Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Acts
Chapter 26: Almost Thou Persuadest Me to Be a Christian
Acts 26 is Paul's greatest recorded defense, given before King Agrippa, and it is really a sermon. He tells of his strict Pharisee upbringing and how he 'stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers,' the resurrection: 'Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?' He recounts his fierce persecution of the church and his conversion on the Damascus road, where the risen Jesus commissioned him to the Gentiles, '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.' He was 'not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,' preaching that men 'should repent and turn to God,' proclaiming only what '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.' When Festus calls him mad, Paul answers with 'the words of truth and soberness,' and appeals to Agrippa, 'believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest,' drawing the famous reply, 'Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.' The chapter shows us the transforming grace of Christ, the mission to open blind eyes, and the peril of being almost, but not altogether, persuaded.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Acts chapter 26. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Paul defends himself before Agrippa, recounting his conversion and commission, and Agrippa is almost persuaded. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
That God Should Raise the Dead
Paul is judged for the hope of the resurrection.
From Darkness to Light
Christ sends Paul to open eyes and turn men to God.
Christ Should Suffer and Rise
Paul preaches only what Moses and the prophets foretold.
Almost a Christian
The king is almost, but not altogether, persuaded.
To Turn Them From Darkness to Light (Acts 26:1-18)
Paul recounts his conversion and the commission of the risen Christ to open the eyes of the nations.
That They May Receive Forgiveness of Sins
"Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 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. My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, 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."
Word Study
"turn," Greek epistrepho (ἐπιστρέφω). The word means to turn, to turn back, to turn around, and so to be converted. Christ commissions Paul "to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Conversion is a turning: a decisive turning away from darkness, sin, and the dominion of Satan, and a turning to light, to God. This verse is one of the fullest descriptions of what happens in salvation: blind eyes are opened, the sinner is turned from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, and so "receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith." Every part is the work of grace received "by faith that is in me," in Christ. The mission of the gospel is to bring this great turning to all nations, that men held in the darkness and power of Satan may be turned to the light and freedom of God, forgiven and made heirs.
Explanation
Before Agrippa, Paul recounts his conversion a final time, and the risen Christ's commission rings out: to open the Gentiles' eyes, "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." It is the gospel in one sentence -- light for the blind, deliverance from Satan's power, forgiveness, and an inheritance received by faith in Christ. Paul's testimony is not a legal defense but an evangelistic appeal, turning his trial into a proclamation. The heavenly vision that seized him on the Damascus road is now pressed upon a king.
Gospel Focus
Given leave to speak, Paul addresses Agrippa with courtesy and then makes his defense, which is really the gospel. He establishes that he was raised a strict Pharisee, and that the true charge against him is not any crime but "the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers", the hope of the resurrection, for which the twelve tribes long. He puts the question directly to the king: "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" The resurrection is the crux, and it is no more incredible than the God who made all things. Paul then recounts his own violent past with brutal honesty: he "verily thought" he ought to oppose "the name of Jesus," imprisoning and helping to kill the saints, punishing them, forcing them to blaspheme, "exceedingly mad against them." He hides nothing of his guilt, the better to magnify the grace that saved him. Then comes his conversion, told a third time in Acts, and here with fresh detail. At midday a light "above the brightness of the sun" felled him, and the risen Jesus spoke: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?... it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks", Paul had been resisting the goads of conscience and grace. Identifying Himself as "Jesus whom thou persecutest," the Lord commissioned him on the spot: "to make thee a minister and a witness." And He gave the glorious statement of the mission to the Gentiles: "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." This is the gospel in one verse: the opening of blind eyes, the turning from darkness to light and from Satan to God, forgiveness of sins, and an eternal inheritance, all received "by faith" in Christ. The One who arrested Paul the persecutor sent him to bring this same deliverance to the nations. The section magnifies the transforming grace of Christ, who saves His fiercest enemy and makes him a herald of light, and it sets out the whole work of salvation as a great turning from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of God's light, by faith in Jesus.
Almost Thou Persuadest Me (Acts 26:19-32)
Paul proclaims the risen Christ foretold by Moses and the prophets, and Agrippa is almost, but not altogether, persuaded.
That Christ Should Suffer, and Rise From the Dead
"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, 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 shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, 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; for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. 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. And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar."
Word Study
"almost," Greek en oligo (ἐν ὀλίγῳ). The phrase means "in a little," rendered "almost." Agrippa's reply, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian," is one of the most poignant lines in Scripture. Whether spoken in wonder, in irony, or in genuine near-conviction, it names the tragedy of the almost-saved. Agrippa knew the Scriptures, heard the gospel from its greatest preacher, and was moved, "almost", yet not altogether. To be almost persuaded is to be wholly lost, for almost saved is not saved at all. Paul's reply longs to close the gap: "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." The one hair's breadth between "almost" and "altogether" is the difference between darkness and light, death and life. Like Felix who trembled and delayed, Agrippa was almost persuaded, and, so far as Scripture records, turned away. There is no salvation in "almost"; Christ must be received altogether.
Explanation
Paul declares he was "not disobedient unto the heavenly vision," preaching repentance and the risen Christ "to Jews and Gentiles." When Festus cries that much learning has made him mad, Paul answers with dignity -- these things "were not done in a corner" -- and presses Agrippa directly: "believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." Agrippa's famous reply, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian," is the tragedy of the nearly-saved: moved, informed, yet unwilling to yield. Paul's response overflows with a preacher's heart -- that all his hearers might be as he is, "except these bonds." The prisoner is freer than the king, and Agrippa walks away almost, but lost.
Gospel Focus
Paul continues his testimony: "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." From his conversion onward he obeyed the commission, preaching everywhere, to Damascus, Jerusalem, Judaea, and the Gentiles, "that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." This is the Apostolic message: repentance, turning to God, and a changed life that shows the reality of repentance. For preaching this, the Jews tried to kill him; but, "having therefore obtained help of God," Paul continues, "witnessing both to small and great." And he insists his message is nothing new or strange, but exactly "those things 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." The gospel is the fulfillment of the Old Testament: a suffering and rising Messiah who brings light to Jew and Gentile. At this, Festus, unable to grasp such things, bursts out, "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad." But Paul answers with calm dignity: "I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness." The gospel is not madness but sober truth. Then Paul turns to the one man present who could weigh it, Agrippa, who knew the Jewish Scriptures: "for this thing was not done in a corner", the death and resurrection of Jesus were public, known events. And he presses the king directly: "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest." It is bold, personal evangelism, cornering the king with his own professed faith in the Scriptures that testify of Christ. Agrippa's reply is famous and tragic: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Whether in earnest or in evasion, he was moved, but only "almost." And Paul, with a heart full of love even in chains, answers, "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." He wishes every hearer, king and commoner alike, might be fully what he is, a saved man, minus only his chains. There is no bitterness in the prisoner, only longing for their salvation. The hearing breaks up, and the officials agree among themselves, once more, "This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds." Agrippa even says Paul might have been freed had he not appealed to Caesar, yet by that very appeal God was sending him to Rome. So the chapter ends with the servant vindicated yet still bound, having preached the gospel to the highest court in the land, and with the king almost, but not altogether, persuaded. The solemn warning stands over every hearer: to be almost a Christian is to be wholly lost; receive Christ altogether, today, and be turned from darkness to light.
Chapter 26 in Review
Acts 26 is Paul's masterful defense, and gospel sermon, before King Agrippa. He shows he is judged for "the hope of the promise," the resurrection, and asks, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible... that God should raise the dead?" He recounts his violent persecution of the church and his conversion by the risen Christ, who commissioned him "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." He was "not disobedient unto the heavenly vision," preaching repentance and only what "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." When Festus calls him mad, he answers with "words of truth and soberness," and presses Agrippa, who replies, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." The officials again find him innocent.
For the Apostolic reader this chapter magnifies the grace of Christ and the mission of the gospel. In Paul's testimony we see the transforming power of the risen Lord, who arrested His fiercest enemy in a blaze of glory and made him a herald of light, proof that no sinner is beyond His grace. And in the commission we have one of the fullest pictures of salvation in Scripture: the opening of blind eyes, the turning from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, the forgiveness of sins, and an eternal inheritance, all received by faith in Jesus. This great turning is what the gospel brings to all nations. The message is nothing novel but the fulfillment of Moses and the prophets: a suffering, risen Christ who is the light of Jew and Gentile. Yet the chapter closes with a solemn warning in Agrippa's "almost." To be almost persuaded is to be wholly lost; the hair's breadth between "almost" and "altogether" is the difference between darkness and light, death and life. Like Felix who trembled, Agrippa was moved but turned away. So marvel at the grace that turns enemies into servants; know that salvation is the turning from darkness to light by faith in Christ; carry this gospel of light to the nations; and do not be, like Agrippa, almost a Christian, but receive Christ altogether, today, and be turned wholly from darkness to His marvelous light.
- The resurrection is the hope for which Paul stands accused (26:6-8).
- Christ saves and commissions His fiercest enemy by grace (26:9-16).
- Salvation is turning from darkness to light and from Satan to God, by faith (26:18).
- The gospel is the fulfillment of Moses and the prophets: Christ suffers and rises (26:22-23).
- The gospel is "words of truth and soberness," not madness (26:25).
- To be "almost" a Christian is to be wholly lost; receive Christ altogether (26:28-29).
Questions for Reflection
- Has the grace of Christ turned you from darkness to light?
- Have you obeyed the heavenly vision, or resisted the goads of grace?
- Do you carry the gospel of light and forgiveness to others?
- Are you almost, or altogether, a Christian? Will you receive Christ fully today?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The hope of the resurrection: Acts 23:6; 24:15; Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23. Paul's conversion accounts: Acts 9:1-19; 22:1-21; Galatians 1:13-16. Turning from darkness to light: Colossians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 5:8; John 8:12. Forgiveness and inheritance by faith: Acts 20:32; Ephesians 1:7, 18; Colossians 3:24. Christ foretold to suffer and rise: Isaiah 53; Psalm 16:10; Luke 24:44-47. The peril of being almost persuaded: Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 12:34; Hebrews 6:4-6. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Paul's conversion and commission: Acts 26:1-18; Colossians 1:12-14; 1 Peter 2:9.
- The message and the almost-persuaded king: Acts 26:19-32; Luke 24:44-47; Mark 12:34.