使徒行傳 26
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
保羅在亞基帕王面前申辯
26 亞基帕對保羅說：「准你為自己辯護。」於是保羅伸手示意，然後為自己辯護說： 2 「亞基帕王啊，面對猶太人對我的種種控告，我今天很榮幸可以在你面前申辯， 3 尤其是你對猶太習俗和各種爭議都十分熟悉。因此，求你耐心聽我說。
4 「我從小在本族和耶路撒冷為人如何，猶太人都知道。 5 他們認識我很久了，如果他們肯作證的話，他們可以證明我從小就屬於猶太教中最嚴格的法利賽派。 6 現在我站在這裡受審，是因為我盼望上帝給我們祖先的應許。 7 我們十二支派日夜虔誠地事奉上帝，盼望這應許能夠實現。王啊！就是因為我有這樣的盼望，才被猶太人控告。 8 上帝叫死人復活，你們為什麼認為不可信呢？ 9 我自己也曾經認為應該盡一切可能反對拿撒勒人耶穌。 10 我在耶路撒冷就是這樣做的。我得到祭司長的授權，把許多聖徒[a]關進監獄。他們被判死刑，我也表示贊同。 11 我多次在各會堂懲罰他們，逼他們說褻瀆的話，我對他們深惡痛絕，甚至到國外的城鎮去追捕、迫害他們。
保羅信主的經過
12 「那時，我帶著祭司長的授權和委託去大馬士革。 13 王啊！大約中午時分，我在路上看見一道比太陽還亮的光從天上照在我和同行的人周圍。 14 我們都倒在地上，我聽見有聲音用希伯來話對我說，『掃羅！掃羅！你為什麼迫害我？你很難用腳去踢刺。』 15 我說，『主啊，你是誰？』主說，『我就是你所迫害的耶穌。 16 你站起來。我向你顯現，是要派你作我的僕人和見證人，把你所看見的和以後我將啟示給你的事告訴世人。 17 我將把你從你的同胞和外族人手中救出來。我差遣你到他們那裡， 18 去開他們的眼睛，使他們棄暗投明，脫離魔鬼的權勢，歸向上帝，好叫他們的罪得到赦免，與所有因信我而聖潔的人同得基業。』
保羅放膽傳道
19 「亞基帕王啊！我沒有違背這從天上來的異象。 20 我先在大馬士革，然後到耶路撒冷、猶太全境和外族人當中勸人悔改歸向上帝，行事為人要與悔改的心相稱。 21 就因為這些事，猶太人在聖殿中抓住我，打算殺我。 22 然而，我靠著上帝的幫助，到今天還能站在這裡向所有尊卑老幼做見證。我講的不外乎眾先知和摩西說過要發生的事， 23 就是基督必須受害，並首先從死裡復活，將光明帶給猶太人和外族人。」
24 這時，非斯都打斷保羅的申辯，大聲說：「保羅，你瘋了！一定是你的學問太大，使你神經錯亂了！」
25 保羅說：「非斯都大人，我沒有瘋。我講的話真實、合理。 26 王瞭解這些事，所以我才敢在王面前直言。我相信這些事沒有一件瞞得過王，因為這些事並非暗地裡做的。 27 亞基帕王啊，你信先知嗎？我知道你信。」
28 亞基帕王對保羅說：「難道你想三言兩語就說服我成為基督徒嗎？」
29 保羅說：「不論話多話少，我求上帝不僅使你，也使今天在座的各位都能像我一樣，只是不要像我這樣帶著鎖鏈。」
30 亞基帕王、總督、百妮姬及其他在座的人都站起來， 31 走到一邊商量說：「這人沒有做什麼該判死刑或監禁的事。」 32 亞基帕王對非斯都說：「這人要是沒有向凱撒上訴，已經可以獲釋了。」
Footnotes
- 26·10 保羅在這裡指的是信耶穌的基督徒。
Acts 26
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 26
King Agrippa Hears Paul. 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak on your own behalf.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. 2 [a]“I count myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am to defend myself before you today against all the charges made against me by the Jews, 3 especially since you are an expert in all the Jewish customs and controversies. And therefore I beg you to listen patiently. 4 My manner of living from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my people[b] and in Jerusalem, all [the] Jews know. 5 (A)They have known about me from the start, if they are willing to testify, that I have lived my life as a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion. 6 (B)But now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors. 7 Our twelve tribes hope to attain to that promise as they fervently worship God day and night; and on account of this hope I am accused by Jews, O king. 8 Why is it thought unbelievable among you that God raises the dead? 9 (C)I myself once thought that I had to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean, 10 and I did so in Jerusalem. I imprisoned many of the holy ones with the authorization I received from the chief priests, and when they were to be put to death I cast my vote against them.(D) 11 Many times, in synagogue after synagogue, I punished them in an attempt to force them to blaspheme; I was so enraged against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12 “On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. 13 (E)At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions.(F) 14 We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?(G) It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’[c] 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.(H) 16 Get up now, and stand on your feet.(I) I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen [of me] and what you will be shown.[d] 17 I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you,(J) 18 to open their eyes[e] that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.’(K)
19 “And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 On the contrary, first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached the need to repent and turn to God, and to do works giving evidence of repentance. 21 (L)That is why the Jews seized me [when I was] in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 (M)But I have enjoyed God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses foretold,[f] 23 that the Messiah must suffer[g] and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”(N)
Reactions to Paul’s Speech. 24 While Paul was so speaking in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning is driving you mad.” 25 But Paul replied, “I am not mad, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and reason. 26 The king knows about these matters and to him I speak boldly, for I cannot believe that [any] of this has escaped his notice; this was not done in a corner.[h] 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?[i] I know you believe.” 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to play the Christian.” 29 Paul replied, “I would pray to God that sooner or later not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am except for these chains.”
