The Witness

Agrippa said to Paul, "It is permitted for you to speak for yourself."

Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: "I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that today I am going to make a defence before you about everything I am accused of by the Jews, especially since you are an expert in all Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem. They had previously known me for quite some time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, the promise our 12 tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve Him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope. Why is it considered incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" Acts 26:1-8

The crux of the complaint of the Jews about the Way was the tenant that Jesus was indeed raised form the dead. Yet, as we have already seen, they did believe in the resurrection of the dead, but obviously relegating this to the after life.

Paul was preaching to a man who understood the Jewsih way of life and their religion. Agrippa needed to be challenged by the gospel and this is exactly what was happening here, and so too was Festus. Yet we see in verse 24 Festus thought that Paul had lost his mind and become delusional. This judgement is the downside of the logical mind.

Paul lived and breathed the scripture: if you confront a man with his sin and he repents you have won a brother but if he fails to repent the blood is on his hands. However, if you fail to confront then the blood is on your hands. A good reason why we need boldness as Christians.