Closing Argument ("On Trial" series pt 7)

So the next day, when Agrippa... and Bernice his sister had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus's command Paul was brought in. And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all the men who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me... crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him... Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write..." Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." (Acts 25:23–26:1)

Paul's closing argument before a wicked king becomes a model for how every Christian, as Christ's ambassador, can bear witness to Jesus.

Six Hearings and a Final Stand

In our last five studies in Acts we have walked with Paul through a series of hearings — six of them, which is why this series is called On Trial. The first took place before a crowd of Jewish men in Jerusalem, then before the Jewish religious council, then before the Roman governor Felix in Caesarea, then a private hearing with Felix and Drusilla, then again before the Jewish council. Now, two years later, a new governor, Festus, has come into power, and we reach the sixth and final hearing.

This time Festus has called Paul before the Judean king, Herod Agrippa II, along with his sister Bernice and all the power brokers of Caesarea. Agrippa was a vassal king with little real power, but Paul is escorted into the auditorium before all the who's who of the region.

The reason for the gathering was practical. When Festus surveyed the cases still pending from the previous administration, Paul's was unresolved. Paul had already appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen, so he was in a kind of limbo. Festus realized there was no case — the only thing against Paul was that the Jewish council didn't like him, which is not a prosecutable offense. (Thank God, because there are probably people who don't like you and me.) Yet to placate his constituency, Rome had detained Paul for two years.

A Fulfilled Word

Now, in about the middle of A.D. 60, Paul is escorted into this room. This is roughly six years before he will be executed for his faith, and about ten years before Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed by Titus. Things are tense in that part of the world.

Paul comes in as the fulfillment of a word God had spoken about a quarter century earlier. In Acts 9:15 the Lord said of Paul, through Ananias:

You are going to be My chosen vessel to bear My name before Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Now, 25 years later, Paul stands before prominent Gentile officials, the king of Judea, and many from the nation of Israel — bearing witness of Jesus. You can be certain that if you seek and serve Jesus, you will also find yourself in situations you never could have imagined. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine. When Ananias first told Paul this, Paul probably thought it was far out — but here it is, fulfilled.

Seek Permission to Speak of Jesus

The first lesson: as ambassadors of King Jesus, we should seek permission to speak of Jesus. We see this in verse 1: "You are permitted to speak for yourself. So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself."

Notice that Paul did not have to speak. He had already appealed his case to Caesar, and he had previously declined an opportunity to be heard in Jerusalem (Acts 25). He could have said, "I elect not to speak." But given permission, Paul gladly took the opportunity. And while he was permitted to speak for himself, he oriented the entire testimony toward Jesus.

We should seek every opportunity to speak of Jesus and take open doors when they come. Christians should not always be silent, waiting to be spoken to. But sadly, some Christians think they are bold witnesses when in reality they are just obnoxious loud mouths who give the rest of us a bad name. We must be careful to seek the right time and the permissible opportunity. As Solomon said:

He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace. (Proverbs 17:27–28)

I heard one preacher say, "Better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." But when the open door comes, we should walk through it, as Paul did.

Be Ready When the Door Opens

What does a permissible opportunity look like? It can be simple. You're with co-workers on break, they're discussing something happening in the world, and they turn to you: "You go to church, right? What do you think?" Or a neighbor shares their philosophy and says, "I don't think it's all that wrong to do this or that — what do you think?" There you are, given an open door.

Some of you are thinking, "I'm not ready for that. I don't even want it to happen." Peter's counsel is vital here:

Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks a reason for the hope that is within you, with meekness and fear. (1 Peter 3:15)

How do you sanctify the Lord in your heart? The Psalms tell us to hide God's word in our hearts; His word is a lamp to our feet. If you take time to read the Scriptures — even a chapter a day, or just a few verses — you will be ready. Paul told Timothy to study to show himself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15), and then added:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

And in 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season." If you don't feel ready, read your Bible and put God's word into your heart, so that when the opportunity comes — and it will, maybe even this week — you are ready to speak.

Whether you like it or not, if you're a Christian, God has made you an ambassador of Jesus. That's what you signed up for when you said, "I want to follow Jesus as Lord." So when someone turns to you and asks, you won't be left like Peter on the night Jesus was betrayed, saying, "I don't know the man," and running away weeping bitterly. You can speak up — if you take time to put His word into your heart so the Spirit can draw it to the surface.

Courtesy Meets Curiosity

I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. (Acts 26:2–3)

The second lesson: the curiosity of non-Christians should be met by the courtesy of Christians. Consider the crowd Paul is addressing. Agrippa lacked morality and had even less character. Bernice, though history says she was beautiful, proved beauty is only skin deep — she was wicked and immoral, even living in an incestuous relationship with her brother.

Paul is not standing before religious, righteous people. Agrippa's father killed the apostle James and sought to kill Peter; his grandfather commanded the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem and decreed the crucifixion of Jesus. Yet Paul says, "I think myself happy" — that is, "I am blessed to give my defense before you, because you are an expert in all things Israel."

Many non-religious people perceive Christians to be arrogant, self-righteous, and annoying. Be honest — many of you once thought that, too. That perception is grounded in some measure of truth; there are some Christians who are self-righteous and annoying. I went to a search engine recently and typed "Christians are," and the first auto-fill was "annoying." We must endeavor not to prove that perception right. As I said weeks ago, we should acknowledge the intelligence of those we speak to. We need to be courteous to those who are curious — just as Paul was courteous to the immoral Agrippa.

Sharing the Gospel Takes Time

Notice the end of verse 3: "I beg you to hear me patiently." The third lesson: sharing the gospel takes time. Not weeks, months, or years necessarily — though for some people in your life it may. But to adequately relay the good news of what Jesus has done, in the context of the bad news of who we are, takes time. Paul is saying, "What I have to say might seem far out, or you might think you already know it. I just ask for an honest, patient hearing."

