◄ Acts 26:22 ►
But I have had God's help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
Study Bible
But I have had God’s help to this day,

Paul acknowledges divine assistance throughout his ministry, emphasizing God's sovereignty and faithfulness. This reflects the biblical theme of God's providence, as seen in passages like Psalm 46:1, where God is described as a "very present help in trouble." Paul's survival and success in spreading the Gospel, despite numerous trials, underscore the belief that God empowers and sustains His servants.

1Sa 7:12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up.…
Psa 124:1-2 A song of ascents. Of David. If the LORD had not been…
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me…

and I stand here to testify

Paul's role as a witness is central to his mission. The Greek word for "testify" (martureo) implies bearing witness, often in a legal sense. This aligns with Acts 1:8, where Jesus commissions His disciples to be His witnesses. Paul's testimony is not just personal but serves as a legal and spiritual declaration of the truth of the Gospel.

Act 22:15 You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen…
Luk 24:48 You are witnesses of these things.
Jhn 15:27 And you also must testify, because you have been with Me…

to small and great alike.

Paul's message is universal, transcending social and economic boundaries. This inclusivity reflects the early Christian belief that the Gospel is for all people, as seen in Galatians 3:28, which states there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for all are one in Christ Jesus. Paul's audience before King Agrippa and Festus exemplifies this, as he addresses both rulers and commoners.

Rev 11:18 The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come.…
Rom 2:11 For God does not show favoritism.
Psa 49:2 both low and high, rich and poor alike.

I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:

Paul roots his message in the Hebrew Scriptures, affirming the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. This connection is crucial for validating Jesus as the Messiah to a Jewish audience. Prophecies from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Pentateuch foreshadow the coming of Christ, His suffering, and His resurrection. For instance, Isaiah 53 and Deuteronomy 18:15 are often cited as messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. Paul's argument is that his teachings are not novel but fulfill the ancient promises of God.

Luk 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,…
Luk 24:44-46 Jesus said to them, “These are the words I spoke to you…
Act 3:18 But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The speaker in this verse, Paul is defending himself before King Agrippa. He emphasizes his reliance on God's help and his commitment to the message of the prophets and Moses.

2. King Agrippa
The ruler before whom Paul is making his defense. Agrippa is knowledgeable about Jewish customs and prophecies, making him a significant audience for Paul's testimony.

3. The Prophets and Moses
Refers to the Old Testament figures whose writings and prophecies Paul claims to be fulfilling through his testimony about Jesus Christ.

4. God’s Help
Paul attributes his ability to stand and testify to the divine assistance he has received, underscoring the theme of divine providence and support.

5. Testimony to Small and Great
Paul emphasizes the universal nature of his message, which is intended for all people, regardless of their social status.
Teaching Points
Reliance on Divine Help
Just as Paul relied on God's help, believers today are encouraged to seek and depend on divine assistance in their daily lives and ministries.

Faithfulness to Scripture
Paul’s commitment to the message of the prophets and Moses serves as a model for Christians to remain faithful to the teachings of Scripture.

Universal Message of the Gospel
The Gospel is for everyone, regardless of social status or background. Christians are called to share the message with both "small and great."

Fulfillment of Prophecy
Understanding the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the New Testament strengthens faith and provides a foundation for witnessing to others.

Courage in Testimony
Paul’s boldness in testifying before powerful figures encourages believers to be courageous in sharing their faith, trusting in God’s support.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Paul's reliance on God's help in Acts 26:22 inspire you to seek divine assistance in your own life?

2. In what ways can you ensure that your testimony and actions align with the teachings of Scripture, as Paul did?

3. How can you share the Gospel message with people from different social or cultural backgrounds, following Paul's example of testifying to "small and great"?

4. What Old Testament prophecies about Jesus can you identify, and how do they strengthen your faith in the New Testament fulfillment?

5. Reflect on a time when you needed courage to share your faith. How can Paul's example in Acts 26:22 encourage you to be bold in future opportunities?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 9:15
This verse connects to Paul's calling to be a chosen instrument to carry God's name before Gentiles, kings, and the people of Israel, which is being fulfilled in Acts 26:22.