30 Then the king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and the others who sat with them. 31 [j]And after they had withdrawn they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing [at all] that deserves death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(O)
Footnotes
- 26:2–23 Paul’s final defense speech in Acts is now made before a king (see Acts 9:15). In the speech Paul presents himself as a zealous Pharisee and Christianity as the logical development of Pharisaic Judaism. The story of his conversion is recounted for the third time in Acts in this speech (see note on Acts 9:1–19).
- 26:4 Among my people: that is, among the Jews.
- 26:14 In Hebrew: see note on Acts 21:40. It is hard for you to kick against the goad: this proverb is commonly found in Greek literature and in this context signifies the senselessness and ineffectiveness of any opposition to the divine influence in his life.
- 26:16 The words of Jesus directed to Paul here reflect the dialogues between Christ and Ananias (Acts 9:15) and between Ananias and Paul (Acts 22:14–15) in the two previous accounts of Paul’s conversion.
- 26:18 To open their eyes: though no mention is made of Paul’s blindness in this account (cf. Acts 9:8–9, 12, 18; 22:11–13), the task he is commissioned to perform is the removal of other people’s spiritual blindness.
- 26:22 Saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses foretold: see note on Lk 18:31.
- 26:23 That the Messiah must suffer: see note on Lk 24:26.
- 26:26 Not done in a corner: for Luke, this Greek proverb expresses his belief that he is presenting a story about Jesus and the church that is already well known. As such, the entire history of Christianity is public knowledge and incontestable. Luke presents his story in this way to provide “certainty” to his readers about the instructions they have received (Lk 1:4).
- 26:27–28 If the Christian missionaries proclaim nothing different from what the Old Testament prophets had proclaimed (Acts 26:22–23), then the logical outcome for the believing Jew, according to Luke, is to become a Christian.
- 26:31–32 In recording the episode of Paul’s appearance before Agrippa, Luke wishes to show that, when Paul’s case was judged impartially, no grounds for legal action against him were found (see Acts 23:29; 25:25).
Acts 26
Tree of Life Version
Defense Before King Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “It is permitted for you to speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. 2 “Concerning all I am accused of by the Judean leaders, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you that I am about to make my defense today— 3 since you are especially knowledgeable about all Jewish customs and issues. Therefore I beg you to listen patiently to me.
4 “Now all the Jewish people have known my manner of life ever since my youth, starting from the beginning in my own nation and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known about me for a long time—if they were willing to testify—that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6 “Yet now I stand here being judged for the hope in the promise made by God to our fathers. 7 It is the promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jewish people, O King! 8 Why is it judged incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9 “In fact, I myself thought it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Yeshua ha-Natzrati. 10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem. Not only did I lock up many of the kedoshim in prisons by the authority I received from the ruling kohanim, but I cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. 11 I tried to cause them to blaspheme by punishing them often in the synagogues. In furious rage against them, I persecuted them even in foreign cities.
12 “While journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the ruling kohanim, 13 at midday, O King, I saw on the road a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against goads!’
15 “Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord said, ‘I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up, and stand on your feet.[a] For I have appeared to you for this purpose—to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things you have seen as well as to the things I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will rescue you[b] from your own people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes—so they may turn from darkness to light[c] and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive release from sins as well as a place among those who are made holy through trusting in Me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Rather, I kept declaring—first to those in Damascus, and then Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also the Gentiles—that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with that repentance.
21 “For this reason some Judeans seized me in the Temple and tried to put me to death. 22 Since I have had God’s help, to this day I have stood here testifying to both small and great. I am saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to happen— 23 that the Messiah was to suffer and that, being first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the nations.[d]”
24 As Paul was thus making his defense, Festus says with a loud voice, “You’re crazy, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”
25 But Paul declares, “I am not insane, most noble Festus! Rather I am speaking the sober truth. 26 For the king knows about these things, and I speak freely to him, since I am convinced that none of these things escape his notice—for this was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do believe!”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time you are trying to persuade me to be Messianic!”[e]
29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would pray to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today would be such as I am—except for these chains!”
30 Then the king stood up, as well as the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them. 31 When they had gone away, they began talking among themselves, saying, “This man is doing nothing deserving of death or chains.”
32 Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.”
Footnotes
- Acts 26:16 cf. Ezek. 2:1; Dan. 10:11.
- Acts 26:17 cf. Jer. 1:8, 19.
- Acts 26:18 cf. Isa. 35:5; 42:7, 16.
- Acts 26:23 cf. Isa. 42:6; 49:6.
- Acts 26:28 Grk. Christianos; Heb. M’shichim; cf. Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.