Ray Stone
The scene under consideration opens with Paul in a Roman prison in Caesarea. He was there as the result of false accusations by unbelieving Jews (Acts 24:5-6) of being “a pestilent fellow” (but, no law against that!) and “a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world” (a plain lie), and “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes” (true—except for the part about his being a ringleader, and it being a sect, and their being called Nazarenes (cf Acts 11:26), “who also hath gone about to profane the Temple…”—another lie, based on an erroneous supposition (Acts 21:28-29). False accusations indeed!
Paul, through his rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-29) had been afforded several hearings before the Roman rulers. He was first sent from the arresting Chief Captain Claudius Lysias to the Roman Governor Felix (Acts 23:26) who after hearing his case (Acts 24:2) held Paul for two years, hoping for a ransom payment for his release (Acts 24:27). When Felix’s term as Governor was over, he passed the problem called Paul on to his replacement, Porcius Festus, who gave Paul another hearing (Acts 25:6). This resulted in no resolution other than Paul exercising his right as a Roman citizen to “appeal unto Caesar” (v. 11) to avoid being turned over to the Jewish council who were actually plotting his death (Acts 25:3). Meanwhile, Paul was granted yet another hearing when King Agrippa and his sister Bernice arrived for a visit (Acts 25:13-14). Since the Romans had never brought any official charges against him, Festus had found himself in an untenable position in honoring Paul’s appeal to Caesar. In Festus’ own words, logically enough, “It seemeth unreasonable in sending a prisoner, not withal to signify the charges against him” (Acts 25:27). He hoped after presenting this case to Agrippa, he “might have somewhat to write (to the high court of Caesar)” (v. 26).
And so opens our scene, and the opportunity for us to learn from Agrippa. Agrippa was the great-grandson of Herod the Great through Herod’s Jewish wife Mariamne, and was “expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews”, as Paul acknowledged in his opening statement (Acts 26:2-3). Here was a man particularly suited to give Paul an honest hearing at last—a neutral third party, conversant of both sides of the issue. So Paul spoke in his own defense, and turned it into his last recorded proclamation of the Gospel (Acts 26:4-23). As he spoke about “those things which the prophets and Moses did say should come: “That Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that would rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people (Jews) and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23). He lost Festus altogether. “Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad” (v. 24). Festus having rejected the truth of Paul’s preaching, so “judging himself unworthy of everlasting life” even as the Jews before him (Acts 13:46) Paul then turned to Agrippa. He acknowledged “the king knoweth of these things…none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). This thing, of course, was the arrest, trials, crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord—the Gospel in a nutshell (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Then he challenged him, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest” (v. 27).
And so Agrippa found himself standing where countless others would through the ages—confronted face-to-face with the Gospel truth, which demanded an answer, some telling reaction. And react he did, revealing his heart. “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). A simple statement! But full of information by inference.
First, we have inspired insight into Agrippa’s heart that he was a believer, through the testimony of the apostle Paul as he spoke by inspiration. Second, Agrippa’s little word almost seems to indicate his heart was pricked, as the Gospel is wont to do. I like to imagine that Paul identified with that word, since he had just related the circumstance of his own conversion—how he had been “kicking against the pricks” himself (Acts 26:14). He had once stood where Agrippa was standing now, he had faced the same life-changing option, he had felt what Agrippa was feeling. Perhaps that is too much speculation but this we know: Paul was moved to make an appeal as powerful as any you’ll find in the Bible: “And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am—except these bonds” (Acts 26:29) and I can see in my mind’s eye Paul raising his—no-doubt—shackled hands.
Almost can be a frightful word. The old trite saying is, it only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, certainly not in the religion of God. Agrippa held on to his own will in spite of hearing, and understanding, the truth of God. Certainly, becoming a Christian would have been costly to a Roman ruler, but so much more costly not to! Almost can be worse than not at all. In a similar vein, Peter proclaims used to be in that same family, worse than never was:
If, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them (2 Pet. 2:20-21).
As you stand at that crossroads, you must make a choice. It is important to choose the right way—but equally important, having chosen well, to follow it to its end. Agrippa balked at that first step, almost, but not.
Agrippa is never mentioned again in the Scriptures. History tells us he would assist Vespasian in the destruction of Jerusalem and all Israel in AD 70, and live out his days in Rome, dying just before the turn of the century. As far as we know, Paul’s trial was his only opportunity to hear the Gospel.
So what do we learn from Agrippa?
1. Faith alone isn’t sufficient. This is a most insidious doctrine, easily proved false in innumerable Bible passages (Jas. 2:19 comes to mind: “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”). No case is more convincing than Agrippa. He believed. We have an inspired apostle’s word for it, recorded by another inspired man, Luke the writer of Acts. Yet by Agrippa’s own admission, that faith didn’t make him a Christian. Something more was needed, and he knew it!
2. The Holy Spirit doesn’t work directly on a convert’s heart, as many religions teach today. He influenced Agrippa through Paul’s inspired words, just as He does today through the Bible. You don’t need a miraculous, spectacular epiphany to become a Christian. You just need a soft heart (Heb. 4:7) to accept the Holy Spirit’s words as recorded in that book (2 Tim. 3:16-17). A similar error during the Mosaic age was corrected in no uncertain terms: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets (Their Bible), neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” ( Luke 16:31). God’s written word is sufficient!
3. Names matter. Agrippa didn’t entertain the thought he might be a Paulite like the Corinthians did (1 Cor. 1:12); nor a Nazarene like the High Priest and Jewish Elders characterized that which they believed to be a sect (Acts 24:5), but simply a Christian, the name God gave them (Acts 11:26). There is something in a name! Call yourself Christian, plain and simple. It’s what God prefers, and that should be all that matters.
4. The persuasive power of the Gospel is God’s “power unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). Agrippa was “almost persuaded”—by what? An appeal to emotions? An account of a moving personal experience? A guilt trip? No—just the simple unadorned Gospel story: “…saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:22-23); that all “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (v. 20).
