SEV Biblia, Chapter 26:25
Y Pablo dijo : No estoy loco, excelentísimo Festo, sino que hablo palabras de verdad y de templanza.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 26:25
Verse 25. I am not mad, most noble Festus] This most sensible, appropriate, and modest answer, was the fullest proof he could give of his sound sense and discretion. The title, kratiste, most noble, or most excellent, which he gives to Festus, shows at once that he was far above indulging any sentiment of anger or displeasure at Festus, though he had called him a madman; and it shows farther that, with the strictest conscientiousness, even an apostle may give titles of respect to men in power, which taken literally, imply much more than the persons deserve to whom they are applied. kratistov, which implies most excellent, was merely a title which belonged to the office of Festus. St. Paul hereby acknowledges him as the governor; while, perhaps, moral excellence of any kind could with no propriety be attributed to him. Speak forth the words of truth and soberness.] alhqeiav kai swfrosunhv, Words of truth and of mental soundness. The very terms used by the apostle would at once convince Festus that he was mistaken.
The swfrosunh of the apostle was elegantly opposed to the mania of the governor: the one signifying mental derangement, the other mental sanity. Never was an answer, on the spur of the moment, more happily conceived.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 25. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus , etc.] That is, Paul said, as the Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read: he replied to Festus, to whom he gives his title of honour, not out of fear, nor flattery, but according to custom; and though he used him in such a reproachful manner, as if he was not himself, which he denies; nor did what he had said show anything of that kind, but the reverse, to which he appeals; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness ; which are true in themselves, being perfectly agreeable to the Scriptures of truth; and are what Christ, who is truth itself, had spoken, and of which he is the subject; and which the spirit of truth leads into, and owns and blesses: the Gospel in general, and all the doctrines of it, are words of truth; they are true, in opposition to that which is false, there is nothing of falsehood in them, no lie is of the truth; and to that which is fictitious, as the counterfeit Gospel of false teachers, which looks like the Gospel, and has the appearance of truth, but in reality is not; and to that which is but shadow, the Gospel, and the truths of it, are solid and substantial ones; hence the law and truth are opposed to each other, ( John 1:17) and there are particular doctrines of the Gospel, and such as the apostle had been speaking of, or referred unto, which are called truth, words of truth, and faithful sayings; as that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that he is God manifest in the flesh, or is God and man in one person; that he came into the world to save the chief of sinners; that he suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; that justification is by his righteousness; and that as he is the first that rose from the dead, others will rise also; or that there will be a resurrection of the dead by him; (see 1 John 2:21,22, 1 Timothy 3:15,16) ( 1 Timothy 1:15 1 Corinthians 15:1,3,4, Galatians 3:1 2 Timothy 2:18). And these are words of soberness also; they are words of the highest wisdom, which contain the wisdom of God in a mystery, even hidden wisdom, the deep things of God, and such as could never have been found out by the wisdom of men; they are the means of bringing a man to himself, to his right mind, who before was not himself; of causing a man to think soberly of himself, and not more highly than he ought to think, even to think of himself, that he is the chief of sinners, and the least of saints; and of speaking soberly, wisely, and prudently; and of living soberly, righteously, and godly: they are doctrines, as delivered by the faithful ministers of them, which come from a sound and sober mind, and have a tendency to make wise and sober; and therefore should be spoken forth, openly and boldly, freely and faithfully, constantly and continually, as they were by the apostle, whatever reproaches, calumnies, and reflections may be cast upon them for so doing, even though they may be called fools and madmen.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 24-32 - It becomes us, on all occasions, to speak the words of truth an soberness, and then we need not be troubled at the unjust censures of men. Active and laborious followers of the gospel often have bee despised as dreamers or madmen, for believing such doctrines and suc wonderful facts; and for attesting that the same faith and diligence and an experience like their own, are necessary to all men, whateve their rank, in order to their salvation. But apostles and prophets, an the Son of God himself, were exposed to this charge; and none need be moved thereby, when Divine grace has made them wise unto salvation Agrippa saw a great deal of reason for Christianity. His understandin and judgment were for the time convinced, but his heart was no changed. And his conduct and temper were widely different from the humility and spirituality of the gospel. Many are almost persuaded to be religious, who are not quite persuaded; they are under stron convictions of their duty, and of the excellence of the ways of God yet do not pursue their convictions. Paul urged that it was the concer of every one to become a true Christian; that there is grace enough in Christ for all. He expressed his full conviction of the truth of the gospel, the absolute necessity of faith in Christ in order to salvation. Such salvation from such bondage, the gospel of Chris offers to the Gentiles; to a lost world. Yet it is with much difficult that any person can be persuaded he needs a work of grace on his heart like that which was needful for the conversion of the Gentiles. Let u beware of fatal hesitation in our own conduct; and recollect how fa the being almost persuaded to be a Christian, is from being altogethe such a one as every true believer is __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ ου 3756 PRT-N μαινομαι 3105 5736 V-PNI-1S φησιν 5346 5748 V-PXI-3S κρατιστε 2903 A-VSM φηστε 5347 N-VSM αλλ 235 CONJ αληθειας 225 N-GSF και 2532 CONJ σωφροσυνης 4997 N-GSF ρηματα 4487 N-APN αποφθεγγομαι 669 5736 V-PNI-1S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
25. Speak forth (apofqeggomai). See on ch. ii. 4.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
26:25 {But speak forth} (alla apofqeggomai). Verb for dignified and elevated discourse, a word from the literary _Koin_, not the vernacular. In N.T. only here and #2:4,14 which see. It occurs three times in Vettius Valens in a "mantic" sense. Paul was not ruffled by the rude and excited interruption of Festus, but speaks with perfect courtesy in his reply "words of truth and soberness." The old word swfrosune (soundness of mind) from swfrwn (and that from s"s and fren) is directly opposed to "madness" (mania) and in N.T. occurs only here and #1Ti 2:15.
