Title inferred from repeated emphasis: “Not Done in a Corner” (Acts 25–26)
Opening Context and Aim
Pastor Troy set the scene: Acts Chapters 25 and 26 form one extended narrative around Paul’s hearings under Governor Festus and King Agrippa.
Listeners were encouraged to “listen fast” as the text is rich and complex, and to recognize the repeated pattern in Paul’s ministry: mistreatment, political corruption, false accusations, death threats, imprisonment.
Scripture and Narrative Overview
Festus Succeeds Felix; Renewed Plot Against Paul
Passage: Acts 25:1–3
Chief priests and Jewish leaders ask Festus to summon Paul to Jerusalem, secretly planning an ambush to kill him en route.
Festus shows more restraint than Felix and insists on proper procedure, returning to Caesarea within ten days for a hearing.
Paul’s Defense Before Festus
Passage: Acts 25:7–12
Accusers bring “many serious charges” they cannot prove.
Paul responds plainly: “I’ve done nothing wrong” against the law, the temple, or Caesar (Acts 25:8).
Festus, wishing to curry favor with the Jews, suggests moving the trial to Jerusalem.
Paul reads the political moment, rejects the venue change, and asserts his right: “I appeal to Caesar” (Acts 25:11).
Festus must honor the appeal: “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go” (Acts 25:12).
Context note: “Caesar” at this time is Nero (AD 54–68). Historically infamous, but earlier in his reign more administratively stable.
Agrippa and Bernice Enter; Festus Explains the Case
Passage: Acts 25:13–22
King Agrippa II and his sister Bernice visit Festus. Festus recounts the situation:
The accusations center on religious disputes and Paul’s claim that Jesus is alive (Acts 25:18–19).
Agrippa expresses interest in hearing Paul (Acts 25:22).
Formal Hearing with Agrippa; Paul’s Testimony
Passage: Acts 25:23–27; Acts 26:1–23
With pomp, Agrippa, Bernice, and military officers convene the hearing.
Festus admits difficulty specifying charges to send to Caesar (Acts 25:26–27).
Agrippa invites Paul to speak (Acts 26:1).
Paul’s defense/testimony:
Paul’s background:
Known from youth among the Jews; lived as a Pharisee (Acts 26:4–5).
Theological center:
Hope in God’s promise to the fathers; shared by the twelve tribes who worship “earnestly night and day” (Acts 26:6–7).
Rhetorical question: “Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?” (Acts 26:8).
Former hostility:
Paul once zealously persecuted Christians until the Damascus Road encounter (Acts 26:9–11).
Damascus encounter:
Blinding light from heaven and the voice of Jesus: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14).
Meaning explained: Resisting Christ does not stop Him; it wounds the resister.
Commission:
“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting… Rise… I appoint you as a servant and witness…” (Acts 26:15–16).
Mission to Jews and Gentiles: “To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God… receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:17–18).
Application: God saves and immediately sends; salvation leads to mission.
Obedience and proclamation:
Paul obeyed the heavenly vision and preached repentance from Damascus to Jerusalem, Judea, and to the Gentiles (Acts 26:19–20).
Resurrection as fulfillment:
Paul frames the resurrection as rooted in promises to the fathers and the fulfillment of Moses and the prophets (Acts 26:22–23):
“Saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass—that the Christ must suffer, and that, by being first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Festus Interrupts; Paul Appeals to Agrippa’s Knowledge
Passage: Acts 26:24–29
Festus shouts: “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you out of your mind!” (Acts 26:24).
Paul replies calmly:
“I am speaking true and rational words… this has not been done in a corner” (Acts 26:25–26).
Agrippa’s famous line:
“In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” (Acts 26:28).
Paul’s evangelistic desire:
“I would to God… that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains” (Acts 26:29).
Final Assessment and Legal Outcome
Passage: Acts 26:30–32
The officials agree: “This man has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.”
Agrippa to Festus: “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Legal note: Because Paul appealed as a Roman citizen, only Caesar could legally release him.
Theological note: What looked like a legal setback becomes God’s providential means to get Paul to Rome, fulfilling God’s promise.
Key Theological Themes and Applications
1) Christianity Is Public, Global, and Historically Grounded
Passage emphasis: Acts 26:26
“This has not been done in a corner.”
Teaching:
Christianity is not a secret sect or private philosophy; it is a global movement grounded in the public, historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection.
Application:
Do not let cultural marginalization tell you Christianity is small or irrelevant; God is advancing His worldwide plan.
Ultimate culmination: every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord (cf. Philippians 2:10–11).
2) Christianity Fulfills the Old Testament
Passage: Acts 26:22–23
Paul did not go “beyond the text”—he taught what Moses and the prophets foretold.
Teaching:
The New Testament continues and fulfills the Old Testament; both speak a unified message about Christ’s suffering, resurrection, and light to Israel and the nations.
Application:
Don’t “unhitch” from the Old Testament. Read Scripture as one seamless story culminating in Christ.
3) Christianity Provokes Intellectual, Moral, and Spiritual Hostility
Passage: Acts 26:24
Festus calls Paul insane; the cross and resurrection meet resistance.
