Acts 26 tells of one last hearing that Paul received in Caesarea of Syria before he was sent to Rome to be tried by the Emperor. The hearing was before a local governor named Festus, and a visiting king named Agrippa who apparently had knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures and customs. Paul proceeded as on previous occasions to give his personal testimony of how he opposed Jesus and his followers, but then met Jesus Himself to receive salvation and a commissioning from the Lord to work for Him rather than against Him. Specifically, Paul stated that Jesus was sending him to both Jews and Gentiles in order (v. 18):
To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.
Then Paul concluded his message by declaring that (v. 23):
The Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.
At that point Paul received two responses to his message – responses not unlike ones we receive in our own day. First, Governor Festus replied in a loud voice (v. 24): Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad. In contrast, King Agrippa replied (v. 28): In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian. At this point, the rulers arose and the meeting adjourned.
I’m reminded of 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 where Paul wrote:
But we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness,
But to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
The point for us is to present the gospel, being certain to tell of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, and salvation through faith in Him. That is our part. Different people will respond differently, but we do not know if and when they are ready to believe. That is God’s part.