While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do."
Acts 26:24-27
By way of reminder, back in chapter 21, a little more than two years earlier, Paul was in Jerusalem. He was doing what he did everywhere he went: proclaiming Christ and the gospel. The religious Jews opposed him violently. The Roman authorities stepped in to preserve peace and in so doing, arrested Paul. His case was heard by the Roman governor, Felix, then two years later by Felix’s successor Festus. Festus was all too happy to have another Roman King, Agrippa II, listen to Paul.
Agrippa listened carefully to Paul’s testimony and his proclamation of the gospel. Then in Acts 26:24, Festus interrupted and accused Paul of being out of his mind. Why did Festus do this? Because he did not understand what Paul was talking about. Unlike Agrippa—who though a non-believer was at least familiar with the Jewish religion and also somewhat with Christianity—Festus thought Jesus rising from the dead, and subsequently speaking to Paul, was preposterous.
Note that Festus didn’t think Paul was ignorant, only crazy! He even cited Paul’s vast education as a contributing factor to Paul’s lack of sound judgment! Though it is true that in our day some of the people who are the most spiritually and morally unhinged are also the most educated, but this was not the case with Paul.
Paul answered, affirming that what he was saying to Festus was not only true but reasonable. The Christian faith is not understood and received by reason alone. It must be revealed by the Holy Spirit, but it is most reasonable. It only seems unreasonable to those who are bent on rejecting Christ because without the revelation that comes from the Holy Spirit, the unregenerate cannot understand what is most reasonable.
We must not look down on those who do not believe and therefore cannot understand. Apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we wouldn’t understand either. This is why we must not only reason with nonbelievers, but also pray that the Holy Spirit will change their hearts and open their eyes to the revelation of the reasonable truth of the gospel.
What did Paul do next? More on that next time.