LAST WEEK: In Acts 22, we heard Paul's testimony before the crowd in the Temple. After an initial uproar because the Jews wrongly thought Paul had sneaked a Gentile into a part of the Temple forbidden to them, he began to speak to them in Hebrew, and they began to listen. He spoke to them as fellow Jews and summarized his training and background as a strict Pharisee. He went on to explain his past record persecuting Christians and assisting in Stephen's execution and how his zealousness led him to extend his anti-Christian campaign all the way to Damascus. Then he shared his testimony about his encounter with the risen Jesus of Nazareth on the road to Damascus. He told them of his next encounter with Jesus in this Temple three years later. As long as Paul spoke in a Jewish context, the crowd listened, but when he told them that Christ had commanded him to take God's message of salvation to the Gentiles, the crowd was enraged. Three Points of Application: 1. Paul's testimony teaches us that being zealously 'religious' doesn't reconcile us to God. Paul's testimony reveals that you can be zealous for God and still be totally mistaken. Despite all of his zeal, he was not reconciled to the God of Israel but motivated by personal pride and prejudice, both sins. 2. Paul's testimony teaches us that salvation is by God's grace and power, not by our own merit or will power. Everything about Paul's conversion came from God; nothing about it came from Paul. He deserved judgment, but God showed him mercy. If God's grace and power are mighty enough to save a sinner such as Paul, then He is able to save any sinner, and to do it instantly and totally. 3. Paul's testimony teaches us that God saves us for His purpose, not for our own agendas. Even if Paul saw himself as the ideal person to reach the Jews, God had other plans for him. While we aren't all called to be missionaries, like Paul, neither are we called to live selfishly for ourselves while the nations (including the USA) perish in darkness. Every one of us here should ask ourselves: How does God want me to fit into His purpose to: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." Mt. 28:19-20a.
THIS WEEK: We skip Chapter 23 (Paul taken before the council then sent to Felix, the Roman governor in Caesarea), Chapter 24 (testimony against Paul at Caesarea), and Chapter 25 (Paul's appeal to Caesar and the start of his trial before King Agrippa). In today's lesson, Acts 26:19-29, we come into this trial as Paul has finished summarizing, in vv. 1-11, his former life as a zealous Pharisee, and his persecution of Christians, and in vv. 12-18, he gave his testimony about his encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus.
Read Acts 26:19-23 - The Gospel Revealed
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. 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."
v. 19: "Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision" - Paul shared his experience on the road to Damascus as a rationale for why he was preaching a message that angered the Jews. He was telling people about what he has seen-the risen Christ-and obeying His command to tell people He-Jesus of Nazareth-was the promised Savior.
vv. 20-21: "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. 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me" - Here, Paul lists the places where he thereafter preached out of obedience to Jesus' command, taking the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul typically began his work by starting in the synagogues of a city and then turning his attention to the Gentiles there. Paul's message, "repent and turn to God" and then show your repentance through your actions, presented a simple and clear system. Repenting and turning to God is seen as one action-turning from sin to God. This change of direction is demonstrated by a person's good works-a new life-as proof of repentance. Paul explained to the king that "For this reason," i.e., his preaching of this gospel, especially to Gentiles, the Jews in the Temple had seized him and tried to kill him.
vv. 22-23: "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" - Paul's "help that comes from God," was aptly demonstrated by the fact that he was alive and standing before the king today. The term "great and small" meant that this message of salvation was available all people, rich, poor, Jew, Gentile, etc. Paul explained that he was only teaching what the OT prophets and Moses had foretold about the coming Messiah, specifically, that Christ would suffer and be resurrected (Ps. 22; Isa. 53), and would provide light for all who trusted in Him (Isa. 42, 49, and 60). Note: Despite the proven authenticity of fulfilled prophecy, the idea of a humble, suffering Messiah was something most 1st Cen. Jews refused to believe; they were expecting "macho-man" riding a white stallion and carrying a sword.
