You share your testimony the way Paul did before King Agrippa: tell who you were before Christ, how you met him, how your life changed, and then point people to the gospel and trust God with the results. In Acts 25:1-26:32, Paul is still a prisoner, facing a new governor and a powerful king. Instead of simply defending himself, he tells his story so clearly that the king feels the pull of the gospel.
Setting the Scene in Acts 25:1-26:32
When the last lesson ended (Acts 22:30-24:27), Paul had spent two years in prison in Caesarea because Governor Felix wanted to please the Jewish leaders. Then Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus, who governed Judea for only a short time before he died in office.
That’s worth noticing. Paul didn’t get his biggest platform on his best day. It came after two years of unjust imprisonment. Many people wait for the perfect moment to talk about their faith, but divine encounters usually show up in ordinary, or even terrible, days. Paul later told Timothy to be ready in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2).
An Appeal to Caesar
As soon as Festus arrived, the Jewish leaders asked him to bring Paul to Jerusalem, planning to ambush him on the way. Festus refused but held a hearing in Caesarea. When he asked whether Paul would be willing to stand trial in Jerusalem, Paul used his rights as a Roman citizen.
Acts 25:10-12 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
An appeal to Caesar moved the case to the emperor’s court in Rome. At this time the emperor was Nero, though his worst persecution of Christians was still years away. The appeal also fulfilled what Jesus had told Paul in the barracks: he would testify in Rome (Acts 23:11).
A few days later, King Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice came to welcome the new governor. Agrippa was the son of the Herod who killed James and was struck down by God (Acts 12:1-25), and the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Festus admitted he was confused by the case. It wasn’t about any crime, he said, but about their religion and a dead man named Jesus whom Paul claimed was alive (Acts 25:19). Paul knew how to find common ground with every kind of listener (1 Corinthians 9:22), so the next day, in a hall full of officers and leading citizens, he spoke to the king.
Who You Were Before Christ
Paul started with his past. He had lived as a strict Pharisee and shared the hope of Israel, the resurrection of the dead. Then he admitted the ugly part.
Acts 26:9-11 I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
Paul didn’t polish his story. He had been the enemy of Jesus. That honesty made his transformation all the more believable. When you share your testimony, start with where you were: your mindset, your struggles, your misunderstandings about God. People connect with honesty more than perfection.
How You Met Jesus
Next Paul described the road to Damascus, which Luke recorded in Acts 9:1-19.
Acts 26:12-15 On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
This version adds a detail: Jesus told him it was hard to “kick against the goads.” A goad was a sharpened stick used to drive oxen, and kicking against it only hurt the ox. The phrase was a known Greek proverb, a fitting choice for an audience familiar with Greek culture. Jesus had been prodding Paul toward himself, and Paul had been fighting it.
Your story may not include a light from heaven. Many people come to faith quietly, over time. That’s okay. What matters is being specific about what led you to surrender to Jesus.
How Your Life Changed
Paul then explained the mission Jesus gave him.
Acts 26:16-18 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
He told Agrippa that he obeyed that heavenly vision, preaching in Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea, and to the Gentiles, calling everyone to repent, turn to God, and show it by their deeds (Acts 26:19-20). His whole life changed direction. The man who once dragged believers to prison was now in chains for the same Jesus.
When you share, describe what has really changed: your thoughts, your relationships, your sense of purpose. Your changed life is the evidence that backs up your words.
Point to the Gospel and Leave the Results to God
Paul’s testimony wasn’t ultimately about Paul. He said he was teaching nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen, that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead and bring light to Jews and Gentiles (Acts 26:22-23). That’s when Festus interrupted, shouting that Paul’s great learning had driven him insane.
Acts 26:27-29 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do. Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
Festus thought Paul was crazy. Agrippa was moved but uncommitted. Scholars debate whether Agrippa’s words were sarcastic or sincere, but either way, Paul’s answer is beautiful. He wanted everyone in that room to become like him, except for the chains. Afterward, Agrippa told Festus that Paul could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar. Paul was innocent, and his story was now headed for Rome.
What This Means for Us
Your testimony is one of the most powerful tools God has given you. Nobody can argue with what Jesus has done in your life. And you don’t need a dramatic story or a theology degree. You need honesty, clarity, and a heart that points people to Jesus instead of yourself.
Peter gave the same encouragement to believers facing pressure.
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…
Expect mixed reactions. Some will be curious, some will push back, and some will politely change the subject. Your job is to be faithful, not to control the outcome. A simple question like “On a scale of one to ten, how close do you feel to God?” can open the door. And if you’ve never put your own trust in Jesus, the same grace that changed Paul is available to you. How can I become a Christian?
The Takeaway
How should you share your testimony? In Acts 25:1-26:32, Paul told King Agrippa who he was before Christ, how he met Jesus, and how his life changed. Then he pointed everyone to the risen Savior and trusted God with the results. Be ready in good days and bad, tell your story honestly, and always make it about Jesus.
