Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 26]
Festus, but speaks with perfect courtesy in his reply "words of
truth and soberness." The old word \s•phrosun•\ (soundness of
mind) from \s•phr•n\ (and that from \s•s\ and \phr•n\) is
directly opposed to "madness" (\mania\) and in N.T. occurs only
here and 1Ti 2:15.
26:26 {For the king knoweth of these things} (\epistatai gar peri
tout•n ho basileus\). \Epistatai\ (present middle probably Ionic
form of \ephist•mi\) is a literary word and suits well here (cf.
24:10). {Freely} (\parr•siazomenos\). Present middle
participle, speaking fully, making a clean breast of it. From
\parr•sia\ (\pan, rh•sis\) (cf. 13:46). {Is hidden from him}
(\lanthanein auton\). Escapes his notice. Infinitive in indirect
discourse after \peithomai\ (I am persuaded).
26:27 {I know that thou believest} (\oida hoti pisteueis\). Paul
had "cornered" Agrippa by this direct challenge. As the Jew in
charge of the temple he was bound to confess his faith in the
prophets. But Paul had interpreted the prophets about the Messiah
in a way that fell in with his claim that Jesus was the Messiah
risen from the dead. To say, "Yes" would place himself in Paul's
hands. To say "No" would mean that he did not believe the
prophets. Agrippa had listened with the keenest interest, but he
slipped out of the coils with adroitness and a touch of humour.
26:28 {With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a
Christian} (\en olig•i me peitheis Christianon poi•sai\). The
Authorized rendering is impossible: "Almost thou persuadest me to
be a Christian." \En olig•i\ does not mean "almost." That would
require \oligou, par' oligon\, or \dei oligou\. It is not clear,
however, precisely what \en oligoi\ does mean. It may refer to
time (in little time) or a short cut, but that does not suit well
\en megal•i\ in verse 29. Tyndale and Crammer rendered it
"somewhat" (in small measure or degree). There are, alas, many
"somewhat" Christians. Most likely the idea is "in (or with)
small effort you are trying to persuade (\peitheis\, conative
present active indicative) me in order to make me a Christian."
This takes the infinitive \poi•sai\ to be purpose (Page renders
it by "so as") and thus avoids trying to make \poi•sai\ like
\genesthai\ (become). The aorist is punctiliar action for single
act, not "perfect." The tone of Agrippa is ironical, but not
unpleasant. He pushes it aside with a shrug of the shoulders. The
use of "Christian" is natural here as in the other two instances
(11:26; 1Pe 4:16).
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC26.RWP.html (10 of 12) [28/08/2004 09:08:08 a.m.]