85 See the note on King Agrippa in .
86 Or “In a short time you will make me a Christian.” On the difficulty of the precise nuances of Agrippa’s reply in this passage, see πείθω 1.b. The idiom is like 1 Kgs 21:7 . The point is that Paul was trying to persuade Agrippa to accept his message. If Agrippa had let Paul persuade him, he would have converted to Christianity. The question “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” was probably a ploy on Agrippa’s part to deflect Paul from his call for a decision. Note also how the tables have turned: Agrippa was brought in to hear Paul’s defense, and now ends up defending himself. The questioner is now being questioned.

In other versions

And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

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

Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”

But Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?”

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

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