to vision (Acts 26:19)
Paul offered his experience on the Damascus road as a rationale for why he was preaching a message that angered the Jews. He was telling people about what he had seen, Jesus Christ, and following his commands, telling all people that he was the promised Savior. Paul said, "I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven" (26:19). Not being "disobedient" required that he preach to Gentiles everywhere.
Paul explained to Agrippa what he had been doing all these years. He gave a general summary of his missionary activity to the present. (Or rather, Luke put a summary in the book of Acts. Paul may have covered many more details when he was talking to Agrippa.) Paul's work had occurred in: Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea and the Gentile world. This was similar to the commission given to the 12 apostles. They were to be witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (1:8).
Paul was not laying out a chronological summary of his missionary activity. There is no evidence in Acts that he witnessed throughout Judea after preaching in Damascus and Jerusalem, though Luke doesn't necessary tell us everywhere Paul preached (9:20-30). Paul's own letters say that he did not preach "in all Judea" in the early days of his conversion (Galatians 1:18-24). He traveled through Judea and into Jerusalem on several later occasions (11:30; 12:25; 15:3; 18:22; 21:7-16). He could have preached the gospel in Judea during these travels.
Repent and turn to God (Acts 26:20)
During his witnessing to Christ, Paul preached that people "should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds" (26:20). We have here something of the basic substance of Paul's message. True repentance involves a new view of oneself in which the need for a Savior to do his work within is understood to be necessary. Thus, the stress in the apostles' preaching on the need to accept and put one's faith in Jesus and his saving power. There is a need to turn to God "based on knowledge" and accept "the righteousness that comes from God" instead of seeking a goodness based on our own merits (Romans 10:1-3; Philippians 3:9). Pagan Gentiles would also learn that they had been putting their faith in worthless idols, and they need to turn to the true God.
Following that, believers would begin living a life appropriate to conversion. They would be showing the fruits or evidences of the operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives (Galatians 5:22-25). In short, people do not make themselves acceptable in God's sight because they first decide to keep his law. God first converts people through the Spirit, and this leads them to base their lives on his will. Obedience is the result, and not the cause of salvation.
The proof of genuine repentance and turning to God is a certain kind of life. But these deeds are not merely the reaction of someone whose life is governed by a new series of laws; they are the result of a new love. (William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, revised edition, The Daily Study Bible Series, page 179)
Spoke what was prophesied (Acts 26:21-22)
Paul insisted to King Agrippa that it was because of his preaching the gospel-particularly to Gentiles-that the Jews had seized him in the temple, and tried to kill him (26:21). It was only through God's protection that he had survived the plots against him. Thus, he was able to "stand here and testify to small and great alike" (26:22). Paul explained that he was teaching only what "the prophets and Moses said would happen." That is, he was attempting to prove through the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah. This was Paul's mode of operation when confronting Jews with the gospel (17:2-3).
Paul said he was innocent of any wrong-doing to God or the Jews. He had only taught from the Scriptures-the Scriptures that faithful Jews called their own. Paul's teaching about Jesus, in that sense, was just pointing out fulfilled prophecy. This is a central argument of Luke in both his Gospel and the book of Acts. The hope of Israel in its Savior was described in the Holy Scriptures and fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 24:25-27, 44; Acts 3:18-26; 10:42-43; 13:27).
The Christ to suffer (Acts 26:23)
The prophets and Moses had prophesied of Jesus. In Paul's words, they said "the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles" (26:22-23). We can go to the Servant Songs of Isaiah to find the idea of the Suffering Messiah (52:13-53:12, quoted in Acts 8:32). A number of the Psalms also speak of a Savior who would suffer (Psalm 2:1-2, quoted in Acts 4:25-26). If the writers of the Psalms (David in particular) are seen as types of a suffering Savior, then many of these contain prophetical material regarding Jesus.
The other question about Paul's statement in 26:23 is: Which Hebrew Scriptures speak of a Savior who must first rise from the dead? There are some, though they are not prominent. Peter quoted one of these texts from Psalm 17:10 (Acts 2:25-28). Also Isaiah had said the Servant would "prolong his days" and "see the light of life" after his suffering (53:10-11).
The question also arises as to whether the Jews of Paul's day ever thought of the Messiah in terms of suffering. The apostles seem to speak as though this was understood, at least in a hazy way. Paul does so here before Agrippa as well. Howard Marshall writes, "Paul as a Christian appears to presuppose the identification of the Messiah as the suffering Servant, but it is not certain whether this step had been taken by the Jews, and it may well be that they disputed it" (398).
