Acts 26
26
1 Yet truly, Agrippa said to Paul, "It is permitted for you to speak for yourself." Then Paul, extending his hand, began to offer his defense.
2 "I consider myself blessed, O king Agrippa, that I am to give my defense today before you, about everything of which I am accused by the Jews,
3 especially since you know everything that pertains to the Jews, both customs and questions. Because of this, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 And certainly, all the Jews know about my life from my youth, which had its beginning among my own people in Jerusalem.
5 They knew me well from the beginning, (if they would be willing to offer testimony) for I lived according to the most determined sect of our religion: as a Pharisee.
6 And now, it is in the hope of the Promise which was made by God to our fathers that I stand subject to judgment.
7 It is the Promise that our twelve tribes, worshiping night and day, hope to see. About this hope, O king, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why should it be judged so unbelievable with you all that God might raise the dead?
9 And certainly, I myself formerly considered that I ought to act in many ways which are contrary to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.
10 This is also how I acted at Jerusalem. And so, I enclosed many holy persons in prison, having received authority from the leaders of the priests. And when they were to be killed, I brought the sentence.
11 And in every synagogue, frequently while punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme. And being all the more maddened against them, I persecuted them, even to foreign cities.
12 Thereafter, as I was going to Damascus, with authority and permission from the high priest,
13 at midday, O king, I and those who were also with me, saw along the way a light from heaven shining around me with a splendor greater than that of the sun.
14 And when we had all fallen down to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language: 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.'
15 Then I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
16 But rise up and stand on your feet. For I appeared to you for this reason: so that I may establish you as a minister and a witness concerning the things that you have seen, and concerning the things that I will show to you:
17 rescuing you from the people and the nations to which I am now sending you,
18 in order to open their eyes, so that they may be converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive the remission of sins and a place among the saints, through the faith that is in me.'
19 From then on, O king Agrippa, I was not unbelieving to the heavenly vision.
20 But I preached, first to those who are at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and then to the entire region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, so that they would repent and convert to God, doing the works that are worthy of repentance.
21 It was for this reason that the Jews, having apprehended me when I was in the temple, attempted to kill me.
22 But having been aided by the help of God, even to this day, I stand witnessing to the small and the great, saying nothing beyond what the Prophets and Moses have said would be in the future:
23 that the Christ would suffer, and that he would be the first from the resurrection of the dead, and that he would bring light to the people and to the nations."
24 While he was speaking these things and presenting his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: "Paul, you are insane! Too much studying has turned you to insanity."
25 And Paul said: "I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but rather I am speaking words of truth and sobriety.
26 For the king knows about these things. To him also, I am speaking with constancy. For I think that none of these things are unknown to him. And neither were these things done in a corner.
27 Do you believe the Prophets, O king Agrippa? I know that you believe."
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "To some extent, you persuade me to become a Christian."
29 And Paul said, "I hope to God that, both to a small extent and to a great extent, not only you, but also all those who hear me this day will become just as I also am, except for these chains."
30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them.
31 And when they had withdrawn, they were speaking among themselves, saying, "This man has done nothing worthy of death, nor of imprisonment."
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar."
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Acts 26: CPDV
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Acts 26
26
Paul Defends Himself before Agrippa
1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak on your own behalf.” Paul stretched out his hand and defended himself as follows:
2“King Agrippa! I consider myself fortunate that today I am to defend myself before you from all the things these Jews accuse me of, 3particularly since you know so well all the Jewish customs and disputes. I ask you, then, to listen to me with patience.
4“All the Jews know how I have lived ever since I was young. They know how I have spent my whole life, at first in my own country and then in Jerusalem. 5#Acts 23.6; Phil 3.5They have always known, if they are willing to testify, that from the very first I have lived as a member of the strictest party of our religion, the Pharisees. 6And now I stand here to be tried because of the hope I have in the promise that God made to our ancestors — 7the very thing that the twelve tribes of our people hope to receive, as they worship God day and night. And it is because of this hope, Your Majesty, that I am being accused by these Jews! 8Why do you who are here find it impossible to believe that God raises the dead?
9 #
Acts 8.3; 22.4–5 “I myself thought that I should do everything I could against the cause of Jesus of Nazareth. 10That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the chief priests and put many of God's people in prison; and when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them. 11Many times I had them punished in the synagogues and tried to make them deny their faith. I was so furious with them that I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
Paul Tells of his Conversion
(Acts 9.1–19; 22.6–16)
12“It was for this purpose that I went to Damascus with authority and orders from the chief priests. 13It was on the road at midday, Your Majesty, that I saw a light much brighter than the sun, coming from the sky and shining round me and the men travelling with me. 14All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by hitting back, like an ox kicking against its owner's stick.’ 15‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. And the Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus, whom you persecute. 16But get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant. You are to tell others what you have seen of me#26.16 Some manuscripts do not have of me. today and what I will show you in the future. 17I will rescue you from the people of Israel and from the Gentiles to whom I will send you. 18You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God, so that through their faith in me they will have their sins forgiven and receive their place among God's chosen people.’
Paul Tells of his Work
19“And so, King Agrippa, I did not disobey the vision I had from heaven. 20#Acts 9.20, 28–29First in Damascus and in Jerusalem and then in all Judea and among the Gentiles, I preached that they must repent of their sins and turn to God and do the things that would show they had repented. 21It was for this reason that these Jews seized me while I was in the Temple, and they tried to kill me. 22But to this very day I have been helped by God, and so I stand here giving my witness to all, to small and great alike. What I say is the very same thing which the prophets and Moses said was going to happen: 23#Is 42.6; 49.6; 1 Cor 15.20that the Messiah must suffer and be the first one to rise from death, to announce the light of salvation to the Jews and to the Gentiles.”
24As Paul defended himself in this way, Festus shouted at him, “You are mad, Paul! Your great learning is driving you mad!”
25Paul answered, “I am not mad, Your Excellency! I am speaking the sober truth. 26King Agrippa! I can speak to you with all boldness, because you know about these things. I am sure that you have taken notice of every one of them, for this thing has not happened hidden away in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do!”
28Agrippa said to Paul, “In this short time do you think you will make me a Christian?”
29“Whether a short time or a long time,” Paul answered, “my prayer to God is that you and all the rest of you who are listening to me today might become what I am — except, of course, for these chains!”
30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others got up, 31and after leaving they said to each other, “This man has not done anything for which he should die or be put in prison.” 32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to the Emperor.”
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.