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’s Defense Before Agrippa
1So #See ch. 9:15Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2“I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today #ch. 25:7, 19; [ver. 7]against all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially because you are familiar with all the #See ch. 6:14 customs and #See ch. 18:15controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 # [Gal. 1:13] “My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among #ch. 24:17; 28:19my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that #ch. 22:3 according to the strictest #See ch. 24:5 party of our #James 1:26, 27 religion I have lived as #ch. 23:6a Pharisee. 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in #See ch. 13:32the promise made by God to our fathers, 7#[ch. 2:33; Heb. 10:36; 11:13, 39] to which #Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30; James 1:1; Rev. 21:12; [Ezra 6:17] our twelve tribes hope to #Phil. 3:11 attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope #ver. 2I am accused by Jews, O king! 8Why is it thought #[ch. 17:3; 1 Cor. 15:12]incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 #
1 Tim. 1:13; [John 16:2]; See ch. 3:17 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of #ch. 22:8Jesus of Nazareth. 10#See ch. 8:3 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority #ver. 12; ch. 9:1, 2, 14, 21; 22:4, 5 from the chief priests, but #See ch. 22:20when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11And #ch. 22:19 I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them #See ch. 13:45 blaspheme, and #ch. 9:1 in raging fury against them I #ch. 22:5persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12“In this connection #For ver. 12-18, see ch. 9:3-8; 22:6-11I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me #ch. 21:40; 22:2in the Hebrew language,#26:14 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic) ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But rise and #Ezek. 2:1; Dan. 10:11 stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, #See ch. 22:14, 15to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17#[ch. 12:11; 1 Chr. 16:35; Jer. 1:8, 19; 15:20] delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—#See ch. 9:15 to whom I #[Rom. 11:13; 1 Tim. 2:7]am sending you 18#Isa. 35:5; 42:7 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from #See Luke 22:53; 1 Cor. 5:5 the power of Satan to God, that they may receive #See ch. 5:31 forgiveness of sins and #See ch. 20:32 a place among those who are sanctified #[ch. 15:9; 2 Thess. 2:13]by faith in me.’
19“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to #ver. 13the heavenly vision, 20but declared first #ch. 9:19, 20 to those in Damascus, #ch. 9:26-29; 22:17-20 then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also #See ch. 13:46 to the Gentiles, that they should #See ch. 2:38 repent and #See ch. 14:15 turn to God, performing deeds #Matt. 3:8; Luke 3:8in keeping with their repentance. 21For this reason #ch. 21:27, 30, 31; 24:18the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22#2 Cor. 1:10; [Heb. 13:5, 6] To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so #[Eph. 6:13] I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what #See ch. 10:43; 24:14the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23#[Luke 24:26; Heb. 2:10]; See ch. 3:18 that the Christ #[John 12:34] must suffer and that, #1 Cor. 15:20, 23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5 by being the first #Rom. 1:4 to rise from the dead, #[Eph. 2:17] he would proclaim #ver. 18; See Luke 2:32light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”
24And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, #ch. 12:15; [ver. 8; ch. 17:32; 2 Kgs. 9:11; Jer. 29:26; Mark 3:21; John 10:20; 1 Cor. 1:23; 2:14; 4:10]you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, #See ch. 24:2 most excellent Festus, but I am speaking #[2 Pet. 1:16] true and #[2 Cor. 5:13]rational words. 26For #[ver. 3]the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be #ch. 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16a Christian?”#26:28 Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian! 29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day #[1 Cor. 7:7] might become such as I am—except for #See ch. 21:33these chains.”
30Then the king rose, and #See ch. 23:24the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, #See ch. 23:29“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32And Agrippa said to Festus, #ch. 28:18 “This man could have been set #ch. 25:11; 28:19 free if he had not appealed #See ch. 9:15to Caesar.”
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