Teaching:
The message is “foolishness” to the perishing (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18), but the power of God to those being saved.
Application:
Expect hostility over exclusive claims, moral standards, and accountability before God. Don’t be surprised; remain steadfast.
4) The Gospel’s Universal Summons to Repentance
Passage: Acts 26:20
Repentance proclaimed in Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea, and to the Gentiles—“performing deeds in keeping with repentance.”
Cross-reference: Acts 17:30
“God commands all people everywhere to repent.”
Teaching:
No one is above the gospel. The call to faith and repentance is for everyone.
Application:
Share the gospel boldly; repentance confronts autonomy and pride, but it is God’s gracious command for life.
5) God Uses Hardship as a Platform for Witness
Narrative pattern:
False charges, chains, courtrooms become stages for testimony.
Teaching:
God transforms pain into mission opportunities; He keeps His promises and His providence guides our steps—even through adversity.
Application:
Don’t waste your pain. Ask God to use your hardships to bear witness to Christ.
6) The Resurrection Is Logical and Reasonable
Passage: Acts 26:8
“Why is it thought incredible… that God raises the dead?”
Supporting logic:
Old Testament prophecy points to a suffering and rising Messiah.
The empty tomb; eyewitnesses; the coherence of Christian hope (cf. 1 Corinthians 15; John 11:25).
Teaching:
With an Almighty, Sovereign God, resurrection is not incredible—it is consistent with His power and purposes.
Application:
Speak of the resurrection with confidence, not just at Easter. It is central to faith and utterly reasonable.
7) Christianity Demands a Decisive Response
Passage: Acts 26:28–29
Agrippa is “almost persuaded.”
Warning:
“Almost” is spiritually fatal. To be “almost saved” is to be completely lost.
Application:
Don’t delay with “later” or “almost.” Respond to Christ now—cross from conviction to conversion.
Who God Is and How He Responds to Humans
God is Sovereign, Just, and Faithful:
He oversees history and governments to fulfill His purposes (getting Paul to Rome).
He commands universal repentance and offers forgiveness and sanctification by faith in Christ (Acts 26:18).
God Saves and Sends:
He rescues from darkness and commissions believers as witnesses to His light.
God Is Patient Yet Decisive:
He provides public evidence (“not done in a corner”), but requires a real response—no neutrality.
Who God Says We Are and How We Are to Live
Identity:
Forgiven, sanctified by faith in Christ (Acts 26:18), citizens of God’s Kingdom under His authority.
Calling:
Witnesses sent to family, workplaces, neighborhoods, and the nations.
Conduct:
Repentance proved by deeds (a transformed life) (Acts 26:20).
Courage under pressure, reasoned defense, and hope anchored in the resurrection.
Cultural Application (American Context)
In a culture that prizes autonomy and tolerance:
Expect pushback against exclusive truth claims and moral accountability.
Embrace Christianity’s public, historical grounding; it’s not private opinion but revealed reality.
Resist marginalization:
See the global, explosive scope of God’s movement. Stand confident in Christ’s lordship.
Live missionally:
Use platforms created by hardship—public forums, workplaces, social spaces—to testify to Christ.
Examples and Illustrations from Pastor Troy
“In the pits”: A phrase describing compounding hardships—apt for Paul’s ministry narrative.
“Kick against the goads”: Resisting God wounds the resister; it cannot stop God’s purposes.
Festus’s interruption and “maniacal” accusation: Typical cultural dismissal of Christian claims.
Agrippa’s “Almost persuaded”: A cautionary archetype of near-conversion that ends in loss.
Taekwondo “energy” analogy: Emphasizing the clarity and universality of “all people everywhere” in calls to repentance.
Baptism appeal:
“Waves of grace” with ninety baptisms planned this evening; an invitation to respond publicly and immediately.
Practical Calls to Action
Do not be intimidated by cultural marginalization; remember the global scale and inevitability of Christ’s lordship.
Do not be surprised by hostility; stay humble and resolute.
Remember repentance is a command from God.
Do not waste your pain; ask God to turn it into a platform for witness.
Keep the resurrection central and speak of it confidently; it is logical and essential to Christian hope.
Do not be like Agrippa—move from “almost” to “yes” today. Trust in Jesus, turn from sin, go public through baptism.
Communion Focus
Centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Remember who Jesus is and what He has done; examine your life and draw close to Him.
Pastoral prayer emphasis:
Approach the table with humility, gratitude, and a right heart.
Ask God to help us say “yes” to Jesus, no matter the cost.
Selected Scripture References Highlighted
Acts 25:1–3; 25:7–12; 25:18–22; 25:23–27
Acts 26:1–8; 26:14–20; 26:22–29; 26:30–32
Philippians 2:10–11
1 Corinthians 1:18
1 Corinthians 15 (summary reference)
John 11:25
Acts 17:30
Closing Exhortation
Respond to Jesus decisively today. Believe, repent, and publicly confess Christ as Lord.
Remember: Christianity is not done in a corner; God’s global, historical movement continues—and He has saved and sent you into it. Amen.
