Acts 26

1

Paul’s Testimony to Agrippa

(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 22:1–21)

AgrippaG67 saidG5346 toG4314 PaulG3972, “YouG4771 have permissionG2010 to speakG3004 forG5228 yourselfG4572.”

ThenG5119 PaulG3972 stretched outG1614 his handG5495 and began his defenseG626: 2“KingG935 AgrippaG67, I considerG2233 myselfG1683 fortunateG3107 to standG3195 beforeG1909 youG4771 todayG4594 to defend myselfG626 againstG4012 allG3956 the accusationsG3739G1458 ofG5259 the JewsG2453, 3especiallyG3122 since youG4771 areG1510 acquaintedG1109 with allG3956 theG3588 JewishG2596G2453 customsG1485 andG5037 controversiesG2213. I begG1189 you, thereforeG1352, to listen toG191 meG1473 patientlyG3116.

4SurelyG3767G3303 allG3956 theG3588 JewsG2453 knowG1492 how I have livedG1473G3588G981 fromG575 my earliestG746 childhoodG3503 amongG1722 my ownG1473G3588 peopleG1484, and alsoG5037 inG1722 JerusalemG2414. 5They have knownG4267 meG1473 for a long timeG509 and can testifyG3140, ifG1437 they are willingG2309, thatG3754 I lived asG2198 a PhariseeG5330, adhering toG2596 theG3588 strictestG196 sectG139 of ourG2251 religionG2356.

6AndG2532 nowG3568 I standG2476 on trialG2919 because ofG1909 my hopeG1680 in theG3588 promiseG1860 that GodG2316 madeG1096 toG1519 ourG1473 fathersG3962, 7the promise ourG1473 twelve tribesG1429 are hopingG1679 to see fulfilledG2658 as they earnestly serveG3000G1722G1616 God dayG2250 andG2532 nightG3571. It is because ofG4012 this hopeG1680, O kingG935, that I am accusedG1458 byG5259 the JewsG2453. 8Why wouldG5101 any of youG4771 consider itG2919 incredibleG571 thatG1487 GodG2316 raisesG1453 the deadG3498?

9So thenG3767G3303, IG1473 too was convinced thatG1380 I oughtG1163 to doG4238 allG4183 I could to opposeG1727 theG3588 nameG3686 of JesusG2424 of NazarethG3480. 10AndG2532 that is whatG3739 I didG4160 inG1722 JerusalemG2414. WithG2983 authorityG1849 fromG3844 theG3588 chief priestsG749 IG1473 putG2623 manyG4183 of theG3588 saintsG40 inG1722 prisonG5438, andG5037 when theyG846 were condemned to deathG337, I cast my vote againstG2702G5586 them. 11I frequently had them punishedG4178G846G5097 inG2596 theG3588 synagoguesG4864, and I tried to makeG315 them blasphemeG987. In my raging furyG1693G4057 against themG846, I evenG2532 went toG1519 foreignG1854 citiesG4172 to persecuteG1377 them.

12InG1722 thisG3739 pursuit I was on my wayG4198 toG1519 DamascusG1154 withG3326 the authorityG1849 andG2532 commissionG2011 ofG3588 theG3588 chief priestsG749. 13About noonG3319G2250, O kingG935, as I was onG2596 theG3588 roadG3598, I sawG3708 a lightG5457 from heavenG3771G5228, brighter thanG2987 theG3588 sunG2246, shining aroundG4034 meG1473 andG2532 my companionsG3588G4198G4862G1473. 14WeG1473 allG3956 fellG2667 toG1519 theG3588 groundG1093, and I heardG191 a voiceG5456 sayG3004 toG4314 meG1473 inG3588 HebrewG1446G1258,1 ‘SaulG4549, SaulG4549, whyG5101 do you persecuteG1377 MeG1473? It is hardG4642 for youG4771 to kickG2979 againstG4314 the goadsG2759.’

15‘WhoG5101 are YouG1510, LordG2962?’ IG1473 askedG2036.