Read Acts 26:24-26 - Festus Asserts Paul is Mad
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.
v. 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" - Porcius Festus, a pagan, was the Roman procurator (governor) of Judea from about 59 to 62 A.D. Paul's claims about a dead man named Jesus were totally beyond the grasp of Festus. To him, Paul was speaking utter nonsense. To this educated but thoroughly pagan Roman, Paul's "great learning" about Jewish Messianic prophecy was just a lot of crazy mumbo-jumbo. We see the same attitude today in much of the world's secular human intellectual elite, who worship the creation rather than the Creator.
v. 25: "But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words" - Paul knew he could gain nothing by getting into an intellectual sparring match with the Roman, whose mind was already made up. Instead, he simply denies Festus' assertion in a very general and courteous manner. And notice Paul's calm self-control. Reminds me of Jesus during His trial before the Sanhedrin as reported in Mt. 26:57-68.
v. 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 - So, rather than argue with Festus, Paul turned his focus to the king. The phrase "this has not been done in a corner" (i.e., in secret), was a figure of speech that referred to the fact that Jesus had led a public ministry, the crucifixion was a public event, the empty tomb a well-known fact, and the disciples preaching in the Temple and public places; in short, the controversy over the Christians was something widely known. Moreover, the gospel at this point in time had been proclaimed for three decades and the arguments, pro and con, about Jesus' death and resurrection would have been widely known and discussed-Christianity, therefore, held no secrets and had nothing to hide.
Read Acts 26:27-29 - Paul's Invitation to Agrippa
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe." 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" 29 And Paul said, "Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am-except for these chains."
v. 27: "King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe" - Here, Paul asks the king a leading question that makes a strong point. The Jewish king, with his presumed knowledge of the Scriptures, should accept Paul's case about Jesus, since it rests on the promises of the prophets. However, Agrippa was like most other Jews: He could accept the words of prophets who spoke of a coming-future Messiah, insofar as it was a safe belief that didn't require any changes in his lifestyle. But, like most other Jews of that period, he did not believe they were fulfilled by Jesus, which was a "radical and dangerous" belief that required one to make drastic personal changes in life.
v. 28: "And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" - English translations of Agrippa's statement from the original Greek have generated a lot of controversy. The KJV translation, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian?," implies that the king was on the verge of believing in Jesus. However, there is no Greek equivalent to "Almost." The NIV translation, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?," is probably the closest statement to what Agrippa meant-he in fact admitted nothing, one way or another, and had no intention of allowing Paul to maneuver him into an embarrassing situation.
v. 29: "And Paul said, 'Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am-except for these chains"' - Agrippa's disingenuous response to Paul's question is made clear by Paul's ending statement. It was his sincere desire that Agrippa, Festus, and all who heard him, might be saved, and have the utter conviction of faith and truth in Jesus Christ that he himself had. "These chains," in all likelihood, meant the manacles he was wearing on his arms at the trial. We can picture him holding up his chained arms to them as he spoke-he wanted them to share his Lord but not his chains.
APPLICATION-I've boiled this down to one point:
The "crazy" person lives for this present, fleeting world, whereas, the sane person obeys Jesus Christ and lives in light of eternity. The word crazy is used here in the sense of being foolish, especially foolish pride. Paul, in response to Festus' accusation that he was crazy, said, "I am not out of my mind...but I am speaking true and rational words" (v.25). Contrary to Festus' outburst, Paul was in fact the sanest man in the room. Ask: Is it rationale for a person to seek a superficial and short-lived life in this world when there is an absolutely free alternative to live a life in light of eternity? This rationale makes perfect sense to a believer in Jesus Christ, and yet each of us would have to admit that this present world can still hold a strong attraction for us. Few who know Christ would abandon his or her 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 wise Solomon learned this the hard way and later wrote, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Prov. 3:5). Our Lord told us in Mt. 6:24, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." You could substitute the word serve for worship and you could likewise substitute the word money for fame or power. Many Christians have made fortunes while serving God. Billy Graham achieved national fame as an evangelist. The second most powerful office-holder in the U.S. government, Mike Pence, our vice-president, is professed born-again Christian believer. Making money or achieving fame or power are not inherently wrong; it depends on your motive while getting there-were you worshiping the things of this world or were you worshiping God in light of eternity?
In today's story, it must have felt great to Festus and Agrippa, surrounded by armed guards, to step out of their chariots in their expensive robes and wave to the common people as they went up the steps to the building. As they entered the room, all of those present probably bowed to them. Servants stood nearby to cater to their every need. To all appearances, they had it made, didn't they? Yet, those whom the world consider successful are soon forgotten. But for their names being mentioned in the Bible, no one today would know anything about either one of 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 light of eternity.