Luke 24:44
Jesus speaks of the fulfillment of everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms, which aligns with Paul's assertion that he is saying nothing beyond what was prophesied.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Paul reiterates that Christ's death and resurrection were in accordance with the Scriptures, similar to his claim in Acts 26:22 about the fulfillment of prophecy.
Sermons
The Believing RetrospectR.A. Redford Acts 26:22
Patti's Defence Before AgrippaD. C. Hughes.Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before AgrippaJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before AgrippaD. Katterns.Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before AgrippaJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before Festus and AgrippaE. Johnson Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Defence Before AgrippaD. Thomas, D. D.Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Defence Before AgrippaJ. W. Burn.Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Sermon Before AgrippaT. D. Witherspoon, D. D.Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Stretched-Out ArmK. Gerok.Acts 26:1-32
That Many Rest Upon a Strict Way of ReligionA. Burgess.Acts 26:1-32
The Apostolic Defense in the Presence of Festus and AgrippaR.A. Redford Acts 26:1-32
Heavenly Visions and Human DutyTheodore Hooke.Acts 26:19-23
Man Dependent Upon God for Natural and Spiritual LifeR. P. Buddicom, M. A.Acts 26:19-23
Obedience to the Heavenly VisionA. Barnes, D. D.Acts 26:19-23
PerseveranceS. Baring Gould.Acts 26:19-23
Preaching to the GentilesS. S. TimesActs 26:19-23
Repentance Should be ImmediateC. H. Spurgeon.Acts 26:19-23
The Arguments on Both Sides of the Question Concerning the Validity of a Death Bed RepentanceR. Fiddes, D. D.Acts 26:19-23
The Gospel MinistryJ. L. F. Russell, M. A.Acts 26:19-23
The Heavenly VisionA. Maclaren, D. D.Acts 26:19-23
The Heavenly VisionH. S. Lunn.Acts 26:19-23
The Nature of the Gospel MinistryJ. Parsons.Acts 26:19-23
The Three Stages of the Spiritual LifeDean Plumptre.Acts 26:19-23
Visions of the SoulT. Monod.Acts 26:19-23
The Penalty and the Resources of a Devoted LifeW. Clarkson Acts 26:20-23
A Good ConfessionP.C. Barker Acts 26:22, 23
St. Paul's Message Compared with ProphecyR. Tuck Acts 26:22, 23
People
Agrippa, Bernice, Festus, Paul, Saul
Places
Caesarea, Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea
Topics
Alike, Besides, Beyond, Continue, Except, Exhorted, Firm, God's, However, Met, None, Nothing, Obtained, Pass, Poor, Predicted, Prophets, Rich, Saying, Solemnly, Spake, Stand, Stating, Stood, Testify, Testifying, Till, Witnessing
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Acts 26:22

     2422   gospel, confirmation
     4847   smallness
     5876   helpfulness

Acts 26:15-23

     7512   Gentiles, in NT

Acts 26:22-23

     2560   Christ, resurrection
     4442   firstfruits
     5564   suffering, of Christ
     5624   witnesses, to Christ
     8427   evangelism, kinds of
     9311   resurrection, of Christ

Library
April 20 Evening
Who art thou Lord? I am Jesus.--ACTS 26:15. It is I; be not afraid.--When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, . . . thy Saviour. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.--Emmanuel, God with us. Thou shalt …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

May 26 Evening
The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.--REV. 21:23. I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.--Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Christ's Remonstrances
'And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why perseoutest thou Me! it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.'--ACTS xxvi. 14. 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?' No. But God can change the skin, because He can change the nature. In this story of the conversion of the Apostle Paul--the most important thing that happened that day--we have an instance how brambles may become vines; tares …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Faith in Christ
'...Faith that is in Me.'--ACTS xxvi. 18. It is commonly said, and so far as the fact is concerned, said truly, that what are called the distinguishing doctrines of Christianity are rather found in the Epistles than in the Gospels. If we wish the clearest statements of the nature and person of Christ, we turn to Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. If we wish the fullest dissertation upon Christ's work as a sacrifice, we go to the Epistle to the Hebrews. If we seek to prove that men are justified by …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'The Heavenly vision'
'Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.' Acts xxvi. 19. This is Paul's account of the decisive moment in his life on which all his own future, and a great deal of the future of Christianity and of the world, hung. The gracious voice had spoken from heaven, and now everything depended on the answer made in the heart of the man lying there blind and amazed. Will he rise melted by love, and softened into submission, or hardened by resistance to the call of the exalted …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'Me a Christian!'
'Then Agrlppa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.'--ACTS xxvi 28. This Agrippa was son of the other Herod of whom we hear in the Acts as a persecutor. This one appears from other sources, to have had the vices but not the force of character of his bad race. He was weak and indolent, a mere hanger-on of Rome, to which he owed his kingdom, and to which he stoutly stuck during all the tragedy of the fall of Jerusalem. In position and in character (largely resulting from the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'Before Governors and Kings'
'Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20. But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judsea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Eighteenth Day. Holiness and Faith.
That they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.'--Acts xxvi. 18. The more we study Scripture in the light of the Holy Spirit, or practise the Christian life in His power, the deeper becomes our conviction of the unique and central place faith has in God's plan of salvation. And we learn, too, to see that it is meet and right that it should be so: the very nature of things demands it. Because God is a Spiritual and Invisible Being, every …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Nature of Enthusiasm
"And Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself." Acts 26:24. 1. And so say all the world, the men who know not God, of all that are of Paul's religion: of every one who is so a follower of him as he was of Christ. It is true, there is a sort of religion, nay, and it is called Christianity too, which may be practised without any such Imputation, which is generally allowed to be consistent with common sense, --that is, a religion of form, a round of outward duties, performed in a …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Almost Christian
"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Acts 26:28. AND many there are who go thus far: ever since the Christian religion was in the world, there have been many in every age and nation who were almost persuaded to be Christians. But seeing it avails nothing before God to go only thus far, it highly imports us to consider, First. What is implied in being almost, Secondly. What in being altogether, a Christian. I. (I.) 1. Now, in the being almost a Christian is implied, First, heathen honesty. …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
I intend, this morning, to address myself more particularly to those who fear not the Lord Jesus Christ, but on the contrary, oppose him. I think I may be quite certain that I have none here who go the length of desiring to see the old persecution of the church revived. I do not think there is an Englishman, however much he may hate religion, who would wish to see the stake again in Smithfield, and the burning pile consuming the saints. There may be some who hate them as much, but still not in that …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Acts 26:24-29. Portraits.
[10] "And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. "But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. "For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. "Then Agrippa said …
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times