This is profitable for us to follow. If someone in your life has expressed curiosity, you might say, "I'm glad you're curious. Would you go to lunch with me so I can share what I believe and why?" The reality is that people you work with, study with, and live near are far less biblically literate than you might think. Studies reveal that Bible literacy in America is at an all-time low.

There are people who have no idea there's a story about David and Goliath, who don't know there was a Joseph who was prime minister over Egypt in Genesis — different from the Joseph who married Mary. We shouldn't hold that against them; we just need to recognize they're not on the same page.

Did you know studies also show that within 24 months of becoming a Christian, nearly all of a person's friends are believers — not because the old friends converted, but because the new believer no longer associates with them? So we forget that non-believers don't think the way we think. When you mention Abraham from the Bible, they may think you mean Abraham Lincoln; they may not know there was a Martin Luther before Martin Luther King. That's okay. But it should compel us to take adequate time to express the truth of the gospel.

Build Credibility by Telling Your Story

My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. (Acts 26:4–5)

The fourth lesson: build credibility by telling your story. Paul is not saying every Jew knew him personally, but that the prominent people in Judaism knew his background. Paul was a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. The phrase "strictest sect" is a double superlative in the original — "the most strictest group." English teachers wince, but that's what Paul says: "I belonged to the most strict religious group, and now I stand judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers."

...to which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? (Acts 26:7–8)

What hope is Paul speaking about? The resurrection. The forefathers believed it. We see it in Hebrews 11: when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeyed because he believed God was able to raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes all hoped for the resurrection. Paul says, "I am being judged for this very thing — that God raises the dead. But I am certain of it, because I met someone who rose from the dead. Before I met Him, I was convinced I ought to oppose Jesus of Nazareth."

Speaking to the Audience

It's worth noticing that Paul tells this story — his Pharisee background, his upbringing in Jerusalem, his persecution of the followers of Jesus — only here, before a Jewish king. He didn't share these things with the Roman governors Felix and Festus; with them he discussed the injustice of his case. It wasn't appropriate to those Roman minds, but Agrippa understood these matters. Every time Paul tells this story, it's to that kind of audience.

This clues us in: Paul spoke contextually. As he wrote, "to the Jews I became as a Jew... to those without the law, as without the law... I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9). Paul judged where people were and spoke so they could comprehend.

Why does telling your story build credibility? Because people have a hard time arguing against it. If you say, "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who rose from the dead," they may object that He never even lived. But if you tell them your story, they can't easily object. Remember the blind man Jesus healed in John 9. When the council demanded he condemn Jesus as a sinner, he answered:

Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see. (John 9:25)

They couldn't contend with that. When someone asks what you think about Jesus, you can say, "I don't know about that, but let me tell you my story — and the only conclusion I can draw from what He's done in my life is that He is Lord." Every Christian in this room has a story like that: "I was once lost, now I'm found; I was blind, but now I see."

Paul's Encounter on the Road

I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison... and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. (Acts 26:9–11)

Paul says, "I was one of the guys who cast my vote that they be killed" — we remember Stephen in Acts 7. So zealous was he that he pursued them across borders.

While thus occupied... at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me... And I heard a voice speaking to me... "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." (Acts 26:12–15)

Paul had likely been in Jerusalem and knew about Jesus' crucifixion. He had persecuted those who claimed Jesus rose from the dead, insisting it never happened — even though he himself hoped for the resurrection. And now, on his way to persecute more, he is struck to the ground by a light brighter than the sun, and a voice says, "I am Jesus." How do you deal with that? The next thing he probably expected was "You're a dead man." But Jesus said:

But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness... to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me. (Acts 26:16–18)

That's not how we would work, but Jesus isn't like that. He came not to judge and kill Paul, but to commission him.

Every Story Needs a Point — and Ours Points to Jesus

The fifth lesson: every story needs a point, and ours should point to Jesus. Paul speaks of his background, his education, his life, his persecution — and then, in the midst of all his rage, the risen Jesus appeared and said, "I want you to serve Me."

Some people are incredible storytellers — Moses, and Jesus most of all, who rarely spoke without a story. Every culture in the world is built around storytelling; today our stories are on big screens and Netflix, but we are still story people. The best way to share who Jesus is and what He does is to tell your story.

You may never perfectly articulate Romans 7 and 8. You may never argue for God's existence from the teleological or ontological arguments — and some of you don't even know what those are, and that's okay. You may never give a polished apologetic. But you can tell your story. The awesome thing about your story is that it's yours — you know it, you don't have to study it. I couldn't tell your story as well as you can.

So as we live as ambassadors of Jesus, we seek permission to speak, we are courteous when people are curious, we take the time to share the gospel, and we tell the story that points to Jesus. Every one of us has friends, neighbors, family members, and co-workers who don't know Jesus and who need Him — and Jesus has transformed your life. You have a story to tell about His transforming power. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father God, we thank You that You love wrecked lives and love to restore them. You are the great Restorer. As I look out over this group this morning, I see faces of people whose stories I know a little, and I know how You have taken wrecked lives and transformed them. You've taken people who were out of their minds and made them think rightly. You've taken people whose lives left only shame, hurt, and destruction, and made them new creations to display Your glory. You love to take broken things and put them in Your art gallery and say, "Look what I can do with a broken life" — the broken life of the apostle Paul, an angry man filled with rage and hatred, whom You turned into a man compelled by love to carry the gospel to people not like him and in desperate need. So God, use our lives as You used Paul's life 2,000 years ago. Use our lives this week to share the story of Your great glory and grace. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.