It may be in doubt whether pre-Christian Judaism conceived of the Messiah in terms of suffering, dying and being resurrected. The message of the apostles and Paul clearly went beyond the understanding of the Jews, for some of it came by revelation through Christ. The majority of Jews, whatever their view of the Messiah, did not believe this role had been fulfilled in Jesus.
Nonetheless, Paul insisted that God's purpose was pre-figured in Scripture, and that its prophetical nature could be seen in the inspired writings. That purpose (which Paul said was fulfilled in Jesus) was in harmony and continuity with the true faith of Israel. To accept the reality of Jesus, the resurrection and the Holy Spirit was to realize the true hope of Israel stated in the Scriptures (3:24-26). Jesus was a light to all people-Jew and Gentile. This had been prophesied in the Scriptures (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3).
Luke told his readers early on in his Gospel that Jesus was a "light." The elderly and devout Simeon had taken the infant Jesus in his arms. Through the Holy Spirit, he prophesied that he would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel" (Luke 2:32, from Isaiah 49:6). Echoing Simeon's statement, Paul made preaching "a gospel of light" the programmatic prophecy of his own work (13:47).
"You are...insane" (Acts 26:24-27)
Such thoughts "about a dead man named Jesus" were beyond the grasp of Festus. To him, Paul was speaking nonsense. He interrupted Paul's speech, saying, "You are out of your mind... Your great learning is driving you insane" (26:24). To a practical Roman governor, this Jewish messianism was crazy talk.
Paul countered that he wasn't insane. He insisted that what he was saying was "true and reasonable" (24:25). He referred to King Agrippa for support, as one who was familiar with these thoughts. Paul felt he could speak to Agrippa freely because of this. Besides, the controversy over the Christians was widely known. The gospel had been proclaimed for three decades and the arguments pro and con about Jesus' death and resurrection would have been widely known and discussed.
Paul turned to the king and said, "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do" (26:27). Paul's leading question had its point. The Jewish king who knows the Scriptures should accept Paul's case about Jesus, since it rests on the promises of the prophets. But Agrippa was like most Jews. He could accept the words of the prophets who spoke of a coming Messiah. That was a safe belief that did not require any immediate changes in what he did. But he did not believe they were fulfilled in Jesus; that was a dangerous belief that required personal changes.
"In such a short time" (Acts 26:28-29)
The conversation had suddenly become uncomfortably personal for Agrippa. Paul had challenged him to accept his claims about Jesus since he believed the prophets. He had been logically boxed in by Paul's question, and he needed to get out it and still remain politically correct. Johnson writes, "Agrippa is sufficiently perceptive to see that if he agrees concerning the Prophets, he is already-for Paul's purposes-already 'playing the Christian a little,' so he sidesteps the challenge by humorously identifying Paul's ploy" (J.443).
Agrippa turned and said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" (26:28). The King James Version translated Agrippa's reply to Paul in these words: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." It is one of the most famous of biblical quotations, and many sermons have been preached on its words.
Unfortunately, it is almost certainly not what Agrippa said. The NIV's translation is probably more faithful to the king's thoughts. The Greek is difficult in this verse, and commentators translate it in various ways. But whatever Agrippa meant by his words, he was not almost ready to respond to Paul's "altar call." The king had been put into a quandary by Paul's challenge. He was embarrassed by his appeal, but could neither agree nor disagree with certain parts of Paul's question.
He could not admit that he did believe the prophets; on the other hand, he could not say that he did not believe them, for then his influence with the Jews and his standing with their religious leaders would be gone. So he turned Paul's appeal aside with a smile: "In short," he said, "you are trying to make me play the Christian"-for that seems to be the meaning of his words. He was not going to be maneuvered into anything like that! Bruce, 471)
Agrippa was not going to agree with Paul even a little bit. Otherwise he would be led into a logical box and would have no safe escape. So he parried Paul's question with his facetious remark.
If he confessed belief in the prophets, the obvious follow-up would be, "Surely then you accept that Jesus is the Messiah?" On the other hand, to deny that he believed in the prophets would be unthinkable for a loyal Jew. So he answers, "In a short time you think to make me a Christian!" The answer is light-hearted, but not ironic. It is Agrippa's attempt to get out of the logical trap in which he is in danger of being caught. (Marshall, 400)
To paraphrase, Agrippa was saying to Paul, "You think you can make me a Christian in this short time, don't you?" He side-stepped the question by giving one of his own. This then led Paul to parry back with his own retort. It was probably a play on Agrippa's quick remark. Paul said to him: "Short time or long-I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am" (26:29).
Paul would have liked all his listeners to become Christians, to become free of their spiritual chains. The situation was made more ironic by Paul's own manacles. After saying he wanted his listeners to become as he was, he must have raised his hands, and with a wry smile said, "...except for these chains" (26:29).
