Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost you persuade me to be a Christian.
Almost.
Acts 26:29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
Ezekiel 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
“Can you persuade me
The question reflects Agrippa's awareness of Paul's intent to convert him to Christianity. The Greek term used here implies a rhetorical question, suggesting skepticism or perhaps a challenge. This moment underscores the tension between the Gospel's transformative power and human resistance. It also highlights the role of persuasion in evangelism, as seen in Paul's missionary journeys and his epistles, where he often reasons with his audience.
in such a short time
Agrippa's remark may indicate surprise at Paul's boldness and the brevity of his appeal. The phrase suggests the urgency and immediacy of the Gospel message, which calls for a response. This echoes other instances in Acts where the message of Christ prompts immediate decisions, such as the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:36-38) and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:30-33).
to become a Christian?”
The term "Christian" was first used in Antioch (Acts 11:26) and was likely a term of derision. Here, it signifies the identity and community of those who follow Christ. Agrippa's use of the term indicates an awareness of the distinctiveness of the Christian faith. This moment reflects the early church's challenges in defining its identity amidst Jewish and Roman contexts. The question also points to the fulfillment of Jesus' prophecy that His followers would testify before kings (Matthew 10:18).
• Paul is standing in chains before King Agrippa II and Governor Festus (Acts 25:23–27).
• The apostle has just finished recounting his Damascus-road conversion and the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 26:12-23).
• Scripture shows God placing His witnesses before rulers so His word reaches every level of society, just as Jesus foretold in Matthew 10:18 and as Paul later affirms in Philippians 1:12-13.
• Agrippa’s response proves he has understood Paul’s message; Romans 10:17 reminds us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”
• The verb “persuade” reveals that saving faith involves both the mind and the will—God presents truth, and people decide whether to receive it (Acts 17:2-4).
• Paul relies on the Holy Spirit to convict, not on rhetoric (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
• Earlier in Acts we see crowds “pierced to the heart” (Acts 2:37) and a jailer asking, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). Agrippa’s remark shows the same inner struggle.
• The gospel is powerful enough to save instantly; the thief on the cross believed within minutes (Luke 23:42-43).
• At the same time, people often delay; Felix told Paul, “When I find time I will listen to you” (Acts 24:25).
• Scripture warns against postponing decision: “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Agrippa voices the tension between immediacy and hesitation.
• “Christian” appears only here, in Acts 11:26, and in 1 Peter 4:16, always identifying those who openly follow Christ.
• Paul’s aim is not self-defense but the salvation of his hearers (Acts 26:29).
• Becoming a Christian means repentance, forgiveness, and new life (Acts 3:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17), yet it also involves reproach and possible suffering (1 Peter 4:16).
• Agrippa recognizes that accepting Paul’s message would require a public break with his world, echoing Jesus’ call to count the cost (Luke 14:26-33).
Agrippa’s remark captures the drama of the moment: confronted with clear testimony about the risen Christ, he senses the persuasive pull of truth yet hesitates under the weight of the decision. Acts 26:28 highlights the immediacy of the gospel’s call, the sufficiency of God’s word to convince any heart, and the necessity of a personal, timely response.
(28) Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.--At the cost of giving up a familiar and impressive text, it must be admitted that the Greek words cannot possibly bear the meaning which is thus put upon them. The words run literally, In, or with, a little thou persuadest me; and this may be completed by, "with little speech," "with little labour," or "little evidence." So in Ephesians 3:3 we have precisely the same phrase rendered "in few words." Agrippa's words, accordingly, are the expression, not of a half-belief, but of a cynical sneer. Thou art trying to make a Christian of me with very few words, on very slender grounds, would be the nearest paraphrase of his derisive answer to St. Paul's appeal. It was. it will be seen, evasive as well as derisive; he shrinks from a direct answer to the question that had been put to him. In his use of the Latin term "Christian" (see Note on Acts 11:26) we may trace, perhaps, the effect of Roman associations. There certainly were Christian communities at Rome at this time (Romans 16 passim), and they would naturally be described there as they had been at Antioch. It may be noted that, of the prominent English versions, Wiclif gives "in a little thing," Tyndal and Cranmer "somewhat," the Rhemish "a little;" the Geneva agrees with the present version in "almost." The meaning "somewhat," or "a little," is a tenable one. but Ephesians 3:3. as already stated, is in favour of that given above. The phrase was, perhaps, in itself ambiguous, and St. Paul accepts in one sense what had been spoken in another.Verse 28. - And for then, A.V.; with but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian for almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian, A.V. With but little persuasion (ἐν ὀλίγῳ κ.τ.λ.). This saying of Agrippa's is obscure and variously explained. The A.V., following Chrysostom, Beza, Luther, etc., takes ἐν ὀλίγῳ to mean "within a little" or" almost," like the Hebrew כִּמְעַט, which is very suitable to the context. The corresponding ἐν πόλλῳ, or, as otherwise read, ἐν μεγάλῳ would then mean, as in the A.V., "altogether," and the sense of the whole passage is striking and appropriate. But there is some difficulty in getting Otis meaning out of the words. The natural way of expressing it would be παρ ὀλίγον, or ὀλίγου, or ὀλίγον δεῖ. Hence many other commentators take ἐν ὀλίγῳ to mean "in a short time," and the sense to be either "you are making short work of my conversion: you are persuading me to become a Christian as suddenly as you yourself did;" with a corresponding sense for ἐν πόλλῳ, "in a long time," i.e. whether it takes a short or a long time, I pray God you may become a Christian like myself;" or, "you are soon persuading me," you will soon persuade me if you go on any longer in this strain. Others, again, preferring the reading ἐν μεγάλῳ in ver. 29, take ἐν ὀλίγῳ to mean "with little trouble," or "with few words," as Ephesians 3:5 (understanding λόγῳ or πόνῳ), "lightly" (Alford), and then the opposite ἐν μεγάλῳ would mean "with much trouble," "with many words," i.e. "with difficulty." But this is rather a fiat rendering. Another difference of opinion is whether the words of Agrippa are to be taken ironically, or sarcastically, or jestingly, or whether they are to be taken seriously, as the words of a man shaken in his convictions and seriously impressed by what he had heard. The whole turn of the narrative seems to favor the latter view. Another view, started by Chrysostom, is that Agrippa used the words in one sense, and St. Paul (mistakenly or advisedly) took them in another. Another possible explanation is that ἐν ὀλίγῳ is here used in the sense in which Thucydides employs the phrase (it. 86 and Ephesians 4:26), Τὴν ἐν ὀλίγῳ ναυμάχιαν and Ἐν ὀλίγῳ στρατοπεδευομένος, viz. "in a narrow place;" and that Agrippa meant to say, "By your appeal to the prophets you press me hard; you have got me into a corner. I am in a στενοχωρία, a ' narrow room; ' I hardly know how to get out of it." The ἐν μεγάλῳ would then mean a" large room," a εὐρυχωρία (Psalm 30:8). This would suppose ἐν ὀλίγῳ and ἐν μεγάλῳ to have become proverbial phrases.