Crazy Talk or Convincing Truth? Paul’s Trial Speeches in Acts 24–26
Today I read Acts 24–26, where Paul finds himself moving through a series of hearings before Roman governors and King Agrippa. What stood out to me was not just the politics of the situation, but the way truth, persuasion, and belief are all intertwined in these chapters.
In Acts 26, Paul gives a detailed account of his own story—his strict upbringing, his opposition to the early followers of Jesus, and his sudden, dramatic encounter on the road to Damascus. Instead of mounting a typical legal defense, Paul turns again and again to his personal experience. He tells Agrippa in Acts 26:22–23 (NLT): "I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen—that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike." His words blur the line between testimony and persuasion: is he defending himself, or is he trying to win his audience over?
Festus Thinks Paul Has Lost It
Festus, the governor, interrupts Paul at this point, saying in Acts 26:24 (NLT): “Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!” This reaction is fascinating. To Festus, Paul’s insistence on his vision and his interpretation of scripture looks like madness, not reason. Agrippa, on the other hand, seems more cautious. He famously responds in Acts 26:28 (NLT): “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” Here the issue is not whether Paul is believable, but whether belief itself can be transferred in such a short exchange.
The tension here is striking. Paul presents his story as truth—something that happened to him, something undeniable. Festus sees it as irrational, the product of an overactive mind. Agrippa acknowledges Paul’s skill but resists being drawn in. Three men in the same room hear the same words, yet they filter them through their own assumptions and positions of power.
Can Conviction Be Instant?
Reading this, I couldn’t help thinking about how persuasion works in general. When someone shares a personal story, does it make the claim more convincing or more suspect? For some, like Festus, it might sound too subjective. For others, like Agrippa, it might sound compelling but still not enough to warrant a change of heart. And for Paul, his story is inseparable from his truth—it’s not an argument to be won, but an experience that defines him.
It also raises the question of time. Agrippa’s response suggests that belief, at least for him, is not something that can be settled in a single hearing. Conviction—whether religious, philosophical, or political—often requires a much longer process. Paul, however, insists that what happened to him was so immediate and so real that it transformed him on the spot. Can persuasion ever happen that quickly, or is Paul’s experience unique in that regard?
The Messy Business of Persuasion
These chapters show that persuasion is rarely straightforward. Logic, emotion, authority, and personal experience all interact in ways that can convince one person and alienate another. Paul’s speeches before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa highlight how the same words can be heard as truth, as madness, or as a challenge to resist. It’s a reminder of how complex the act of persuasion really is, especially when it touches on matters of identity and belief.