Acts 26:28

George Lamsa Translation

Then King A-grip''pa said to him, With little effort you almost persuade me to become a Christian. *

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”

King James Version (1611)
Then Agrippa saide vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest mee to bee a Christian.

King James Version
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

English Standard Version
And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?"

New American Standard Bible
Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you are going to persuade me to make a Christian of myself."

New Century Version
King Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time?"

Amplified Bible
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time [and with so little effort] you [almost] persuade me to become a Christian."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Agrippa replied to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."

Legacy Standard Bible
But Agrippa replied to Paul, "In such short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?"

Contemporary English Version
Agrippa asked Paul, "In such a short time do you think you can talk me into being a Christian?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Agrippa said to Sha'ul, "In this short time, you're trying to convince me to become Messianic?"

Darby Translation
And Agrippa [said] to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

Easy-to-Read Version
King Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think you can persuade me to become a ‘Christ-follower' so easily?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian.

Good News Translation
Agrippa said to Paul, "In this short time do you think you will make me a Christian?"

Lexham English Bible
But Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?"

Literal Translation
And Agrippa said to Paul, Do you persuade me to become a Christian in but a little?

American Standard Version
And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.

Bible in Basic English
And Agrippa said to Paul, A little more and you will be making me a Christian.

Hebrew Names Version
Agrippa said to Sha'ul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Messianic?"

International Standard Version
Agrippa said to Paul, "Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?"

Etheridge Translation
King Agripos said to him, (Within) a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

Murdock Translation
King Agrippa said to him: Almost, thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: Somewhat thou perswadest me to be a christian.

English Revised Version
And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian.

World English Bible
Agrippa said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

Weymouth's New Testament
Agrippa answered, "In brief, you are doing your best to persuade me to become a Christian."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Agrippa seide to Poul, In litil thing thou counseilist me to be maad a cristen man.

Update Bible Version
And Agrippa [said] to Paul, With but little persuasion you would make me a Christian.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

New English Translation
Agrippa said to Paul, "In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?"

New King James Version
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."

New Living Translation
Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?"

New Life Bible
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "In this short time you have almost proven to me that I should become a Christian!"

New Revised Standard
Agrippa said to Paul, "Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, Agrippa, said unto Paul - Almost, art thou persuading, me, to become a, Christian!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Agrippa said to Paul: In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

Revised Standard Version
And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time you think to make me a Christian!"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: Sumwhat thou bringest me in mynde for to be come a Christen.

Young's Literal Translation
And Agrippa said unto Paul, `In a little thou dost persuade me to become a Christian!'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Agrippa sayde vnto Paul: Thou persuadest me in a parte to become a Christen.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but Agrippa reply'd to Paul, you almost persuade me I shall be a christian!

THE MESSAGE
But Agrippa did answer: "Keep this up much longer and you'll make a Christian out of me!"

Simplified Cowboy Version
Agrippa shot back angrily, "Do you think I'm some tavern girl who can be persuaded with a nice tale of adventure? Do you think I will just become a Christian in the blink of an eye?"

Contextual Overview

²⁴ And while Paul was pleading in this manner, Festus cried with a loud voice: Paul, you are overwrought. Much study has made you mad. ²⁵ But Paul said to him, I am not mad, O most excellent Festus; but I speak the words of truth and soberness. ²⁶ And King A-grip''pa is also familiar with these things, and this is why I am speaking openly before him: because I think not one of these words has been hidden from him; for they were not done in secret. ²⁷ King A-grip''pa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. ²⁸ Then King A-grip''pa said to him, With little effort you almost persuade me to become a Christian. * ²⁹ And Paul said, I pray God that not only you, but also all of those who hear me today, were as I am, except for these bonds. ³⁰ Then the king arose, and the governor, and Ber-ni''ce and they that sat with them: ³¹ And when they had departed, they talked between themselves, saying, This man has done nothing worthy of death or of imprisonment. ³² Then Agrip''pa said to Festus, This man could have been released had he not appealed to Csar.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Almost: Acts 26:29, Acts 24:25, Ezekiel 33:31, Matthew 10:18, Mark 6:20, Mark 10:17-22, 2 Corinthians 4:2, James 1:23, James 1:24

Reciprocal: Mark 4:16 - which Luke 16:31 - be persuaded Luke 21:15 - which Acts 11:26 - were Acts 18:4 - persuaded Acts 25:13 - king 1 Corinthians 2:4 - enticing 1 Peter 2:9 - who 1 Peter 4:16 - as

Cross-References

Genesis 24:3
And I will make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take to my son a wife of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

Genesis 24:41
Then you shall be clear from my oath, when you go to my kindred; and if they do not give you a bride, you shall be clear from my oath.

