We have already seen from Acts 20: 24 that Paul had received some commission

from the Lord that was intimately associated with "bonds", and now, having appealed to

Cæsar, the Apostle is at liberty to reveal the fact that from the beginning he had known

that his commission was two-fold:

At last the fresh appearing had taken place, and the terms of the new commission

given.  Verse 18 anticipates, in a condensed form, the doctrine that is more fully

expressed in Ephesians and Colossians (see Eph. 1: 7, 13, 14, 18, and Col. 1: 12, 13).

The word "both" necessitates a two-fold witness. Just as a believing and intelligent

reading of John 16: 12-14 compels us to seek for a subsequent revelation after the Spirit

of Truth had come, so equally a believing and intelligent reading of Acts 26: 16-18

compels us to seek for that subsequent revelation of truth that was given after Paul had

become the prisoner of the Lord for the Gentiles. This revelation is found in those

epistles that bear the stamp of prison, namely: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and

II Timothy. These epistles contain the revelation of the Mystery, and give dispensational

grounds for the Gentiles' right to the blessings summarized in Acts 26: 18.

In verse 24, Paul's defence is interrupted by Festus crying with a loud voice: "Paul,

thou art beside thyself: much learning hath made thee mad." It is rather strange that, for

entirely different reasons, Paul is twice interrupted upon reaching the word "Gentiles".

The fanatical Jews hear him up to this point, and then cry "Away with him". Festus also

hears him up to the same point, and concludes that a Jew who imagines that he can

possibly have a mission and a message to the Gentiles must be mad. It is sad to think that

there are many Christians who, by their opposition to the Apostle's claim and their

attitude towards those who would make these claim known, take practically the same

position as that taken by Festus when he said of the Apostle, "Much learning doth make

thee mad".  Paul, however, understands the attitude of Festus, and answers him

courteously. He had listened with growing wonder to a tale of visions, revelations,

persecutions, prophecies, the assertion that sins could be forgiven, and that the darkness

not only of the Jew but also of the Gentile could be dispersed. It was no wonder that his

Roman upbringing would not allow him to accept such statements at all readily.

Having replied to Festus, the Apostle turns again to Agrippa. King Agrippa had a

knowledge of Moses and the prophets, and he also knew the facts of the past few years.

As Paul says in verse 26, "This thing was not done in a corner". And so, in verse 27, the

Apostle asks: "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest."

How are we to understand Agrippa's reply? On this point, Farrar writes: