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Acts 26
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| 26:1
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then
Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: |
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| 26:2
I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this
day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: |
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| 26:3
Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions
which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. |
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| 26:4
My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own
nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; |
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| 26:5
Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the
most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. |
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| 26:6
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God,
unto our fathers: |
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| 26:7
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night,
hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. |
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| 26:8
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should
raise the dead? |
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| 26:9
I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to
the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
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| 26:10
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up
in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they
were put to death, I gave my voice against them. |
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| 26:11
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to
blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even
unto strange cities. |
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| 26:12
Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the
chief priests, |
 (26:13-15) Oh boy, we get to hear the Damascus road story for the third time!
(26:13) "At midday ... I saw ... a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me."
(26:14) "When we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice ... in the Hebrew tongue,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
Were the men knocked to the ground?
(26:15) "I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest."
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| 26:13
At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the
brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with
me.
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| 26:14
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto
me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it
is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
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| 26:15
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou
persecutest.
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| 26:16
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this
purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which
thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
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| 26:17
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I
send thee, |
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| 26:18
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. |
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| 26:19
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: |
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| 26:20
But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout
all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent
and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. |
 (26:21)
"The Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me."
 (26:22-23)
These verses claim that Moses and the
prophets prophesied that Jesus would suffer and rise from the dead. But in what
scripture is such a prophecy made?
(26:22) "Saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come."
(26:23) "That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead."
Is death final?
Was Jesus the first to rise from the dead?
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| 26:21
For these causes the Jews caught me in the
temple, and went about to kill me.
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| 26:22
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,
witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the
prophets and Moses did say should come:
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| 26:23
That Christ should suffer, and that he
should be the first that
should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to
the Gentiles.
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| 26:24
And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul,
thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
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| 26:25
But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of
truth and soberness.
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| 26:26
For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for
I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing
was not done in a corner. |
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| 26:27
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. |
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| 26:28
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. |
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| 26:29
And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear
me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these
bonds. |
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| 26:30
And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and
Bernice, and they that sat with them: |
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| 26:31
And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying,
This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. |
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| 26:32
Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if
he had not appealed unto Caesar.
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