Genesis 26:22
Then he moved from there, and dug another well; but over that they did not quarrel; and he called the name of it Rehoboth (to enlarge); and he said, For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall multiply in the land.

Genesis 26:23
And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba.

Genesis 26:31
And they rose up in the early morning, and took oaths one with another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

Genesis 26:32
And it came to pass the same day that Isaacs servants came, and spoke to him concerning the well which they had dug, and said to him, We have found water.

Genesis 39:5
And it came to pass from the time that he had made him steward of his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had both in the house and in the field.

Joshua 3:7
And the LORD said to Joshua, From this day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

2 Chronicles 1:1
AND Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and exalted him exceedingly above all the kings of the earth.

Isaiah 45:14
Thus says the LORD: The labor of Egypt and the merchants of Ethiopia and of Sheba, men of stature, shall come over to you and shall be yours; they shall come after you; in chains shall they come over, and they shall fall down before you, and shall make supplication to you, saying, Surely God is in you, and there is no other God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Agrippa said unto Paul,.... Either seriously or ironically; rather the former, arising from the convictions of his mind, which he could not stifle nor conceal:

almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian; to profess faith in Jesus as the Messiah, to embrace his doctrine, and submit to his ordinances, which is to be a Christian, at least externally: and when he says "almost", or "in a little", his meaning is, that within a little, or very near, he was of being persuaded to embrace Christianity; or in a little matter, and in some respects; or rather in a few words, and in a small space of time, Paul had strangely wrought upon him to incline to the Christian religion; though the first sense, that he was almost, or within a little of being a Christian, seems to be the best, as appears by the apostle's reply to it: what it is to be a real Christian, :-. An almost Christian is one that has much light and knowledge, but no grace; he may know something of himself and of sin, of its being a violation of the law of God, and of the bad consequences of it, but has not true repentance for it; he may know much of Christ in a speculative way, concerning his person and offices, as the devils themselves do, and of the good things which come by him, as peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation; but has no application of these things to himself; he may have a large notional knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel, but has no experience of the power, sweetness, and comfort of them in his own soul; all his knowledge is unsanctified, and without practice: he is one that has a taste of divine things, but has not the truth of them; he may taste of the heavenly gift, of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come; yet it is but a taste, a superficial one, which he has; he does not savour and relish these things, nor is he nourished by them: he has a great deal of faith in the historical way, and sometimes a bold confidence and assurance of everlasting happiness; but has not faith of the right kind, which is spiritual and special, which is the faith of God's elect, the gift of God, and the operation of his Spirit; by which the soul beholds the glory, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, under a sense of need, and goes forth to him, renouncing everything of self, and lays hold upon him, and trusts in him for salvation; and which works by love to Christ and his people, and has with it the fruits of righteousness: he may express a great deal of flashy affectation to the word, and the ministers of it, for a while, but has nothing solid and substantial in him; he may partake of the Holy Ghost, of his gifts largely, but not of special and internal grace; and indeed he can only be an almost Christian, that becomes one merely through the persuasion of men: it is one part of the Gospel ministry to persuade men, but this of itself is ineffectual; a real Christian is made so by the power of divine grace. Agrippa was only persuaded, and but almost persuaded by the apostle to be a Christian, but not by the Lord, nor altogether, who persuades Japheth to dwell in the tents of Shem.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then Agrippa said unto Paul - He could not deny that he believed the prophecies in the Old Testament. He could not deny that the argument was a strong one that they had been fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. He could not deny that the evidence of the miraculous interposition of God in the conversion of Paul was overwhelming; and instead, therefore, of charging him, as Festus had done, with derangement, he candidly and honestly avows the impression which the proof had made on his mind.