‘IG1473 amG1510 JesusG2424, whomG3739 youG4771 are persecutingG1377,’ theG3588 LordG2962 repliedG2036. 16‘ButG235 get upG450 andG2532 standG2476 onG1909 yourG4771 feetG4228. ForG1063 I have appearedG3708 to youG4771 toG1519 appointG3778G4400 youG4771 as a servantG5257 andG2532 as a witnessG3144 of whatG3739 you have seenG3708 from MeG1473 andG5037 whatG3739 I will showG3708 youG4771. 17I will rescueG1807 youG4771 fromG1537 your own peopleG2992 andG2532 fromG1537 theG3588 GentilesG1484. IG1473 am sendingG649 youG4771 toG1519 them 18to openG455 theirG846 eyesG3788, so thatG3588 they may turnG1994 fromG575 darknessG4655 toG1519 lightG5457 andG2532 from theG3588 powerG1849 of SatanG4567 toG1909 GodG2316, that theyG846 may receiveG2983 forgivenessG859 of sinsG266 andG2532 an inheritanceG2819 amongG1722 thoseG3588 sanctifiedG37 by faithG4102 inG1519 MeG1473.’

19So thenG3606, KingG935 AgrippaG67, I wasG1096 notG3756 disobedientG545 to theG3588 heavenlyG3770 visionG3701. 20FirstG4412 to thoseG3588 inG1722 DamascusG1154 andG2532 JerusalemG2414, thenG5037 to everyoneG3956 in theG3588 regionG5561 of JudeaG2449, and thenG2532 to theG3588 GentilesG1484, I declared thatG518 they should repentG3340 andG2532 turnG1994 toG1909 GodG2316, performingG4238 deedsG2041 worthyG514 of their repentanceG3341. 21For this reasonG1752G3778 the JewsG2453 seizedG4815 meG1473 inG1722 theG3588 templeG2411 courts2 and triedG3987 to killG1315 me.

22But I have hadG5177 God’sG575G3588G2316 helpG1947 toG891 thisG3778 dayG2250, and I standG2476 here to testifyG3143 to smallG3398 andG2532 greatG3173 alikeG5037. I am sayingG3004 nothingG3762 beyondG1622 whatG3739 theG3588 prophetsG4396 andG2532 MosesG3475 saidG2980 wouldG3195 happenG1096: 23thatG1487 theG3588 ChristG5547 would sufferG3805, and as the firstG4413 to riseG386 fromG1537 the deadG3498, wouldG3195 proclaimG2605 lightG5457 toG3588 our peopleG2992 andG2532 to theG3588 GentilesG1484.”

Festus Interrupts Paul’s Defense

24At this stageG3778 ofG846 Paul’s defenseG626, FestusG5347 exclaimedG5346 in a loudG3173 voiceG5456, “You are insaneG3105, PaulG3972! Your greatG4183 learningG1121 is drivingG4062 youG4771 toG1519 madnessG3130!”

25ButG1161 PaulG3972 answeredG5346, “I am not insaneG3756G3105, most excellentG2903 FestusG5347; I am speakingG669 wordsG4487 of truthG225 andG2532 sobrietyG4997. 26ForG1063 theG3588 kingG935 knowsG1987 aboutG4012 theseG3778 matters, andG2532 I can speakG2980 freelyG3955 toG4314 him. I am confident thatG1063G3756G3982 noneG3762G5100 of thisG3778 has escapedG2990 hisG846 notice, becauseG1063 it wasG1510 notG3756 doneG4238 inG1722 a cornerG1137. 27KingG935 AgrippaG67, do you believeG4100 theG3588 prophetsG4396? I knowG1492 youG4100 do.”

28ThenG1161 AgrippaG67 said toG4314 PaulG3972, “Can you persuadeG3982 meG1473 inG1722 such a shortG3641 time to becomeG4160 a ChristianG5546?”

29“ShortG2532G1722G3641 time or longG1722G3173,” PaulG3972 replied, “I wishG2172 to GodG2316 thatG302 notG3756 onlyG3440 youG4771 butG235 allG3956 whoG3588 hearG191 meG1473 this dayG4594 may becomeG1096 whatG5108G3697 IG1473 amG1510, except forG3924 theseG3778 chainsG1199.”

30ThenG5037 theG3588 kingG935 andG2532 theG3588 governorG2232 roseG450, along withG5037 BerniceG959 andG2532 thoseG3588 seated withG4775 themG846. 31On their way outG402, they saidG2980 toG4314 one anotherG240, “ThisG3778 manG444 has doneG4238 nothingG3762G5100 worthyG514 of deathG2288 orG2228 imprisonmentG1199.”

32AndG1161 AgrippaG67 saidG5346 toG3588 FestusG5347, “ThisG3778 manG444 couldG1410 have been releasedG630 ifG1487 he had not appealedG3361G1941 to CaesarG2541.”