Acts 26:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He added that he preached nothing new, but only what Moses and the prophets had foretold. Namely, Christ the Messiah had to suffer, rise from the dead, and proclaim light to the whole world, to Jews and Gentiles.

Paul could suppose that all this was known to the king and beyond doubt for him. But to a Roman it seemed strange. It was also strange to the cold governor that Paul said all this with such animation.

He saw in it nothing more than fantasy. "Your great Jewish learning," the procurator said to Paul, "is driving you mad!"

But Paul answered with renewed assurance: "I am not speaking madness. My words are words of truth and sound reason."

The speech of the Apostle Paul at this trial before King Agrippa is defensive, just as his speech before the Jews on the stairs of the Jerusalem fortress was. But now the Apostle spoke with greater freedom than he had then, before a crowd of fanatics.

Since he was not interrupted and could speak fully, he defends himself in such a way that he also bears solemn witness to Christ, who died and rose again according to the prediction of Moses and the other ancient prophets. He also calls his hearers to repentance and conversion to God.

For this reason the Jews seized him in the temple and wished to tear him to pieces. But in this danger, as in every other, God came to his aid. The witness he bore to small and great was neither blasphemy nor apostasy from God, but simple truth. It directly agreed with the teaching of Moses and the prophets: that the Messiah had to suffer, and that from His resurrection from the dead light had to shine forth for the enlightenment of both the Gentiles and His people.

The Apostle then quickly passes to his present situation. He presents it as the consequence of this preaching activity.

At the same time, he points out that this preaching is not something entirely new for the Jews, nor something he invented himself. If it were, the Jews might rightly be indignant with him and demand his condemnation.

No, he preached only what Moses and the prophets foretold. The Jews themselves believe them, or imagine that they believe them. Therefore their fury against him is unlawful and senseless.

"For this," that is, for preaching repentance and conversion to Christ to all, both Jews and Gentiles (v. 20). This is plainly a general description of the subject of the Apostle's preaching, which stirred up the Jews' hatred against him.

"The Jews seized me," and so forth. See Acts 21:27 and following, where only the immediate occasion of the Jews' attack on Paul is set forth. Here, however, the Apostle indicates the inward cause of their hatred toward him.

Looking upon his fate after his conversion to the faith of Christ, the Apostle speaks of his preaching in Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea, and among other nations. He also indicates the chief subjects of his preaching: that men should forsake sins and, having repented, do good works corresponding to repentance and approach to God.

By drawing attention to the moral side of his preaching, the Apostle, as it were, adapted himself to the perception of his hearers. They were more inclined to hear moral instruction than dogmas of faith, which were so inaccessible to them because of their elevation above ordinary concepts, especially pagan ones.