Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: ACTS #44 - 26:24-32)
2. 26:24-29 REACTION OF FESTUS AND AGRIPPA
a. 26:24 FESTUS' REACTION TO PAUL'S TESTIMONY
TAUta de auTOU a-po-lo-gouMEnou [626], ho PHEstos meGAletephoNEpheSIN, MAIne[3105],PAUle;
And as he thus made his defense, :Festus said with loud :voice, Paul, you are mad;
ta polLA se GRAMma-ta [1121] eis maNIan [3130] pe-riTREpei [4062].
your much learning turns you to madness.
b. 26:25 PAUL POLITELY CORRECTS FESTUS
ho de PAUlos, Ou MAIno-mai, pheSIN, KRAti-ste [2903]PHEste;
But :Paul said, I am not mad, excellent Festus;
alLA a-leTHEIas kai so-phroSUnes [4907]'REma-ta a-pophTHEGgo-mai [659].
but I speak forth words of truth and soberness.
c. 26:26 PAUL APPEALS TO AGRIPPA'S UNDERSTANDING
ePIsta-tai [1987] gar peRI TOUton ho ba-siLEUS, pros hon par-re-si-aZOme-nos [3955]laLO:
For the king knows of these things, unto whom I speak boldly:
lanTHAnein [2990] gar auTON TOUton ou PEItho-mai [3982]ouTHEN;
for I am persuaded that none of these is hidden from him;
ou GAR es-tin en goNIa [1137]pe-pragMEnon [4238]TOUto.
for this has not been done in a corner.
d. 26:27a King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?
piSTEUeis, Ba-siLEU A-GRIPpa, tois proPHEtais?
e. 26:27b. I know that you believe. OIda HOti piSTEUeis.
f. 26:28 And :Agrippa saidunto Paul, With but little you persuade to make a Christian ofME.
ho de A-GRIPpa pros ton PAUlon, En oLIgo[3641]me PEItheis[3952]Chri-sti-aNON [5546]poiEsai [4160].
g. 26:29 PAUL'S DESIRE: ALL PRESENT TO BELIEVE AS HE DOES!
ho de PAUlos, EuXAImen [2172]an to TheO, kai en oLIgo kai en meGAlo,
And Paul said, I would to :God, that whether with little or with great,
ou MOnon SE, alLA kai PANtas tous aKOUonTAS mou SEme-ron,
not you only, but also all that hear me today,
geNESthai toiOUtous hoPOIos [3697] kai eGOei-mi, pa-rekTOS [3924]ton desMON [1199]TOUton.
might become such as I am, except these :bonds.
3. 26:30-32 AGRIPPA VINDICATES PAUL
a. 26:30-31 AGRIPPA'S CONCLUSION
A-NEstete ho ba-siLEUS, kai ho he-geMON [2232], HE te BerNIke,
And the king rose, and the governor, and Bernice,
kai hoi sun-kaTHEme-noi auTOIS: kai a-na-choREsan-tes [402],
and they that sat with them: 31 and when they had withdrawn,
eLAloun pros alLElous, LEgon-tes [HOti],
they spoke one to another, saying [that],
OuDEN thaNAtou edesMON Axi-on PRASsei ho ANthro-pos HOUtos.
This :man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
b. 26:32 HIS DETAILED VINDICATION OF PAUL
A-GRIPpas de toPHEstoEphe, A-po-leLUSthai eDUna-to ho ANthro-pos HOUtos,
And Agrippa said to :Festus, This man could have been set at liberty,
ei mee-peKEkle-to [1941]KAIsa-ra.
if he had not appealed to Caesar.
NOTE: 26:24 - A boldwitness for the Gospel of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, excites a strong reaction from unbelievers! Governor Festus illustrates this. But note in the following verse Paul's respectful answer to Festus. We can alllearn and profit much from the example of the apostle Paul.
Then too, see Paul's further argument on the behalf of Festus. He, by the recourse to King Agripps's knowledge, uses this as a further proof of the accuracy of his statements. We too, like Paul, can draw on areas of our knowledge, friends, background, and specific knowledge of the Scriptures - to persuade those in doubt.
But suddenly, Paul leaves the problems of Festus, and turns to Agrippa. By the Spirit's gift of a word of knowledge and wisdom, he discerns that the king has an open heart to the revelation of the OT prophets. Paul first questions Agrippa's faith in this direction, and then strongly confirms it. Agrippa's response is one of those unique responses in all of Scripture - “With but little you persuade to make a Christian of ME!”What a confession! Not completely yet - but almost. And then Paul's response - Except for these chains, I wish all of you listening to me were the same as me!
Then King Agrippa clearly and completely exonerates Paul from all the charges laid against him by the leading Jews of his day. And - this type of Jewish leader is still active 1900 years later, and just as violently stands against all Messianic Jewish believers. Jesus is stillnot acknowledged by them as the One who came in the Name of the Lord Jehovah. But - we can pray and intercede for these rejectors of Jesus as God's only begotten Son - on the basis of Zechariah 12:10-14. For when Jesus returns - which is very soon - and these leaders see the nailprints in His hands and feet, and the mark of the spear thrust into His side - then the great repentance and weeping will take place! J.A.W.