Acts 26:1-8 – Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense.” Maybe, probably in an old movie, you’ve seen an orator give a circular wave of his hand before speaking to his audience. That is an old tradition dating back to ancient times. It is a way to start and a gesture of respect.
“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews.” It was customary to acknowledge a, or several, VIP’s in the audience. Paul is discerning so as to know that though Governor Festus was in charge, it was King Agrippa who was, at that time, the most important person in the attendance.
“And especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.” Paul was aware that King Agrippa was part Jewish. It had been a family trait, being part Jewish, to be very interested in all things Jewish. The Herods knew the Jewish history, the scriptures, what they believed and, importantly, what they disagreed about. Being well acquainted with Jewish customs and controversies did not make King Agrippa a practicing Jew. Even today we have many people who study the Christian Bible, and are able to quote it extensively, yet who have never committed to Christianity. Such was King Agrippa, as we shall see.
Notice that Paul noted to King Agrippa that he, the king, was well aware of the controversies among the Jews. He will, in his speech, appeal to that knowledge. For now, Paul asks the King to bear with him as he defends what he believes. What he believes is really what is on trial.
““The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.” As Paul had testified to the Jewish leaders about his strict adherence to the same beliefs that they had (Acts 22:3-5), which they could not and did not deny because there were too many witnesses to attempt to do so, so he here gave the same testimony before his present audience of almost exclusive Romans. Yet, Paul remained cognizant that King Agrippa was his target audience.
“And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.” Paul asserts that the reason he is on trial is because of the same hope that all Jews have of the promised Messiah. They all believed that a Messiah was promised to the Jews (and really to the world). They had many disagreements over the scripture on how God would bring that about. We might compare that to the different beliefs about the “Rapture” of the church, or if there will be a Rapture. Most will agree that being a Christian is not dependent on what we believe about the Rapture, but on who Jesus was, what He did, and how what He did applies to us, that is essential. So Jews could argue about when the Messiah would come, and what He would come to do, and yet all know that they were all still Jewish, just with some difference of opinions.
Now we remember that Paul had said to King Agrippa that he (King Agrippa) was “well acquainted” with the controversies among the Jews. So the king was aware of the controversies concerning messianic beliefs, and also about the resurrection of the dead. Paul was leading his audience, and especially King Agrippa, by stating what the king knew to be true in order to lead him to what Paul would ultimately assert, that the Messiah had come, that He was crucified and had died, that He had risen from the dead and that the name of the risen Messiah is none other than Jesus Christ, whom Paul serves.
The great hope of the Jews was the hope of the Messiah and the job of the Messiah was restoration. Yet what they didn’t understand was that the restoration was to come in two parts. The first part was to restore God’s people to Himself and the second part was to come and vanquish the enemies of God. So the Jews waited for a Messiah and Paul believed and taught that the long awaited Messiah had in fact already come and had and does offer grace to all who would come.
Paul acknowledged that the Jews “earnestly serve God day and night.” He knew them to be earnest. He knew that though they were earnest they were tragically wrong. Really, so many people in our day our earnest and they think they know the right way to go, but they are also tragically wrong. (Proverbs 14:12) There is only One Way. (1 Timothy 2:5)
“King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?” Paul is asserting to the king, who was well aware of the many different doctrinal differences among the Jews, that what he was accused of was yet another doctrinal difference. Of course this doctrinal difference was not unimportant, but essential to their spiritual lives.
Paul said to all, but the target of his statement was the king, that knowing all that the scripture says about God, why should God resurrecting the dead be something hard to believe? If someone does not believe that God can raise the dead then the god they believe in is too small. If that is so, then they really do not understand who God is. All who really know Him, who press in to know Him, know that for God to resurrect the dead is no harder than the creation of man, or the creation of the universe, or the keeping of it all that together. The problem is not that man cannot believe in supernatural occurences, it is that man does not truly know and believe in the One True God. If any of us, believing or not, believe that anything is impossible to God, then we need to reassess who we believe God is and also reassess how much we know of Him and how much we actually personally know Him. Nothing is impossible for God. (Luke 1:37) Nothing. God loves us and has promised to look out for us. What is impossible for God to do for us? Nothing. What is it that God has not done to show us His love and faithfulness? Nothing! He showed us when He sent Jesus. There is nothing more to be said or done. Praise our God who is good and who loves us! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Your God
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”