“King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. WhereforeI have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O King Agrippa! that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write;for it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.”[163]
Agrippa then condescendingly said to the prisoner that he was permitted to speak for himself. Paul opened his defence with the following words:—
“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews; especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.”
He then briefly recounted his early history, narrating in full the circumstances which attended his conversion to the religion of Jesus. After speaking of the vision which appeared to him on the road to Damascus, before whose brilliancy all had fallen to the earth, he said,—
“I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet; for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose,—to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
“Whereupon, O King Agrippa!” continued Paul, “I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision; but showed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
“For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having, therefore, obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, 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 show light unto the people and to the Gentiles.”
As Paul thus alluded to the resurrection of the dead, he was interrupted in his discourse by Festus, the unbelieving Roman, exclaiming with a loud voice,—
“Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning doth make thee mad.”
Paul turned to the governor, and said courteously, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him.”