The Publisher to the Reader.
There are no sermons I know of any divine or pastor in this kingdom, that have been more frequently printed, or more universally read and esteemed, than the elegant and judicious discourses of Mr. Binning, which were published after his death, at different times, in four small volumes. As there was a great demand for these valuable writings, about twenty six years ago; so these printed copies of them were compared with his own manuscript copy now in my hand, carefully revised, and then printed, in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Tillotson -- the Reasonableness of a Resurrection
John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury, renowned as a preacher, was born at Sowerby, in Yorkshire, in 1630, the son of an ardent Independent. After graduating from Clare College, Cambridge, he began to preach in 1661, in connection with the Presbyterian wing of the Church of England. He, however, submitted to the Act of Uniformity the following year, and in 1663 was inducted into the rectory of Veddington, Suffolk. He was also appointed preacher to Lincoln's Inn, was made prebendary of Canterbury …
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Vol. 2

Sanctified by Faith
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."--Heb. 11:6. "That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."--Acts 26:18. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand."--Rom. 5:1, 2. Faith in the blood …
J. W. Byers—Sanctification

The Advanced Christian Reminded of the Mercies of God, and Exhorted to the Exercise of Habitual Love to Him, and Joy in Him.
1. A holy joy in God, our privilege as well as our duty.--2. The Christian invited to the exercise of it.--3. By the consideration of temporal mercies.--4. And of spiritual favors.--5. By the views of eternal happiness.--6. And of the mercies of God to others, the living and the dead.--7. The chapter closes with an exhortation to this heavenly exercise. And with an example of the genuine workings of this grateful joy in God. 1. I WOULD now suppose my reader to find, on an examination of his spiritual …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Transformed
C. P. C. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 "I send thee to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me."--Acts xxvi. 18. Dark lay the plain, a tangled wilderness, And dark the mountains in the mists afar-- A land of darkness where no order is, Nor moon, nor star-- There was the line of drear confusion drawn, The stones of emptiness lay …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

The Gospel According to Paul
C. P. C. Acts xxvi. 16 From the glory and the gladness, From His secret place; From the rapture of His Presence From the radiance of His Face-- Christ, the Son of God, hath sent me Through the midnight lands; Mine the mighty ordination Of the pierced Hands. Mine the message grand and glorious Strange unsealed surprise-- That the goal is God's Beloved, Christ in Paradise. Hear me, weary men and women, Sinners dead in sin; I am come from heaven to tell you Of the love within; Not alone of God's …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Defending Field Preaching
Between four and five we set out from Roughlee. But observing several parties of men upon the hills and suspecting their design, we put on and passed the lane they were making for before they came. One of our brothers, not riding so fast, was intercepted by them. They immediately knocked him down, and how it was that he got from among them he knew not. Before seven we reached Widdop. The news of what had passed at Barrowford made us all friends. The person in whose house Mr. B. preached, sent and …
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Word
The third way to escape the wrath and curse of God, and obtain the benefit of redemption by Christ, is the diligent use of ordinances, in particular, the word, sacraments, and prayer.' I begin with the best of these ordinances. The word . . . which effectually worketh in you that believe.' 1 Thess 2:13. What is meant by the word's working effectually? The word of God is said to work effectually when it has the good effect upon us for which it was appointed by God; when it works powerful illumination …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Paul on his Own Conversion
'And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why perseoutest thou Me? 8. And I answered, Who art Thou, Lord? And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. 10. And I said, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Saving Faith.
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.--ACTS xvi. 30,31. This is one of the most abused texts in the Bible, and one which, perhaps, has been made to do quite as much work for the devil as for God. Let every saint present, ask in faith for the light of the Holy Ghost, while we try rightly to apply it. Let us enquire:-- 1. Who are to believe? 2. When are they to believe? 3. How are …
Catherine Booth—Godliness

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