(Acts 26.)
IN this sermon we are studying the spirit of Chris-
tianity as portrayed in the life of the apostle Paul.
As a setting for the discourse, let us allow our minds
to revert back through the centuries to the wonderful
scene in the royal palace of Caesarea, where Paul is
defending himself before Agrippa. Note his wonderful
display of courage, and consecration to the cause of
Christ. This defense has been pronounced one of the
most masterful pleas in the annals of oratory and law.
As a masterpiece of homiletic literature, it is unex-
celled. It divides itself into three distinct parts: the
introduction, the argument and the appeal.
1. The introduction (vs. 1-8 inclusive).
a. Verses 2 and 5. The opening tribute to
Agrippa. He opens up his defense in a pleasant,
scholarly way, calculated to win for him respectful
attention and earnest consideration of what he has
to say. He appeals directly to Agrippa 's knowledge
of Judaism, to support his defense. This appeal
opened up the way for a clinching argument, by
putting the king on his side in the very beginning.
b. Verses 4 and 5. He proves his previous ortho-
doxy by showing that he has been brought up a
"Pharisee of the strictest sect." He calls up his man-
ner of living from early youth. The entire Jewish
nation having been familiar with his early life, he
shows that he can prove by any good Jew that he
was brought up in accordance with the strict princi-
ples of Judaism: which fact should lend weight to
his argument.
c. Verses 6 to 8. He is really called in question
because he believes in the hope of all orthodox Jews,
the coming of the Messiah and the resurrection. The
coming of the Messiah promised to Abraham (Gen.
22:18; Gal. 3:8). The law contained many wonder-
ful types of the gospel (Heb. 10:1). Moses and the
prophets pointed forward to the Messiah in all of
their writings. All orthodox Jews were looking for
the fulfillment of the promise. Paul, having been a
strict Pharisee (Phil. 3:5), like all other Pharisees
had believed in the hope of all orthodox Jews, the
coming of the Messiah and the resurrection. Yet for
this common hope he had been called in question by
the Jews themselves. In this manner he leads up to
the argument.
2. The argument (vs. 9-21 inclusive). The argu-
ment is twofold: for his own defense and for the
divinity of Christ.
a. Verses 9 to 11. His persecution of the church
in the days of his ignorance. He had consented to
the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58). He had per-
secuted the Christians even unto foreign cities. He
had wrought havoc with the church at Jerusalem
(Acts 8:1-4). As a member of the Sanhedrin, he
had given his voice against them. Yet he had been
perfectly sincere in doing these things. In all sin-
cerity he had tried to crush the new religion. He
was following his conscience all the time; yet he
says himself that, while doing so, he was the ' ' chief"
of sinners (1 Tim. 1:12-15). A man can follow his
conscience and be entirely in the wrong. The only
infallible guide is the conscience of God as revealed
in the Word.
Paul's argument was this: "I once found the same
difficulty in believing that God does raise the dead;
therefore I bitterly persecuted those who proclaimed
the resurrection, even as you are now persecuting me
for proclaiming it. But events which I shall now
relate proved to me that I was entirely wrong."
b. Verses 12 to 18. The story of his commission
and conversion.
Verse 12. He had heard that the new religion had
been established in Damascus. So he had obtained
letters from the chief priests at Jerusalem authorizing
him to seize the Christians at Damascus and bring
them back to Jerusalem for punishment.
Verse 13. But, as he and his company had neared
Damascus, about midday, a dazzling light had shone
around them. They fell to the earth, blinded by
its radiance.
Verse 14. Then Saul heard a voice saying: ' 6 Saul,
Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee
to kick against the goad." Indeed, Saul had wit-
nessed the death of Stephen, and the marvelous cour-
age of the early Christians, with the growing conviction
that there must have been some truth in this new
religion for which so many had died without a mur-
mur. In spite of his Judaism, the conviction was grow-
ing stronger that Jesus had risen from the dead.
Verse 15. He recognized the divine Personality
at once and inquired who was talking to him. On
being informed that it was really Jesus of Nazareth,
he no longer doubted the resurrection. He at once,
in a humble, contrite manner, inquired: ''Lord,
what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6). This is
the true spirit of Christianity.
Verses 16 to 18. His divine commission to preach
to the Gentiles, and subsequent conversion. Why did
Jesus appear to him in person? To make him a min-
ister and a witness to the Gentiles. In other words,
to make him an apostle. To be an apostle, a man had
to see the risen Christ personally (Luke 1: 2; 2 Pet. 1:
16; Acts 1:21, 22). Our Saviour did not appear to
Saul to convert him; neither did He tell him what to
do to be saved. He sent him to Ananias to find out
what to do, because God has ordained that men shall
find out what to do to be saved from the preaching of
the gospel (Acts 9:6-9; Rom. 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21).
Jesus Christ appeared to him to make him an apostle
to the Gentiles; but he was converted by obedience to
the gospel (Acts 22:16; 9:18). He came into the
kingdom in the same way as all who came under the
apostles ' preaching.
c. Verse 19. His subsequent conduct the result
of a divine command. The spirit of Christianity.
Paul was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. No
matter what his past life had been, now that he had
seen Christ, he was ready to forsake everything for
Him. He did not consult his preacher, his teachers of
the law, his relatives nor any one else, about the
matter. He began at once to preach Christ and Him
crucified. He was ready to do anything the Lord com-
manded. When duty pointed out the way, he was
ready to follow in it.
The spirit of Christianity is obedience — subjection
to the will of Christ — putting Him above all earthly
things. We hear people quibble about being baptized.
It is a positive command of our Lord and should be
obeyed without question. Our attitude should be in
all things: "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"
d. Verse 20. His labors among Jews and Gen-
tiles. He had preached at Damascus, at Jerusalem,
and throughout all Judea, to the Jews. He had even
crossed the Hellespont, and established Gentile
churches in Macedonia and Greece.
e. Verse 21. The hostility of the Jews. Christianity
taught the complete abrogation of the Jewish law.
Stephen was stoned to death for preaching that
Judaism was brought to an end in Christ. Hence the
Jews hated Paul because the new religion spread over
all the Mediterranean world as a result of his untiring
ministry.
3. The appeal (vs. 22-28 inclusive). As the argu-
ment is twofold, so is the appeal.
a. Verses 22 and 23. The first part is a plea for
acquittal. His conclusion emphasizes the fact that
Christianity is but the fulfillment of orthodox Juda-
ism. Moses and the prophets taught: (1) That the
Messiah should come; (2) that He should suffer; (3)
that He would rise again from the dead, the firstfruits
of them that slept; and (4) that salvation would be
proclaimed to the Gentiles as well as Jews. These
facts were precisely what Paul was preaching. There-
fore he demands acquittal from Agrippa and all ortho-
dox Jews.
b. Verses 24 to 29. The second part is the appeal
for Christ. It is made directly to Agrippa. With
what boldness Paul puts the question directly to him:
1 ' King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know
that thou believest/' The old king trembles as he
replies: "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Chris-
tian." Then Paul makes an appeal for all to become
Christians who have listened to his argument. He
never let an opportunity slip by of speaking a word
for his Christ.
Paul's conversion was genuine. He changed from
a Pharisee of the strictest sect to the boldest champion
of Christianity. Oftentimes the worst sinners become
the most consecrated Christians (Luke 15:7). The
greatest power over men is the transforming power
of the gospel.
The spirit of Christianity is that of obedience, con-
secration and courage, as manifested in the life of
Paul after his conversion.
