THE KING’ S BUSINESS
1928
centuries to come. Paul thought only of the audience before him, but God had in mind an audience in comparison with which that which Paul saw faded into utter insig nificance. It was not to Agrippa or Ber nice that the Holy Ghost was speaking through Paul that day, but to you and to me. Agrippa said to Paul: “ Thou art permitted to speak.” Agrippa will regret that permission before the day is ov er; for Paul, permitted to speak, will shoot an arrow right, into the royal heart. It is not easy to tell what may happen when a man o f God is permitted to speak. Agrippa told Paul that he was permitted to speak “for himself," but Paul seized upon the oppor tunity to speak not for himself but for his Master. How many o f us, when we have an opportunity o f speaking for our selves, speak for the Master instead o f for ourselves? Notice how very graphic the account is ; we are told the very ges ture Paul made, “he stretched forth his hand.” W e can see Paul standing there with his outstretched hand. He was not really pleading for his own life, as he appeared to be, but for the lives o f his hearers, that they might repent, believe, be saved and obtain eternal life through that risen Lord Jesus whom he now declares unto them, and the actuality o f whose res urrection he proves (vs. 8-20). Paul’s wonderful address given in vs. 2-23 is omit ted from the lesson assigned, but it should be very carefully studied and deeply pon dered. It is one o f the most masterly arguments ever uttered and put on record. v. 24. “And as he thus spake for him self (made his defence), Festus said (saith) with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself (mad); much learning doth make thee mad (thy '-much learning is turning thee mad).” Festus was getting excited. The Spirit o f God was gripping his heart. As Festus was unwilling to yield, he called the preacher a crank. The devil has cheated many a man out o f eter nal life in that way. He has also cheated many a Christian out o f a deeper expe rience and a larger life in the same way. If
we get our message from God we must expect to be called crazy. That is what they called Jesus (John 8:48, 52). They used to call Moody in his early days in Chicago “ Crazy Moody.” Many a preacher has been frightened by this sort o f treat ment, and, therefore, has turned away from preaching the whole truth o f God that God bade him preach into saying the nice things that Festus will applaud. Poor fo o ls! vs. 25, 26. “But he said (Paul saith), I- am not mad, most noble (excellent) Fes tus; but I speak forth the (omit, the) words of truth and soberness. For the king kiioweth of these things, before (unto) whom also I speak freely: for I am per suaded that-none of these things are (is) hidden from him: for this thing was not (this hath not been) done in a corner.” Notice carefully Paul’s unfailing courtesy. Many a man is loyal to the truth and is called “mad” for his loyalty, and then goes to scoring his accusers; but in Paul unflinching fidelity to the truth went hand in hand with unfailing courtesy. Let us learn a lesson from Paul in this matter. Through the centuries which have passed since Festus’ day many have taken up his accusation that Paul was mad. They say that Paul’s supposed sight o f the Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus was an illusion. They are forced fo say this or else to admit that Jesus rose, ascended, and now is in the glory, and therefore the whole Christian system is true. Some put it that Paul suffered a sun stroke and in his delirium fancied he saw Jesus, which amounts to saying that he was temporarily mad. But the recorded facts do not at all fit the madness, or delirium, or illusion-theory. Paul was not declar ing the illusions o f a madman, or the delir iums o f sunstroke, but “ speaking forth words o f truth and soberness (rather, as the Greek signifies, sound sense).” He was declaring indisputable facts. Happy is the man who accepts his testimony. v. 27. “King Agrippa, believesU thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.” Paul now turns directly to Agrippa with a tre-
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