New Testament · Gospels and Acts

Acts chapter 26

said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his :“King Agrippa, I consider myself that I get to make my defense before you today against everything the Jewish leaders are accusing me of,especially because you’re an expert in all the Jewish and controversies. So I ask you to listen to me patiently.“All the Jewish people know how I’ve lived my life from the beginning, from my youth in my own nation and in Jerusalem.They’ve known me for a long time and can testify — if they’re willing — that I lived as a , the strictest of our religion.And now I’m standing trial because of my hope in the God made to our ancestors —the very promise our are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. And it’s because of this hope, King Agrippa, that I’m being accused by the Jewish leaders.Why do any of you consider it unbelievable that God ?“I used to be convinced that I needed to do everything in my power to oppose of Jesus from Nazareth.And that’s exactly what I did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of in prison after getting authorization from the , and when they were being sentenced to death, I cast my vote against them.I punished them often in every and tried to force them to . I was so furiously obsessed with them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.“While I was on one of these missions — heading to with the authority and commission of the chief priests —in the middle of the day, King Agrippa, I saw a brighter than the sun, blazing around me and everyone traveling with me.We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me : ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It’s only hurting you to .’I asked, ‘Who are you, ?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus — the one you’re persecuting.Now get up and stand on your feet. I’ve appeared to you for a reason — to appoint you as my and . You’ll tell people about what you’ve seen today and what I’ll show you in the future.I will rescue you from your own people and from the I’m sending you to.I’m sending you to open their eyes so they can turn from darkness to light, and from the power of to God, so that they can receive forgiveness for their and a place among , through me.’“So, King Agrippa, I did not disobey the .Instead, I started telling people — first those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and all throughout Judea, and then to non-Jewish people — that they should , turn to God, and .This is why the Jewish leaders grabbed me in the and tried to kill me.But God has helped me to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to both ordinary and powerful people alike. I’m not saying anything different from what the and said would happen —that would suffer, and that by being the first to , he would announce to both our people and to non-Jewish people.”At this point in Paul’s defense, shouted, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! All your studying has driven you crazy!”“I’m not crazy, Festus,” Paul replied. “What I’m saying is true and makes perfect sense.The king knows about these things, and I can speak freely to him. I’m convinced that none of this has escaped his attention, because it .King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can make me this quickly?”Paul said, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but everyone listening today would become like me — except for these .”Then the king stood up, and with him the governor and and everyone sitting with them.As they left, they talked it over and agreed: “This man hasn’t done anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”Agrippa told Festus, “This man could have been set free if he hadn’t .”