The life and work of St. Paul

ST. PAUL BEFORE AGRIPPA IX. 559
to pieces; but in this and every danger God had helped him, and the testimony
which he bore to small and great was no blasphemy, no apostasy, but simply
a truth in direct accordance with the teachings of Moses and the Prophets,
that the Messiah should be liable to suffering, and that from His resurrection
from the dead a light should dawn to lighten both the Gentiles and His
people.
Paul was now launched cu the full tide of that sacred and impassioned
oratory which was so powerful an agent in his mission work. He was delivering
to tings and governors and chief captains that testimony which was the
very object of his life. Whether on other topics his speech was as contemptible
as his enemies chose to represent, we cannot say ; but on this topic,
at any rate, he spoke with the force of long familiarity, and the fire of intense
conviction. He would probably have proceeded to develop the great thesis
which he had just sketched in outline but at this point he was stopped short.
These facts and revelations were new to Festus. Though sufficiently familiar
with true culture to recognise it even through these Oriental surroundings,
he could only listen open-mouthed to this impassioned tale of visions, and
revelations, and ancient prophecies, and of a Jewish Prophet who had been
crucified, and yet had risen from the dead and was Divine, and who could
forgive sins and lighten the darkness of Jews as well as of Gentiles. He
had been getting more and more astonished, and the last remark was too
much for him. He suddenly burst out with the loud and excited interruption,
"You are mad, Paul; 1 thoso many writings are turning your brain." His
startling ejaculation checked the majestic stream of the Apostle's eloquence,
but did not otherwise ruffle his
"
exquisite courtesy. I am not mad," ho
exclaimed with calm modesty, giving to Festus his recognised title of " your
" "
but I am uttering words of reality and soberness." But Festus
Excellency ;
was not the person whom he was mainly addressing, nor were these tLo
reasonings which he would be likely to understand. It was different with
Agrippa. He had read Moses and the Prophets, and had heard, from multitudes
of witnesses, some at least of the facts to which Paul referred. To him,
therefore, the Apostle appealed in
"
proof of his perfect sanity. The king,"
he said, " knows about these things, to whom it is even with confidence that
I am addressing my remarks. I am sure that he is by no means unaware of
any of these circumstances, for all that I say has not been done in a corner."
And then, wishing to resume the thread of his argument at the point where
it had been broken, and where it would be most striking to a Jew, he asked
"King Agrippa, dost thou believe the Prophets? I know that thou
beliovest."
But Agrippa did not choose to be entrapped into a discussion, still less
into an assent. Not old in years, but accustomed from his boyhood to an
atmosphere of cynicism and unbelief, he could only smile with the goodnatured
contempt of a man of the world at the enthusiastic earnestness which
i Wisd. T. 4 ; 2 Cor. T. 13. There is an Iambic rhythm In Festua's interpellation which
toakes it sound like a quotation.