Acts 26:1-3 (ESV) 
1 So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
1. How is Paul’s defense an opportunity for evangelism?
“This testimony of Paul is not a defense of himself. It is a declaration of the gospel with the evident purpose of winning Agrippa and the others present to Christ. This is a dramatic scene, and this chapter is one of the greatest pieces of literature, either secular or inspired. . . .“There is a consummate passion filling the soul of the apostle as he speaks. I think this is his masterpiece. His message on Mars’ Hill is great, but it does not compare at all to this message.” JVM
The ultimate purpose of all apologetics is not to win arguments or show ones superior ability to debate, but to provide a platform for presenting Godly truth.
Paul or no other Christian can convince the skeptic. All we can do is present the truth. We must be confident, consistent and courageous. The forces of deception and darkness have a vested interest in maintaining the lie. They will not give up as the result of our eloquence. The real work is done by the Holy Spirit after the Gospel is proclaimed. The supernatural power within the Word of God can only be released when it is presented. The unbeliever does not seek the truth nor can he obtain it by osmosis. He must hear it and that is our job.
Romans 10:14,17 (ESV) 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?…………….17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
4 “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king!
2. What is this promise made to God to our fathers?
The written Torah is often referred to as the Tanakh, which is an acrostic of Torah (the law, Nevi’im (the prophets) and Ketuvim
(the writings), is filled with Messianic prophesy and promise. All of which were fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3:15 (ESV) 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
Genesis 12:2-3 (ESV) 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV) 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Deuteronomy 18:15 (ESV) 15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
Daniel 9:25-26 (NKJV) 25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. 26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
Zechariah 12:10-11 (NKJV) 10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
8 Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? 9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
3. Why is the message of the cross so offensive to the unregenerate mind?
1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV) 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
The unsaved person is offended with the concept of being classified as a sinner in need of forgiveness. Most consider themselves to be “good people” and not in the category of Hitler or Manson. The prospect of being subservient to the Supreme Being is repugnant and damaging to ones pride and narcissistic nature.
The fact that we are sinners and in need of a sacrifice offends our distorted sense of fairness. Why would God condemn me. “I’m only human”. Of course that is the problem. The fallen nature of man does not allow him to accurately judge himself.
1 Corinthians 1:22-23 22 Jews continue to ask for miracles and Greeks are ever wanting philosophy, 23 but we come preaching a crucified Messiah – to Jews a stumbling- block, to Greeks foolishness,
For the Jew anybody who was hung on a tree was curse, therefore nobody crucified could be the Messiah.
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (ESV) 22 “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, ……………for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.
For the gentile, Greek mind, trained in Hellenistic philosophy, such as Plato and Aristotle, the idea of a personal God who intervened in the affairs of men was ridiculous.
The pagan Greek and Roman pantheon of gods we more like mischievous children than supreme infinite beings.
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, ‘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 deli
vering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
4. How is Paul’s conversion more impactful than the other Apostles?
Paul was the number one Christian hater of the time. He was 100% sure that he was on a mission from God to destroy the followers of “the Way”. He viewed the followers of this false Messiah, Jesus, as a cancer on the Jewish religion.
Saul/Paul rejected the advice of his great teacher Gamaliel to just let these Christian alone and let the movement die out on its own.
Acts 5:38-39 (ESV) 38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,
Acts 8:3 (ESV) 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
His conversion would be comparable to Osama Ben Laden showing up at your local church wanting to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What would it take to turn Richard Dawkins or Joseph Stalin into an evangelical. This kind of change does not happen in a vacuum. This is clear evidence of the power of God.
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.
5. How is this testimony a presentation of the gospel?
His presentation incorporates the basic elements of the Gospel.
To repent is to change one’s mind, and one’s course – to turn around. In particular, Paul calls upon his audience to change their minds about Jesus, just as he had done. Jesus is alive. He is the promised Messiah. He is God’s only provision for man’s salvation – for the forgiveness of sins and the assurance of eternity in heaven.RD
Repent. Recognize your lost position as a sinner, and acknowledge your need to change your attitude and way of life.
