Paul goes on to admit that he was a bitter persecutor of those who believed in Jesus of Nazareth as the Risen from the dead and the promised Messiah, and gives in detail how his conversion to Christ took place on the road to Damascus in detail, just as he did in his speech to the people in Jerusalem (ch. 22). There are some peculiarities here that distinguish this story from the first story of the Apostle himself and from the narration of the Writer in Chapter 9, but in general and essentially, all three stories are exactly the same.

The most important feature is a more detailed transmission of the content of the Lord's speech to Saul, where the Lord reveals to him the purpose of His appearance in that He wants to make him His servant and witness on an equal footing with the other Apostles. Further, it is significant that the Lord, according to Paul, Himself promised to appear to His newly chosen witness and reveal His will to him, which we do see in his story, as in 22:17; 23:11 and others.

"Delivering thee" must be understood in the sense of "preserving thy life from the dangers to which thou shalt be exposed," which we also see realized in Paul's missionary work, when he so many times miraculously escaped from the mortal danger that threatened him. From the words of the Lord it is evident that Paul acted exactly in accordance with them, when during his preaching he always addressed himself first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. The Lord also explains to Paul the purpose of his mission: "to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light" – to open their spiritual eyes to the knowledge of the truth of God, the result of which is the "forgiveness of sins" through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

Further, the Apostle explains that he could not resist the heavenly vision, and therefore he began to preach first to the Jews in Damascus and Jerusalem and throughout the land of Judea, and then to the Gentiles. Wherefore the Jews seized him in the temple, and would have killed him, but God helped him, so that he was able to live to this day, preaching to the small and the great, and never departing from what Moses and the prophets had foretold, that Christ was to suffer, and to rise first from the dead, to proclaim the knowledge of the truth of God, as to the Jews; so also to the Gentiles.

At this point, Paul's energetic and powerful speech was interrupted by a frivolously fiery ("loud voice"), sharp remark from the procurator: just as Pilate had once seen the Lord's speech about the truth that He had come to bring to earth an empty daydream, and he interrupted it with a question full of desperate unbelief (John 18:37-38) [114], so now to Festus, a secular pagan official, Paul's fiery speech seemed extravagant: "You are mad, Paul. Great learning drives you to madness."

"No, venerable Festus, I am not mad, but speak words of truth and common sense," the holy Apostle replied with great dignity. In order to assure the pagan who does not understand the matter of this, St. Paul immediately refers to the more understanding Jew, King Agrippa, to whom, mainly, as to the one who is able to understand more, the entire speech of the Apostle is addressed. The Apostle says that he does not believe that any of these things were hidden from King Agrippa, that is, of what pertains to the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, for all this "did not take place in a corner," not in secret, but before the eyes of all the Jewish people in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine.

In a decisive and unexpected turn of phrase, the Apostle suddenly addresses Agrippa's conscience directly, and, like an experienced "fisher of men," almost catches him, so that the king only avoids this trap by frivolous witticism, but almost immediately closes the meeting, from which it can be clearly understood that something has stirred in his conscience. "Do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets?" asked Paul unexpectedly, and immediately answered this question for the embarrassed king: "I know that you believe."

Brought up at the court of the Roman emperor, Agrippa certainly remained a Jew at heart. The completion of the construction of the temple in Jerusalem, begun by his great-grandfather, to some extent testifies to the fact that in the very depths of his soul there was a hidden feeling of Jewish religiosity. The penetrating gaze of the Apostle saw this and awakened this feeling so strongly that the emperor was embarrassed, especially in the circumstances in which he found himself – in the presence of the Roman governor of the region, who undoubtedly looked upon him as a Roman pupil, alien to "Jewish superstitions".

The excited feeling of the Jew is forcibly suppressed by false fear and shame before the educated Romans, turns into hypocrisy and bursts into frivolous secular witticism: "You are a little bit of persuading me to become a Christian."

To this witticism, St. Paul replied with sincerity and touching: "I would pray to God that not only you, but all those who listen to me today, may become like me, except for these bonds." Bondage was Paul's praise (Eph. 3:1 [115]; 4:1 [116]; Phil 1:1 [117]), but of course he could not want all Christians to be always in bonds. With his heartfelt answer, Paul again awakened Agrippa's conscience, and the latter, no longer able to listen to him, hastened to close the meeting.

Paul's Confession of Innocence (26:30-32)

St. Paul's speech bore the highest imprint of dignity, freedom, and love, and this could not fail to impress impartial listeners. After consulting aside, the king and the governor recognized Paul worthy of release from bondage, as an innocent man, but since Paul demanded the judgment of Caesar, the governor decided to send him to Rome to Caesar.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Journey of the Holy Apostle Paul from Caesarea to Rome: from Caesarea to Myra in Lycia (1-5); from Myr to Crete and Paul's warning that was not heeded (6-13); a violent storm from Crete to Malta, a ship stranded, a rescue by swimming ashore (14-44).