Acts 26 Overview
Before Agrippa, Paul says his hope is the promise made to Israel’s fathers and asks why resurrection should seem incredible. He recounts persecuting believers, the risen Jesus confronting him, and Christ commissioning him as a witness to Jews and Gentiles. Paul says he preached that people should turn to God and do works meet for repentance, yet insists his message is exactly what Moses and the prophets said: Christ would suffer, rise first from the dead, and bring light. Agrippa is pressed personally, and the rulers conclude Paul could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Before you read Acts 26
Coming from
Festus succeeds Felix and immediately faces Jewish leaders asking that Paul be brought to Jerusalem, intending an ambush. Festus instead holds court in Caesarea, where Paul denies wrongdoing against Jewish law, the temple, or Caesar. When Festus proposes Jerusalem, Paul appeals to Caesar as his right. Later King Agrippa and Bernice arrive, and Festus explains the puzzling case: the dispute concerns Jewish religion and ‘one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.’
In this chapter
Acts 25 prepared Agrippa to hear a case Festus found difficult to explain, especially because it centered on Paul’s claim that Jesus is alive.
Leads into
Acts 27 narrates the voyage toward Rome, a disastrous storm and shipwreck, and Paul’s God-given assurance that every life aboard will be preserved.
Key understandingExplore deeper
Paul’s reference to ‘works meet for repentance’ describes conduct fitting a changed direction toward God; it does not say works purchase forgiveness. His letters and Acts sermons explicitly teach justification through faith in Christ.
Paul frames Christianity as fulfillment of Israel’s hope, not abandonment of the Old Testament. Moses and the prophets point toward a suffering and risen Christ and light to both Jews and Gentiles.
Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper
Resurrection is reasonable within belief in the Creator
Paul challenges Agrippa’s assumption by asking why God raising the dead should be incredible.
Grace redirects a persecutor into mission
Christ not only stops Paul but appoints him to witness.
True turning produces fitting conduct
Works are presented as appropriate to repentance, not as the basis of justification.
The gospel fulfills Moses and the prophets
Paul refuses the charge that his message is anti-scriptural novelty.
Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper
Isaiah 42:6–7; 49:6
Paul’s commission to open eyes and bring Gentiles from darkness to light echoes the Servant’s mission.
Luke 24:44–47
Jesus taught that the law and prophets foretold His suffering, resurrection, and repentance/remission preached to all nations.
Romans 3:21–28
Paul later says the righteousness of God by faith is witnessed by the law and prophets while excluding works as the ground of boasting.
1 Timothy 1:12–16
Paul reflects on his persecuting past and Christ’s mercy in terms consistent with this testimony.
What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper
Do not make works meet for repentance the price of eternal life
They are fitting results of turning to God, while justification is by faith.
Do not assume Agrippa’s near-persuasion statement proves conversion
Luke does not say Agrippa believes.
Do not portray Paul as merely defending himself
He repeatedly turns legal defense into evangelistic witness to rulers.
Do not separate Paul’s gospel from the Old Testament
He explicitly claims continuity with Moses and the prophets.
Read Acts 26 watching for…
Paul’s appeal to Israel’s promised hope.
The question about God raising the dead.
The details of the Damascus commission.
The relationship between repentance and fitting works.
Paul’s summary of Moses and the prophets.
The personal appeal to Agrippa and the rulers’ verdict.