Paul before Agrippa; defense and response

25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. 25:14 While they were staying there many days, Festus explained Paul's case to the king to get his opinion, saying, "There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 25:16 I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met his accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. 25:17 So after they came back here with me, I did not postpone the case, but the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought. 25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. 25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss how I could investigate these matters, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges. 25:21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar." 25:22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he replied, "you will hear him." 25:23 So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, along with the senior military officers and the prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in. 25:24 Then Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting loudly that he ought not to live any longer. 25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, and when he appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him. 25:26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this preliminary hearing I may have something to write. 25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him." 26:1 So Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." Then Paul held out his hand and began his defense: 26:2 "Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 26:3 because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversial issues of the Jews. Therefore I ask you to listen to me patiently. 26:4 Now all the Jews know the way I lived from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. 26:5 They know, because they have known me from time past, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 26:6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, 26:7 a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, Your Majesty! 26:8 Why do you people think it is unbelievable that God raises the dead? 26:9 Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death. 26:11 I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities. 26:12 "While doing this very thing, as I was going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the chief priests, 26:13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around me and those traveling with me. 26:14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.' 26:15 So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance as a servant and witness to the things you have seen and to the things in which I will appear to you. 26:17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you 26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' 26:19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance. 26:21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and were trying to kill me. 26:22 I have experienced help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen: 26:23 that the Christ was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." 26:24 As Paul was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed loudly, "You have lost your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!" 26:25 But Paul replied, "I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking true and rational words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely to him, because I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. 26:27 Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe." 26:28 Agrippa said to Paul, "In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?" 26:29 Paul replied, "I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains." 26:30 So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, 26:31 and as they were leaving they said to one another, "This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment." 26:32 Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar."

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Paul stands before Agrippa not because he has committed a real crime, but because he testifies that the risen Jesus is the fulfillment of Israel’s hope. Again and again, Roman officials find no basis for condemning him, while Luke makes clear that the gospel is publicly defensible, historically grounded, and centered on Christ’s resurrection.

Paul’s case has reached a difficult stage for Festus. Paul has appealed to Caesar, so Festus must send him to Rome, yet he still does not know what charge to write against him. When King Agrippa and Bernice arrive in Caesarea, Festus uses their visit to seek help. He explains that the Jewish leaders wanted Paul condemned, but the accusations were not about ordinary crimes. The dispute was about matters of their religion, and especially about Jesus, who had died but whom Paul kept saying was alive. Luke wants the reader to see that the heart of the controversy is the resurrection of Jesus, not political rebellion or civil wrongdoing. The next day, Agrippa and Bernice enter with great ceremony, together with military commanders and the leading men of the city. Paul is brought in as a prisoner. Festus openly admits that he has found nothing in Paul deserving death and that he needs this hearing so he can send a definite charge along with him to Caesar. So the hearing serves two purposes. It is a legal necessity for Festus, and it becomes a major opportunity for Paul to bear witness. Paul begins with respect. He is glad to speak before Agrippa because Agrippa understands Jewish customs and controversies better than Festus does. Paul frames the entire case around God’s promise to Israel. He says he is on trial because of the hope God promised to the fathers, the very hope Israel itself claims to await. Paul is not rejecting Israel’s Scriptures; he is proclaiming their fulfillment. The issue is not whether Paul has abandoned the Jewish faith, but whether God has fulfilled His promise through the resurrection of Jesus. That is why Paul asks, “Why is it thought unbelievable that God raises the dead?” Resurrection is the central disputed claim in this hearing. Jesus’ resurrection confirms Paul’s message and stands at the center of the whole controversy. Paul then reminds Agrippa of his former life. He had lived as a strict Pharisee, and his fellow Jews knew it. He had once opposed Jesus with intense zeal. He imprisoned believers, supported death sentences against them, punished them in the synagogues, and tried to force them to blaspheme. He even pursued them into foreign cities. This shows both Paul’s credibility and the depth of the change that had taken place in him. Paul then recounts his encounter on the Damascus road. At noon he saw a heavenly light brighter than the sun, and he heard Jesus speak to him in Aramaic. Jesus identified Himself plainly: “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” This shows that the risen Jesus is truly alive and so closely united with His people that to persecute them is to persecute Him. Jesus also commissioned Paul, appointing him as a servant and witness, promising to rescue him, and sending him to both Jews and Gentiles. The purpose of that mission is clear: to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. The goal is that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in Christ. Apart from Christ, people are in darkness and under Satan’s power. They need to turn to God. Forgiveness, sanctification, and inheritance come through faith in Jesus. These blessings are for Jews and Gentiles alike, not for one ethnic group only. Paul says he was not disobedient to this heavenly vision. So he preached first in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and Judea, and then to the Gentiles. His message was the same everywhere: people must repent, turn to God, and do deeds consistent with repentance. This does not mean works earn salvation. It means true repentance is real and shows itself in a changed life. Paul explains that this is why the Jews seized him in the temple and tried to kill him. His suffering is the result of faithful obedience to Christ’s commission, not of criminal conduct. Yet God had helped him to that very day, enabling him to keep testifying to everyone, both small and great. Paul stresses that his message is not a novelty. He teaches nothing except what Moses and the prophets said would happen: that the Messiah would suffer, be the first to rise from the dead, and proclaim light to both Jews and Gentiles. Paul is not pointing to one single Old Testament verse here. He is summarizing broad scriptural themes. The gospel stands in continuity with the Old Testament rather than in contradiction to it. At this point Festus interrupts loudly and says Paul is out of his mind, claiming that great learning has driven him mad. Festus cannot make sense of these claims. But Paul answers calmly and firmly. He says he is speaking words of truth and sober reason. Christian witness here is not irrational frenzy. It is public truth about what God has done in history. Paul then turns directly to Agrippa. He knows Agrippa is familiar with these matters and says these events were not done in a corner. Then he presses the issue: “Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe.” This is a personal appeal. If Agrippa believes the prophets, then he must reckon with what Paul is saying about Christ. Agrippa replies in a way that shows he feels the force of the appeal. The preferred reading is that he is acknowledging how near Paul is bringing him to an open Christian confession: “In a short time you are persuading me to become a Christian.” Still, caution is needed. His tone may include irony or evasion, since in such a public setting open identification with Paul would have been costly. Even so, the narrative clearly presents real personal pressure. Paul’s response confirms this. He expresses his desire that whether quickly or slowly, not only Agrippa but all who hear him would become as he is—except for his chains. The hearing then comes to an end. The rulers withdraw and agree among themselves that Paul has done nothing deserving death or imprisonment. Agrippa even says that Paul could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar. This does not mean Paul made a mistake. It means the legal process has now moved beyond local release. Luke’s point is that repeated official examinations continue to find no criminal guilt in Paul. So this whole episode serves Luke’s larger purpose in Acts. Paul’s imprisonment results from faithful witness to the risen Christ. The Christian message is presented as the fulfillment of Israel’s promised hope, especially through the Messiah’s suffering and resurrection. The gospel calls for repentance, turning to God, and a life that matches that repentance. Though many resist or dismiss the message, it remains true, public, and non-criminal. The risen Jesus is alive, He speaks, He commissions, and He governs this mission, calling both Jews and Gentiles to forgiveness and inheritance through faith in Him.

