Analogous to Agrippa: President Trump’s Recent Comments on Heaven

Probably with some sarcasm, King Agrippa once told Paul, “In a short time you persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Perhaps a question mark should be at the end of that verse, and maybe he had a wry smile of disbelief. Agrippa politely declined Christianity before Paul and the rest of the court.

Agrippa’s apathy to the gospel was not uninformed. Paul evaluated Agrippa as “an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews” (Acts 26:3). He heard Paul’s message of turning “from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). He heard about how one could “receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in” Christ (Acts 26:18). He knew that he “should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance” (Acts 26:20). He heard about the suffering and resurrection of Christ (Acts 26:23). He even heard Paul double-down when challenged about the matter: “I utter words of sober truth” (Acts 26:25).

And yet, the reply—a sarcastic dismissal of our Lord, one that would only lead to the lake of fire.

As Solomon would say, there is nothing new under the sun.

A couple of months ago, in a phone call with “Fox & Friends” on August 19, President Trump stated, “If I can save 7,000 people a week from being killed, I think that’s a pretty—I want to try to get to heaven if possible. I hear I’m not doing well. I am really at the bottom of the totem pole. But if I can get to heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”

In light of his recent success in bringing about a peace deal between Israel and Hamas, he was asked about these comments by the press on Air Force One on Sunday, October 12. He replied, “I mean, you know, I’m being… a little cute. I don’t think there’s anything that’s gonna get me in heaven. I really don’t. I think I’m not, maybe, heaven-bound…. I may be in heaven right now as we fly in Air Force One. I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to make heaven. But I’ve made life better for a lot of people.”

President Trump’s analysis of his potential for heaven is disheartening. As Christians, we know that salvation is all of grace, not by works, and to the glory of God. Salvation comes by faith in Christ as revealed to us in Scripture. Our works, as good and appreciated as they may be by other men, even on a global scale, are not what get us into heaven.

What is also disheartening is his self-reflection on the matter. When asked about his comments in August, he acknowledged that he was being “cute.” Implied, then, is that his next comments were serious—that he was not heaven-bound but knew that he had made life better for a lot of people. Like Agrippa, he was presented with an eternal moment, gave it a chuckle, and, if these words truly reflect what he believes, the gospel passed him by.

We are certainly grateful for a president who can make life better for a lot of people, whether here in America or across the sea. In fact, the Bible commands us to pray for our president and other leaders that they would do exactly that (1 Timothy 2:1–2). May God give our president success in bringing about peace.

But, for our president’s sake, if these words genuinely reveal his heart, I pray also that he will find peace with God and have a true hope for heaven by placing his faith in Jesus Christ. May God give him success in bringing about peace in the world. But may he also find peace with God by finding salvation in Him. Only then will heaven be his.

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David Huffstutler is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Troy, MI. He blogs here, where this article also appeared. It is published here by permission.

Painting of Paul before Agrippa (c. 1875; public domain)

By Nikolai Bodarevsky (1850–1921)