Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Acts
Book: Acts
Chapter: 26
Overview:
Paul's defence before Agrippa.
(1-11) His
Conversion and
preaching to the
Gentiles.
(12-23) Festus and Agrippa convinced
of
Paul's innocence.
(24-32)
1-11 Christianity teaches us to give a reason of the
Hope that
is in us, and also to give honour to whom honour is due, without
flattery or fear of
Man. Agrippa was
Well versed in the
Scriptures of the Old
Testament, therefore could the better
Judge as to the controversy about
Jesus being the
Messiah.
Surely ministers may expect, when they preach the
Faith of
Christ, to be heard patiently.
Paul professes that he still kept
to all the good in which he was first educated and trained up.
See here what his religion was. He was a moralist, a
Man of
virtue, and had not learned the arts of the crafty, covetous
Pharisees; he was not chargeable with any open vice and
profaneness. He was sound in the
Faith. He always had a holy
regard for the ancient promise made of
God unto the fathers, and
built his
Hope upon it. The
Apostle knew very
Well that all this
would not justify him before
God, yet he knew it was for his
reputation among the Jews, and an argument that he was not such
a
Man as they represented him to be. Though he counted this but
loss, that he might win
Christ, yet he mentioned it when it
might serve to honour
Christ. See here what
Paul's religion is;
he has not such zeal for the ceremonial
Law as he had in his
youth; the sacrifices and offerings appointed
By that, are done
away
By the great
Sacrifice which they typified. Of the
ceremonial cleansings he makes
No Conscience, and thinks the
Levitical priesthood is done away in the priesthood of
Christ;
but, as to the main principles of his religion, he is as zealous
as ever.
Christ and
Heaven, are the two great doctrines of the
Gospel; that
God has given to us eternal
Life, and this
Life is
in his Son. These are the matter of the promise made unto the
fathers. The
Temple service, or continual course of religious
duties,
Day and night, was kept up as the profession of
Faith in
the promise of eternal
Life, and in expectation of it. The
prospect of eternal
Life should engage us to be diligent and
stedfast in all religious exercises. Yet the
Sadducees hated
Paul for preaching the resurrection; and the other Jews joined
them, because he testified that
Jesus was risen, and was the
promised
Redeemer of
Israel. Many things are thought to be
Beyond belief, only because the infinite nature and perfections
of Him that has revealed, performed, or promised them, are
overlooked.
Paul acknowledged, that while he continued a
Pharisee, he was a
Bitter enemy to Christianity. This was his
character and manner of
Life in the beginning of his time; and
there was every thing to hinder his being a
Christian. Those who
have been most strict in their conduct before
Conversion, will
afterwards see abundant reason for humbling themselves, even
On
account of things which they then thought ought to have been
done.
12-23 Paul was made a
Christian By Divine power;
By a
Revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full
career of his
Sin. He was made a
Minister By Divine authority:
the same
Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious
Light,
ordered him to preach the
Gospel to the
Gentiles. A world that
sits in
Darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to
know the things that belong to their
Everlasting peace, who are
yet ignorant of them. A world that lies in wickedness must be
sanctified and reformed; it is not enough for them to have their
eyes opened, they must have their hearts renewed; not enough to
be turned from
Darkness to
Light, but they must be turned from
the power of
Satan unto
God. All who are turned from
Sin to
God,
are not only pardoned, but have a grant of a rich inheritance.
The forgiveness of sins makes way for this. None can be happy
who are not holy; and to be saints in
Heaven we must be first
saints
On Earth. We are made holy, and saved
By Faith in
Christ;
By which we rely upon
Christ as the
Lord our
Righteousness, and
give up ourselves to him as the
Lord our Ruler;
By this we
receive the remission of sins, the
Gift of the
Holy Ghost, and
eternal
Life. The
Cross of
Christ was a stumbling-block to the
Jews, and they were in a rage at
Paul's preaching the fulfilling
of the Old
Testament predictions.
Christ should be the first
that should rise from the dead; the Head or principal One. Also,
it was foretold
By the prophets, that the
Gentiles should be
brought to the knowledge of
God By the
Messiah; and what in this
could the Jews justly be displeased at? Thus the true convert
can give a reason of his
Hope, and a good account of the change
manifest in him. Yet for going about and
Calling On men thus to
repent and to be converted, vast
Numbers have been blamed and
persecuted.
24-32 It becomes us,
On all occasions, to speak the words of
Truth and soberness, and then we need not be troubled at the
unjust censures of men. Active and laborious followers of the
Gospel often have been despised as dreamers or
Madmen, for
believing such doctrines and such wonderful facts; and for
attesting that the same
Faith and diligence, and an experience
like their own, are necessary to all men, whatever their rank,
in order to their
Salvation. But apostles and prophets, and the
Son of God himself, were exposed to this charge; and none need
be moved thereby, when Divine
Grace has made them
Wise unto
Salvation. Agrippa saw a great
Deal of reason for Christianity.
His understanding and
Judgment were for the time convinced, but
his
Heart was not changed. And his conduct and temper were
widely different from the
Humility and spirituality of the
Gospel. Many are almost persuaded to be religious, who are not
quite persuaded; they are under strong convictions of their
duty, and of the excellence of the ways of
God, yet do not
pursue their convictions.
Paul urged that it was the concern of
every one to become a true
Christian; that there is
Grace enough
in
Christ for all. He expressed his full conviction of the
Truth
of the
Gospel, the absolute necessity of
Faith in
Christ in
order to
Salvation. Such
Salvation from such
Bondage, the
Gospel
of
Christ offers to the
Gentiles; to a lost world. Yet it is
with much difficulty that any person can be persuaded he needs a
work of
Grace On his
Heart, like that which was needful for the
Conversion of the
Gentiles. Let us beware of fatal hesitation in
our own conduct; and recollect how far the being almost
persuaded to be a
Christian, is from being altogether such a one
as every true believer is.