Acts 26:1

CHAPTER XXVI.

Paul answers for himself before Agrippa, to whom he pays a true

compliment, in order to secure a favourable hearing, 1-3;

gives an account of his education from his youth up, 4, 5;

shows that the Jews persecuted him for his maintaining the

hope of the resurrection, 6-8;

states his persecution of the Christians, 9-11;

gives an account of his miraculous conversion, 12-16;

and of his call to the ministry, 16-18.

His obedience to that call, and his success in preaching the

doctrine of Christ crucified, 19-23.

While he is thus speaking, Festus interrupts him, and declares

him to be mad through his abundant learning, 24;

which charge he modestly refutes with inimitable address, and

appeals to King Agrippa for the truth and correctness of his

speech, 25-27.

On which, Agrippa confesses himself almost converted to

Christianity, 28.

Paul's affectionate and elegant address to him on this

declaration, 29.

The council breaks up, and they all pronounce him innocent,

30-32.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXVI.

Verse Acts 26:1. Then Paul stretched forth the hand] This act, as we have already seen on Acts 21:40, was merely to gain attention; it was no rhetorical flourish, nor designed for one. From knowing, partly by descriptions, and partly by ancient statues, how orators and others who address a concourse of people stood, we can easily conceive the attitude of St. Paul. When the right hand was stretched out, the left remained under the cloak, which being thrown off the right shoulder, to give the arm the fuller liberty, it then rested on the left: under these circumstances, the hand could be stretched out gracefully, but was confined to no one attitude, though the third and fourth fingers were generally clenched.