Almost - Except a very little - ἐν ὀλίγῳ en oligō. Thou hast nearly convinced me that Christianity is true, and persuaded me to embrace it. The arguments of Paul had been so rational; the appeal which he had made to his belief of the prophets had been so irresistible, that he had been nearly convinced of the truth of Christianity. We are to remember:

(1) That Agrippa was a Jew, and that he would look on this whole subject in a different manner from the Roman Festus.

(2) That he does not appear to have partaken of the violent passions and prejudices of the Jews who had accused Paul.

(3) Pits character, as given by Josephus, is that of a mild, candid, and ingenuous man. He had no particular hostility to Christians; he knew that they were not justly charged with sedition and crime; and he saw the conclusion to which a belief of the prophets inevitably tended. Yet, as in thousands of other cases, he was not quite persuaded to be a Christian. What was included in the “almost”; what prevented his being quite persuaded, we know not. It may have been that the evidence was not so clear to his mind as he would profess to desire; or that he was not willing to give up his sins; or that he was too proud to rank himself with the followers of Jesus of Nazareth; or that, like Felix, he was willing to defer it to a more convenient season. There is every reason to believe that he was never quite persuaded to embrace the Lord Jesus, and that he was never nearer the kingdom of heaven than at this moment. It was the crisis, the turning-point in Agrippa’s life, and in his eternal destiny; and, like thousands of others, he neglected or refused to allow the full conviction of the truth on his mind, and died in his sins.

Thou persuadest me - Thou dost convince me of the truth of the Christian religion, and persuadest me to embrace it.

To be a Christian - On the name Christian, see the notes on Acts 11:26. On this deeply interesting case we may observe:

(1) That there are many in the same situation as Agrippa- many who are almost, but not altogether, persuaded to be Christians. They are found among:

1. Those who have been religiously educated;
1. Those who are convinced by argument of the truth of Christianity;
2. Those whose consciences are awakened, and who feel their guilt, and the necessity of some better portion than this world can furnish.

(2) Such persons are deterred from being altogether Christians by the following, among other causes:

1. By the love of sin - the love of sin in general, or some particular sin which they are not willing to abandon;
1. By the fear of shame, persecution, or contempt, if they become Christians;
2. By the temptations of the world - its cares, vanities, and allurements- which are often presented most strongly in just this state of mind;
3. By the love of office, the pride of rank and power, as in the case of Agrippa;
4. By a disposition, like Felix, to delay to a more favorable time the work of religion, until life has wasted away, and death approaches, and it is too late, and the unhappy man dies almost a Christian.

(3) This state of mind is one of special interest and special danger. It is not one of safety, and it is not one that implies any certainty that the “almost Christian” will ever be saved. There is no reason to believe that Agrippa ever became fully persuaded to become a Christian. To be almost persuaded to do a thing which we ought to do, and yet not to do it, is the very position of guilt and danger. And it is no wonder that many are brought to this point - the turning-point, the crisis of life - and then lose their anxiety, and die in their sins. May the God of grace keep us from resting in being almost persuaded to be Christians! May every one who shall read this account of Agrippa be admonished by his convictions, and be alarmed by the fact that he then paused, and that his convictions there ended! And may every one resolve by the help of God to forsake every thing that prevents his becoming an entire believer, and without delay embrace the Son of God as his Saviour!

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 26:28. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. — Εν ολιγῳ με πειθεις ΧριϚιανον γενεσθαι. This declaration was almost the necessary consequence of the apostle's reasoning, and Agrippa's faith. If he believed the prophets, see Acts 26:22; Acts 26:23, and believed that Paul's application of their words to Christ Jesus was correct, he must acknowledge the truth of the Christian religion; but he might choose whether he would embrace and confess this truth, or not. However, the sudden appeal to his religious faith extorts from him the declaration, Thou hast nearly persuaded me to embrace Christianity. How it could have entered into the mind of any man, who carefully considered the circumstances of the case, to suppose that these words of Agrippa are spoken ironically, is to me unaccountable. Every circumstance in the case proves them to have been the genuine effusion of a heart persuaded of the truth; and only prevented from fully acknowledging it by secular considerations.