Simply put, the gospel is good news. It is a credible report of how Jesus saves everyone who believes. The events fundamental to the salvation message happened in public and can be verified (Acts 26:26).
And the gospel demands a response. It is not like so much “news” today that can be safely ignored. The gospel report always includes this question, “Do you believe it?” (cf. Acts 26:27).
For the third time, Paul tells how Christ confronted him and tasked him with reporting the news that he himself had come to believe. Acts 26:1–32 ends with three responses to the gospel which can be the difference between life and death.
What Is the Call of the Gospel?
For two years, Paul had been locked-up on unfounded charges. Exercising his right as a Roman citizen, he appealed his case to Caesar. The Judean Governor Festus asked King Agrippa to hear Paul’s story and advise him on how to introduce Paul to Rome.
Paul was eager to once again give his personal testimony, this time to a man who was “familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews” (Acts 26:3). Paul begged Agrippa to hear him patiently, lest he prejudge the message or harden his heart (Heb. 4:7). Jesus often made the same request: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9, 4:23, 7:16).
Paul began his testimony by summing up his life. He was raised as a Pharisee—the strictest party of the Jewish religion. And what Paul was taught he still believed: the God who cannot lie vowed to raise the dead. The Old Testament promised that a descendent of David would rise from the dead as a first-fruit of the resurrection of the godly (see Psalm 16). That the creator of heaven and earth can raise the dead is not incredible (Acts 26:8). Should we expect anything less from almighty God?
But because pre-converted Paul disbelieved that Jesus was the Christ, he tried to exterminate Christianity. God, however, had other plans. The risen Lord Jesus confronted Paul in his unbelief. God converted Paul and enlisted him to witness to other unbelievers, that they might “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith” in Christ (Acts 26:18). Paul faithfully preached just what the prophets had foretold: “That the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light” to Jews and Gentiles (Acts 26:23).
Paul was on trial for believing God and urging others to believe likewise. But Paul wasn’t merely defending himself or telling his personal story. He was declaring a message that obliges every listener to “repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26:20).
How Will You Respond to the Gospel?
The end of the chapter presents three responses to the gospel that can help us examine our own answer.
The Skeptic
Impatient Festus interrupted Paul: “Your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” (Acts 26:24). Here is the real explanation: “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him” (1 Cor. 2:14; cf. 1:23). Modern critics similarly claim that too much theology produces fanatics. But much learning was not making Paul mad; it was drawing him closer to Christ. And what he was studying was public knowledge, not the theory of a speculative theologian. But he didn’t press Festus, who wasn’t really listening. Instead he turned to Agrippa.
The Sympathizer
Paul was hopeful that Agrippa believed the message of the prophets and wouldn’t miss how Jesus fulfilled it. The account of Jesus’ life was well-known “throughout all Judea” even among Gentiles (Acts 10:37). His death and resurrection were public events witnessed by hundreds of observers (1 Cor. 15:6). But Paul wasn’t just sharing information. Boldly, he put the question: “Do you believe?” (Acts 26:27).
Agrippa responded sympathetically, trying to walk a middle way. He appreciated Christianity and affirmed Paul’s innocence. But how could he agree with the apostle after Festus has just labeled him a madman?
The Saint
The third response is the one Paul modeled and passionately encouraged. Paul wished that everyone who heard the gospel “might become such as I am—except for these chains” (Acts 26:29). What does Paul want for us? True faith in Christ will give you relief from a guilty conscience, knowledge that God loves you, an unshakable identity in Christ, a felt purpose for living, genuine wisdom for navigating this world, boldness in the face of opposition, perspective in the midst of trial, and the firm hope of eternal life.
Is anything keeping you from following Christ (1 Cor. 11:1)? Jesus had told unbelieving Paul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14). God had been leading him along the path of faith. But Paul resisted, bucking the Shepherd’s staff. We can do the same thing. Nature and conscience tell us that God exists and deserves our allegiance. Many of us have heard about Jesus for years. Are we fighting his call on our lives? Instead, the Spirit tells us to hear, believe, repent, obey, and be saved.
