Acts 26
26
1Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now present your case.”
So Paul motioned with his hand. Then he began to present his case. 2“King Agrippa,” he said, “I am happy to be able to stand here today. I will answer all the charges brought against me by the Jews. 3I am very pleased that you are familiar with Jewish ways. You know the kinds of things they argue about. So I beg you to be patient as you listen to me.
4“The Jewish people all know how I have lived ever since I was a child. They know all about me from the beginning of my life. They know how I lived in my own country and in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time. So if they wanted to, they could tell you how I have lived. I have lived by the rules of the Pharisees. Those rules are harder to obey than those of any other Jewish group. 6Today I am on trial because of the hope I have. I believe in what God promised our people of long ago. 7It is the promise that our 12 tribes are hoping to see come true. Because of this hope they serve God with faithful and honest hearts day and night. King Agrippa, it is also because of this hope that these Jews are bringing charges against me. 8Why should any of you think it is impossible for God to raise the dead?
9“I believed that I should oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. So I did everything I could to oppose his name. 10That’s just what I was doing in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the Lord’s people in prison. I agreed that they should die. 11I often went from one synagogue to another to have them punished. I tried to force them to speak evil things against Jesus. All I wanted to do was hurt them. I even went looking for them in the cities of other lands.
12“On one of these journeys I was on my way to Damascus. I had the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, King Agrippa, I was on the road. I saw a light coming from heaven. It was brighter than the sun. It was shining around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground. I heard a voice speak to me in the Aramaic language. ‘Saul! Saul!’ it said. ‘Why are you opposing me? It is hard for you to go against what you know is right.’
15“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus,’ the Lord replied. ‘I am the one you are opposing. 16Now get up. Stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you to serve me. And you must tell other people about me. You must tell others that you have seen me today. You must also tell them that I will show myself to you again. 17I will save you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes. I want you to turn them from darkness to light. I want you to turn them from Satan’s power to God. I want their sins to be forgiven. They will be forgiven when they believe in me. They will have their place among God’s people.’
19“So then, King Agrippa, I obeyed the vision that appeared from heaven. 20First I preached to people in Damascus. Then I preached in Jerusalem and in all Judea. And then I preached to the Gentiles. I told them to turn away from their sins to God. The way they live must show that they have turned away from their sins. 21That’s why some Jews grabbed me in the temple courtyard and tried to kill me. 22But God has helped me to this day. So I stand here and tell you what is true. I tell it to everyone, both small and great. I have been saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses said would happen. 23They said the Messiah would suffer. He would be the first to rise from the dead. He would bring the message of God’s light. He would bring it to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
24While Paul was still presenting his case, Festus interrupted. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you crazy!”
25“I am not crazy, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26The king is familiar with these things. So I can speak openly to him. I am certain he knows everything that has been going on. After all, it was not done in secret. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”
28Then Agrippa spoke to Paul. “Are you trying to talk me into becoming a Christian?” he said. “Do you think you can do that in such a short time?”
29Paul replied, “I don’t care if it takes a short time or a long time. I pray to God for you and all who are listening to me today. I pray that you may become like me, except for these chains.”
30The king stood up. The governor and Bernice and those sitting with them stood up too. 31They left the room and began to talk with one another. “Why should this man die or be put in prison?” they said. “He has done nothing worthy of that!”
32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free. But he has made an appeal to Caesar.”
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Acts 26: NIrV
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Acts 26
26
Paul’s Defense before Agrippa
1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: 2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4“All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.#Ac 6:14; 25:19; Gl 1:13 5They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.#Ac 22:3; 23:6; Php 3:5 6And now I stand on trial because of the hope#Ac 24:15; 28:20 in what God promised#Ac 13:32; Rm 15:8 to our ancestors, 7the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.#Php 3:11; 1Th 3:10; 1Tm 5:5; Jms 1:1 8Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.#Jn 16:2; 1Tm 1:13 10I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.#Ac 8:3; 9:13–14,21; 22:5,20 11In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme.#Ac 25:21,25; 26:32; 28:19 Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
Paul’s Account of His Conversion and Commission
12“I was traveling to Damascus under#Ac 9:3–8; 22:6–11 these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. 13King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic,#26:14 Or Hebrew ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’#Ac 9:7; 21:40
15“I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.#Ezk 2:1; Dn 10:11; Ac 22:14–15 17I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them#1Ch 16:35; Jr 1:8,19; Ac 9:15 18to open their eyes#Is 35:5; 42:7 so that they may turn#26:18 Or to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’#Ac 20:32; Eph 5:8; Col 1:13; 1Pt 2:9
19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.#Mt 3:8; Lk 3:8; Ac 9:19–20,22,26–29; 13:46; 22:17–20 21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place#Lk 24:27; Ac 10:43; 24:14 — 23that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”#Lk 24:26; 1Co 15:20,23; Col 1:18; Rv 1:5
Agrippa Not Quite Persuaded
24As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind,#2Kg 9:11; Jn 10:20; 1Co 1:23; 2:14; 4:10 Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”
25But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment.#Ac 23:26; 24:3 26For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”
28Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?” #26:28 Or so quickly
29“I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty,#26:29 Or whether a short time or long not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am — except for these chains.”#Ac 11:26; 21:33; 1Co 7:7
30The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, 31and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”#Ac 23:9,29; 25:23
32Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”#Ac 25:11; 28:18
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