PAUL'S TESTIMONY BEFORE AGRIPPA

Passage: Acts 26:1-18

Key verse: 18

NIV

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”(A)

So Paul motioned with his hand(B) and began his defense: 2 “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(C) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(D) 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(E) and controversies.(F) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,(G) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time(H) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(I) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(J) 6 And now it is because of my hope(K) in what God has promised our ancestors(L) that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes(M) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(N) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(O) 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(P)

9 “I too was convinced(Q) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(R) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(S) 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people(T) in prison,(U) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(V) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(W) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(X) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](Y) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(Z) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(AA) 17 I will rescue you(AB) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AC) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AD) and turn them from darkness to light,(AE) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AF) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AG)

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Footnotes
  1. Acts 26:14 Or Hebrew
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Paul's Defense Before Agrippa

26 So (A)Agrippa 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 (B)against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the (C)customs and (D)controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 (E)“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among (F)my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that (G)according to the strictest (H)party of our (I)religion I have lived as (J)a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in (K)the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 (L)to which (M)our twelve tribes hope to (N)attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope (O)I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought (P)incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

9 (Q)“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of (R)Jesus of Nazareth. 10 (S)And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority (T)from the chief priests, but (U)when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And (V)I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them (W)blaspheme, and (X)in raging fury against them I (Y)persecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

12 “In this connection (Z)I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At 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. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me (AA)in the Hebrew language,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and (AB)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, (AC)to 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 (AD)delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—(AE)to whom I (AF)am sending you 18 (AG)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from (AH)the power of Satan to God, that they may receive (AI)forgiveness of sins and (AJ)a place among those who are sanctified (AK)by faith in me.’

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Footnotes
  1. Acts 26:14 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Because of my hope in God's promises (1-11)

Paul's credentials as a Jew and strict Pharisee were impeccable. Like all Pharisees, he believed that God could raise the dead and his hope was in the coming Messiah. He had diligently opposed all who believed in Jesus, and had done his best to silence Christians. He had even participated in the stoning of Stephen. Now, because of this hope he was on trial.

2. 'Why do you kick against the goads?' (12-18)

The Risen Jesus appeared to Paul in a blinding light as he traveled toward Damascus to arrest Christians. Jesus called him by name, 'Saul.' He knew that Paul was struggling to reject what he knew in his heart was true. Jesus forgave Paul and commissioned him to preach the gospel of forgiveness to Jews and especially, to the Gentiles. This gospel turns men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. It gives freedom and holiness to all who believe.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for forgiving my sins through the blood of Jesus and setting me free from Satan's grip. Help me to testify to your grace and power.

One Word: Testify boldly to Jesus