Persuasion and Pride

 Read Acts 26.

As Jesus foretold in Acts 9:15, Paul stood before kings.  This king was Herod Agrippa II, the great-grandson of Herod the Great.  He ruled the northern territory of Israel from A.D. 50-70.  His connections with Caesar and the fact that he was a practicing Jew led to his appointment over the Temple treasury and the selection of the high priest.  He would have known the parties involved and understood the issues very well.  Yet, Agrippa's personal life was notoriously sinful.

The details above provide insight into the manner of Paul's defense and the personal statements he made directed at Agrippa.
v.3-"...you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews."
v.22-"...saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass..."
v.26-"For the king knows about these things..."
v.27-"King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?  I know that you believe."

Paul presented Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, including the resurrection.  If we believe God is all-powerful, then why should believing that He can raise the dead be a problem (v.8)?  Isaiah 53, for example, paints a complete picture of the suffering and death of the Messiah for all sin.  With such a backdrop of understanding, Paul quoted Jesus regarding his calling.  Subtly, or perhaps not so subtle, Paul told Agrippa how to be saved.

"...to open their eyes, so that they may 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 me." (v.18) 

Repenting and asking forgiveness would mean admitting and confessing sin against God.  With Bernice sitting there (who was a major part of his well-known sinful behavior) and in front of Governor Festus, the king was not about to humble himself and admit anything.  Yet, he knew the truth about both God and himself.  In an effort to relieve the spiritual pressure of the moment, Agrippa responded, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?"  He was almost persuaded but remained eternally lost.

Pride of the human heart may be the most personally damning element of all.  It causes one to think they know better than God; that they can hear the truth and hold on to their sin; that what the Scriptures clearly teach about heaven and hell is somehow optional for them.