After Paul was escorted out of Jerusalem (Acts 23:23-33), he remained in custody in Caesarea for two years, first under the Roman governor Felix and then his successor, Festus.
When the Jews in Jerusalem asked Festus to send Paul to them, the apostle invoked his right as a Roman citizen to be tried in Rome. (Acts 24:11.) Before sending Paul to Rome, Festus told the visiting King Agrippa of the accusations against the apostle and had him brought before them. As Paul told of his conversion and declared that Jesus appeared to him on the Damascus road, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad." (Acts 26:24.)King Agrippa, however, had another response to Paul's account: "Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." (Acts 26:28.)
The Church Educational System's manual The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles contains this commentary: "As with Paul, so with Joseph Smith and others of the Lord's prophets. Men who are spiritually out of tune with eternal truths simply cannot believe a humble testimony when they hear it. . . .
"Many people with testimonies of the gospel do not commit their lives to Christ because they have persuaded themselves that it would be too difficult and costly to give up their friends, their habits, their comfortable way of life. Yet Paul cared little for the possessions, the fashions, the opinions of men. He was willing to give up life itself for his testimony."