Acts 26:27 kjv
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Acts 26:27 nkjv
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe."
Acts 26:27 niv
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."
Acts 26:27 esv
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe."
Acts 26:27 nlt
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do ? "
Acts 26 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Acts 3:18 | But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets... he thus fulfilled. | Prophets foretold Christ's suffering. |
| Acts 3:24 | All the prophets from Samuel on... have foretold these days. | Prophets speak of Christ's era. |
| Acts 10:43 | To him all the prophets bear witness... | Prophets uniformly testify to Christ. |
| Acts 13:27 | ...not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets... fulfilled them. | Ignorance of prophets misses Christ's fulfillment. |
| Acts 13:29-30 | when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down... | Scripture (prophets) outlines Christ's Passion. |
| Acts 24:14 | I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything written in the Law and the Prophets. | Paul affirms belief in the whole OT. |
| Acts 26:22-23 | ...saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer... | Paul's message aligns with OT prophecy. |
| Lk 16:29 | "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them." | Sufficient witness exists in the Law and Prophets. |
| Lk 16:31 | "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced..." | Rejecting Prophets indicates deep unbelief. |
| Lk 24:25-27 | "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!... And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted..." | Jesus himself explained prophecies concerning Himself. |
| Lk 24:44-45 | "Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." | The entire OT points to Christ. |
| Jn 1:45 | Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth..." | Disciples recognized Christ as foretold. |
| Jn 5:39 | You search the Scriptures... and it is these that bear witness about me. | Scriptures (Prophets) bear witness to Jesus. |
| Jn 5:46-47 | "If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" | Disbelief in OT equals disbelief in Christ. |
| Rom 1:2 | ...promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures— | The Gospel was announced by the Prophets. |
| Rom 3:21 | ...the righteousness of God has been manifested, attested by the Law and the Prophets. | Prophets testify to God's righteousness. |
| Rom 16:26 | ...the sacred writings of the prophets, by the command of the eternal God, proclaimed to all nations... | Prophets' message extends universally. |
| 1 Pet 1:10-11 | Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied... searched and inquired carefully... | Prophets predicted grace through Christ. |
| 2 Pet 1:19-21 | We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed... no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation... | Prophetic word is sure and divine. |
| 2 Tim 3:15-17 | ...the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed... | Prophets' writings provide wisdom for salvation. |
| Jas 2:19 | You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! | Intellectual assent alone is insufficient. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... | God's revelation progressed through prophets to Christ. |
Acts 26 verses
Acts 26 27 Meaning
Paul makes a direct and challenging appeal to King Agrippa, who was learned in Jewish customs and the Law. He first asks Agrippa if he truly believes the Old Testament prophets, then immediately provides the assumed answer, stating with firm conviction, "I know that you believe." This powerful rhetorical strategy is designed to establish a common ground of faith in Scripture. By acknowledging Agrippa's presumed belief in the prophets, Paul masterfully prepares the king to confront the logical culmination of their prophecies in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, thereby arguing for the continuity and fulfillment of God's plan.
Acts 26 27 Context
Acts 26 records Paul's eloquent defense before Roman governor Festus, King Agrippa II, and Bernice. This legal setting transforms into a powerful evangelical opportunity for Paul. He strategically presents his conversion testimony and articulates the core of the Christian message: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Throughout his address, Paul continually grounds his message in the Jewish Scriptures, asserting that he preaches nothing beyond what "Moses and the Prophets" foretold (Acts 26:22). Verse 27 represents a critical rhetorical pivot point where Paul leverages Agrippa's known expertise and professed adherence to Jewish traditions and sacred texts. By directly asking about belief in the prophets, Paul aims to establish a shared foundation before demonstrating how Jesus' life, death, and resurrection perfectly fulfill those prophecies. This sets up the inevitable tension for Agrippa: to deny Paul's message would be to question the very prophets he claimed to believe.
Acts 26 27 Word analysis
King Agrippa (Βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, Basileu Agrippa): Paul addresses Agrippa with appropriate royal title and respect. This courtesy is strategic, not merely politeness. It acknowledges Agrippa's high status and, critically, his recognized authority and profound knowledge of Jewish customs and Law, making his understanding of the Prophets paramount to Paul's argument.
do you believe (πιστεύεις, pisteueis): This Greek verb is in the present active indicative, signifying a continuous or current state of belief, not just historical knowledge. Paul probes beyond mere intellectual assent to inquire about the depth and genuineness of Agrippa's personal conviction and faith in the Old Testament prophets' messages. It carries the weight of spiritual implication.
the prophets (τοῖς προφήταις, tois prophētais): This refers specifically to the Old Testament prophetic books. For Agrippa, who was learned in Jewish Scripture, this phrase would evoke passages detailing messianic expectations, including the suffering servant (Isa 53), the royal Messiah (Psa 2, 110), and even hints of resurrection. Believing the prophets means accepting their divinely inspired foretelling of future events, especially regarding the Messiah.
I know (οἶδα, oida): This verb signifies a settled, assured knowledge, distinct from factual information gained through study (ginosko). Paul speaks with confident certainty, pre-empting any denial or hesitation from Agrippa. This bold declaration demonstrates Paul's conviction about Agrippa's public persona and perhaps an intuitive understanding of the king's intellectual disposition towards the Scriptures.
that you believe (ὅτι πιστεύεις, hoti pisteueis): By immediately supplying the answer to his own question, Paul makes a masterstroke in rhetoric. He simultaneously credits Agrippa with genuine faith in the prophets and, by doing so, subtly pressures him to live up to that declared belief. This assertion leaves Agrippa little room for escape and logically links his own accepted authority (the prophets) directly to Paul's message about Christ's fulfillment.
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?: This question serves as the setup, designed to elicit a specific mental acknowledgment from Agrippa regarding his adherence to Jewish tradition and sacred texts, thereby creating a shared starting point for Paul's discourse.
I know that you believe: This assertive declaration serves as a tactical closing statement to Paul's own question. It demonstrates Paul's intimate understanding of Agrippa's background and belief system, effectively sealing the king into his stated religious convictions before presenting the culmination of the prophets' messages in Christ.
Acts 26 27 Bonus section
Paul's use of a direct question followed by an immediate affirmation reflects a classical rhetorical device designed to secure immediate, undeniable common ground. This tactic is particularly effective in high-stakes legal and public addresses. Agrippa's education in the law and prophets, explicitly mentioned earlier (Acts 26:3), makes him uniquely suited to appreciate Paul's arguments regarding the prophetic fulfillments. The verse acts as a bridge from the accepted Old Testament prophecy to the New Testament fulfillment in Christ, positioning Christianity not as a departure but as the natural and promised culmination of God's redemptive history. It emphasizes that the truth of Christianity is deeply rooted in the Scriptures that the Jewish people, including Agrippa, already revered.
Acts 26 27 Commentary
Acts 26:27 is the apex of Paul's brilliant rhetorical strategy before King Agrippa. It encapsulates Paul's aim: to compel Agrippa, given his deep knowledge of Judaism, to confront the logical implications of his own faith. Paul challenges Agrippa not simply to acknowledge the historical existence or words of the prophets but to truly believe in their divine message—a message Paul insists finds its complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Paul’s assertive "I know that you believe" isn't a mere compliment but a profound intellectual and spiritual pressure point. It frames Agrippa's presumed faith in the Old Testament as the essential foundation upon which the truth of the Gospel must naturally be accepted, leaving Agrippa without intellectual refuge or evasion concerning Christ's identity and work.