• Paul is on trial because he preaches the risen Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s hope. - Roman authorities repeatedly find no legal basis to condemn Paul. - The central disputed issue is the resurrection, especially the resurrection of Jesus. - Paul’s conversion and mission come from a real encounter with the risen Christ. - The gospel calls people to repent, turn to God, and bear fruit consistent with repentance. - Forgiveness, sanctification, and inheritance are given through faith in Christ to Jews and Gentiles alike. - Hostile or dismissive responses do not cancel the truth or rationality of Christian witness.

• Do not treat this passage as an isolated story detached from Acts as a whole
• it advances Luke’s larger account of the gospel moving from Jerusalem toward Rome through divinely guided witness. - Do not reduce Paul’s message to private spirituality
• in this passage it is public truth rooted in God’s acts in history and in Israel’s Scriptures. - Do not weaken repentance into mere words or inward sentiment
• Paul includes deeds consistent with repentance as the proper fruit of turning to God. - Do not press the phrase about “kicking against the goads” into a detailed psychology of Paul’s inner life beyond what the text itself states. - Do not claim certainty about Agrippa’s tone in 26:28
• the statement likely reflects real personal pressure, though irony or evasion may still be present.

Acts 25:13-26:32 should be read within Luke's second-volume witness narrative: Acts traces the gospel's advance from Jerusalem toward Rome and shows the risen Christ forming a witness-bearing people by the Spirit under divine providence. At the enrichment level, the unit works within a corporate rather than merely individual frame; an honor-shame frame rather than a purely private psychological one. Recasts Paul's imprisonment as a witness-bearing sequence before Jewish and Roman authorities. This unit concentrates that movement in the scene or discourse identified as Paul before Agrippa; defense and response. Advances the jerusalem arrest and caesarean hearings segment by focusing the reader on Paul before Agrippa; defense and response within the book's unfolding argument and narrative movement.

- Present the gospel as true, historical, and grounded in God’s revealed plan, not as a private preference. - Explain Christ from the whole Bible, showing continuity between the Old Testament promises and their fulfillment in Jesus. - Call people not only to believe facts about Christ but to repent, turn to God, and live in a way that shows repentance is real. - Do not be shaken when some respond with scorn or dismissal; speak true and rational words with courage and restraint. - Remember that faithful witness may lead to suffering, yet God sustains His servants in the path of obedience.

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