But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. -- Acts 26:25 (KJV)
How do you answer when someone dismisses your faith before you have finished speaking?
Festus interrupts Paul with a loud voice: “much learning doth make thee mad.” Paul does not return the volume. He addresses the governor with respect and describes his own words by two steady measures: truth and soberness.
Truth keeps him from trimming the message to avoid embarrassment. Soberness keeps him from turning the interruption into a contest. Both are needed when a conversation grows tense.
Paul has just spoken of Christ suffering, rising from the dead, and bringing light to Israel and the Gentiles. Festus's reaction does not make Paul abandon those claims or embellish them.
Speak to the Person
Paul turns to Agrippa. He says the king knows about these events because they were not done in a corner. Then comes the direct question: “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?”
The question is personal without being theatrical. Paul does not speculate about Agrippa's hidden feelings or try to manufacture a public reaction. He names what the king knows and asks him to answer.
Agrippa replies, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Luke records that sentence without explaining his tone or motives. We should leave the unsaid parts alone. A faithful witness can make the invitation clear and still refuse to control the response.
That balance matters in ordinary conversations. Fear can make us vague. Frustration can make us sharp. Paul gives us another pattern: respect the person, say what is true, and ask the question that brings Jesus near.
The aim is neither winning an exchange nor escaping discomfort. It is to place the truth before a person with enough care that the question can be heard.
Who needs a clear invitation from you? Choose the person before you choose the speech. Listen well enough to address what is actually being said. Then speak without apology or pressure.
Lord, make our words true, our manner sober, and our love direct.
