Acts 26
New American Standard Bible
Paul’s Defense before Agrippa
26 (A)Now Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul extended his hand and proceeded to make his defense:
2 “Regarding all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 3 [a]especially because you are an expert in all (B)customs and [b]questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “So then, all Jews know (C)my way of life since my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and in Jerusalem, 5 since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a (D)Pharisee (E)according to the strictest (F)sect of our religion. 6 And now I am standing trial (G)for the hope of (H)the promise made by God to our fathers; 7 the promise (I)to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this (J)hope, O king, I am being (K)accused by Jews. 8 Why is it considered incredible among you people (L)if God raises the dead?
9 “So (M)I thought to myself that I had to act in strong opposition to (N)the name of Jesus [c]of Nazareth. 10 And this is [d]just what I (O)did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the [e]saints in prisons, after (P)receiving authority from the chief priests, but I also (Q)cast my vote against them when they were being put to death. 11 And (R)as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was (S)extremely enraged at them, I kept pursuing them (T)even to [f]foreign cities.
12 “[g]While so engaged, (U)as I was journeying 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, [h]brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who were journeying with me. 14 And when we had (V)all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the [i](W)Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? [j]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 get up and (X)stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to (Y)appoint you as a (Z)servant and (AA)a witness not only to the things in which you have seen Me, but also to the things in which I will appear to you, 17 (AB)rescuing you (AC)from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to (AD)open their eyes so that they may turn from (AE)darkness to light, and from the [k]power of (AF)Satan to God, that they may receive (AG)forgiveness of sins and an (AH)inheritance among those who have been sanctified by (AI)faith in Me.’
19 “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but continually proclaimed (AJ)to those in Damascus first, and (AK)in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even (AL)to the Gentiles, that they are to (AM)repent and turn to God, performing deeds (AN)consistent with repentance. 21 For these reasons some Jews (AO)seized me in the temple and tried (AP)to murder me. 22 So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day (AQ)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what (AR)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, 23 as to (AS)whether the [l]Christ was [m]to suffer, and whether, as (AT)first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim (AU)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
24 While [n]Paul was stating these things in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! [o]Your great (AV)learning is [p]driving you insane.” 25 But Paul *said, “I am not insane, (AW)most excellent Festus; on the contrary, I am speaking out with [q]truthful and rational words. 26 For the king [r](AX)knows about these matters, and I also speak to him with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a [s]corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “[t]In a short time you are going to persuade me to [u]make a (AY)Christian of myself.” 29 And Paul said, “I would [v]wish to God that even [w]in a short or long time not only you, but also all who hear me this day would become such as I myself am, except for these (AZ)chains.”
30 (BA)The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, 31 and when they had gone out, they began talking to one another, saying, “(BB)This man is not doing anything deserving death or [x]imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been (BC)set free if he had not (BD)appealed to Caesar.”
Footnotes
- Acts 26:3 Or because you are especially expert
- Acts 26:3 Or controversial issues
- Acts 26:9 Or the Nazarene
- Acts 26:10 Lit also
- Acts 26:10 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Acts 26:11 Or outlying
- Acts 26:12 Lit In which things
- Acts 26:13 Lit above the brightness of
- Acts 26:14 I.e., Jewish Aramaic
- Acts 26:14 An idiom referring to an animal’s futile resistance to being prodded with a spiked stick
- Acts 26:18 Or dominion
- Acts 26:23 I.e., Messiah
- Acts 26:23 Lit subject to suffering
- Acts 26:24 Lit he
- Acts 26:24 Lit The many letters; i.e., education
- Acts 26:24 Lit turning you to madness
- Acts 26:25 Lit words of truth and rationality
- Acts 26:26 Or understands
- Acts 26:26 I.e., a hidden or secret place
- Acts 26:28 Or With a little
- Acts 26:28 Or act as a Christian
- Acts 26:29 Or pray to
- Acts 26:29 Or with a little or with much
- Acts 26:31 Lit bonds
Acts 26
The Message
“I Couldn’t Just Walk Away”
26 1-3 Agrippa spoke directly to Paul: “Go ahead—tell us about yourself.”
Paul took the stand and told his story. “I can’t think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I’d rather be answering all these Jewish accusations than you, knowing how well you are acquainted with Jewish ways and all our family quarrels.
4-8 “From the time of my youth, my life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. Practically every Jew in town who watched me grow up—and if they were willing to stick their necks out they’d tell you in person—knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the most demanding branch of our religion. It’s because I believed it and took it seriously, committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors—the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and day all these centuries—it’s because I have held on to this tested and tried hope that I’m being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones standing trial here, not me! For the life of me, I can’t see why it’s a criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead.
9-11 “I admit that I didn’t always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. Backed with the full authority of the high priests, I threw these believers—I had no idea they were God’s people!—into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it came to a vote, I voted for their execution. I stormed through their meeting places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.
12-14 “One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the high priests authorizing my action, right in the middle of the day a blaze of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! We fell flat on our faces. Then I heard a voice in Hebrew: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you insist on going against the grain?’
15-16 “I said, ‘Who are you, Master?’
“The voice answered, ‘I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down like an animal. But now, up on your feet—I have a job for you. I’ve handpicked you to be a servant and witness to what’s happened today, and to what I am going to show you.
17-18 “‘I’m sending you off to open the eyes of the outsiders so they can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I’m sending you off to present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.’
19-20 “What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn’t just walk away from a vision like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. I started preaching this life-change—this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday life—right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, and from there to the whole world.
21-23 “It’s because of this ‘whole world’ dimension that the Jews grabbed me in the Temple that day and tried to kill me. They want to keep God for themselves. But God has stood by me, just as he promised, and I’m standing here saying what I’ve been saying to anyone, whether king or child, who will listen. And everything I’m saying is completely in line with what the prophets and Moses said would happen: One, the Messiah must die; two, raised from the dead, he would be the first rays of God’s daylight shining on people far and near, people both godless and God-fearing.”
24 That was too much for Festus. He interrupted with a shout: “Paul, you’re crazy! You’ve read too many books, spent too much time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real world!”
25-27 But Paul stood his ground. “With all respect, Festus, Your Honor, I’m not crazy. I’m both accurate and sane in what I’m saying. The king knows what I’m talking about. I’m sure that nothing of what I’ve said sounds crazy to him. He’s known all about it for a long time. You must realize that this wasn’t done behind the scenes. You believe the prophets, don’t you, King Agrippa? Don’t answer that—I know you believe.”
28 But Agrippa did answer: “Keep this up much longer and you’ll make a Christian out of me!”
29 Paul, still in chains, said, “That’s what I’m praying for, whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become like me—except, of course, for this prison jewelry!”
30-31 The king and the governor, along with Bernice and their advisors, got up and went into the next room to talk over what they had heard. They quickly agreed on Paul’s innocence, saying, “There’s nothing in this man deserving prison, let alone death.”
32 Agrippa told Festus, “He could be set free right now if he hadn’t requested the hearing before Caesar.”
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson