¹² “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.^(A)

³ But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.^(A)

Suffering as a Christian

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.^{(A) 14} If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory,^[a] which is the Spirit of God,^[b] is resting on you.^[c](B)

¹³ For the Lord’s sake be subject to every human authority,^[a] whether to the emperor as supreme^(A)

¹⁵ who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets^[a] and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone^{(A) 16} by hindering us from speaking to the gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins, but wrath^[b] has overtaken them at last.^[c](B)

² “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently.^(A)

⁴ “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.^{(B) 5} They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee.^{(C) 6} And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors,^{(D) 7} a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, Your Excellency,^[a] that I am accused by Jews!^{(E) 8} Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?^(F)

⁹ “Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{[b](G) 10} And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death.^{(H) 11} By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme, and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.^(I)

²² Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.”^(A)

Paul Brought before Agrippa

²³ So on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then Festus gave the order and Paul was brought in.^{(B) 24} And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.^{(C) 25} But I found that he had done nothing deserving death, and when he appealed to his Imperial Majesty, I decided to send him.^(D)

¹¹ Now if I am in the wrong and have committed something for which I deserve to die, I am not trying to escape death, but if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can turn me over to them. I appeal to the emperor.”^{(A) 12} Then Festus, after he had conferred with his council, replied, “You have appealed to the emperor; to the emperor you will go.”

Paul Appeals to the Emperor

25 Three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews gave him a report against Paul. They appealed to him^(A)