Turn to God. Acknowledge the authority of God over your life.
Perform deeds in keeping with repentance. Salvation must be more than intellectual acceptance. The regenerate life will show a distinct difference in attitude and motivation.
Later in Romans he sums the process of justification:
Romans 10:9-11 (ESV) 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
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.”
6. Where in the bible anything about a suffering Messiah?
In various ways, the Old Testament revealed that salvation would be accomplished through the coming of the promised Messiah. That Messiah would suffer and die for the sins of the people (Psalm 22; 69; Isaiah 52:13-53:12). This is why our Lord could show how the Old Testament foretold His coming, suffering, death, and resurrection (Luke 24:25-27). Devout Jews like Paul had all of the pieces of the puzzle; they just couldn’t put them together in order to see Christ. Christ is the key to understanding salvation in the Scriptures. Once one turns to the Lord, “the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:12-16).RD
2 Corinthians 3:12-16 (ESV) 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
Psalm 22…….
1My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My G
od, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Isaiah ………… 4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,………….
3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, ourfaces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
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.
7. Why is Paul’s theology rational?
The law was weak in that it could not bring life, only conviction. The logic behind Paul’s theology was that there had to be a final solution to mans problem. That being death. The Jewish religion was incomplete. Festus an unbeliever had no ability to even understand Judaism let alone the New Covenant. Later Paul would take 6 chapter in the book of Galatians explaining how Jesus, the Gospel, the Holy Spirit and grace were the fulfillment’s of the Mosaic Law.
Galatians 3:10-11 (ESV) 10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
The gospel, then, is a call to repentance. This explains the Jewish opposition to Paul and to his preaching. Paul’s adversaries thought everything was fine just as it was, just as they interpreted and applied the Law of Moses. The problem is that the Law was not given to provide lost sinners a way to attain righteousness on their own; the Law was given to show men how sinful they are, and that they need the righteousness which only comes through faith in the Messiah:RD
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. 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.” 30
8. Why is important to ask the potential convert to make a decision?
Many people may be fascinated by the things of God. They may desire to partake in religious experiences or enjoy the appearance of being with religious people. Eventually their must be a decision. Their is no middle ground, no semi-Christian. Sometimes in salesmanship the presentation can be wasted if the customer is not eventually asked to buy the product. A clear cut reject can sometimes be a good thing in that at least the person is forced to weigh the evidence and make a choice.
Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV) 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Luke 12:51-53 (ESV) 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
9. So was Agrippa saved on the basis of his admission that Paul was innocent?
Agrippa was now on the spot. If he agreed with Paul or even appeared to agree, he would have lost face with Festus as well as the rest of the Romans present. Festus had just said he thought Paul was mad. On the other hand, if Agrippa said he did not believe the prophets, his influence over his Jewish hearers and subjects would have been damaged greatly. Consequently Agrippa replied noncommittally, “You are trying to make a Christian out of me in such a short interview!” His response does not mean that he was on the verge of becoming a Christian, as the AV translation implies: “Almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian.”RD
Agrippa made the case that he could not become a follower of Christ based on the short testimony and gospel presentation of Paul. Agrippa lived past the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and for several years, dying in 92 AD. There is no record of him or his wife/sister coming to repentance. Time wasn’t the question, it was a matter of the heart and the difficulty of persons of power humbling themselves before a righteous God.
ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Notes
- MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
- NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
- JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
- ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
- BN …..Barnes Notes
- WBC…… Wycliffe Bible Commentary
- CN …… Constables Notes
- IC……….Ironside Commentary
- NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
- JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
- VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
- CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
- BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
- Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
- Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
- NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and Mark.
- RD………….Robert Deffinbaugh bible.org
- http://augustine1-defendingthefaith.blogspot.com/
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