The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 26
Vs. 1-3
Paul stands before all the people and Agrippa. He says something nice about Agrippa. He tells him that he is happy for Agrippa to hear him because he knows Agrippa knows about the Jewish laws and customs.
Vs.4-8
Paul said The Jewish leaders know that I have been a good Jew all my life. I learned the Jewish laws and scriptures when I was young. I became a leader in the Jewish group. I was part of the group of Pharisees.
But now they have me on trial because I believe and teach that the promises God made will come true. All 12 tribes of the Jewish believe in these promises of hope.
Yet these Jewish leaders are blaming me for believing and teaching these things.
Why does it seem not possible for God to raise the dead?
(Most of the Jews in all tribes did believe that God could raise the dead and that in the last day God would raise the dead to live in heaven forever.
Vs. 9-18
Paul said that at first he did every thing he could do stop the believers of Jesus of Nazareth. I helped put them in prison. I voted for them to be killed. I beat them and whipped them trying to get them to speak against Christ. I went to cities far away looking for believers in Christ to get them.
On trip I was going to Damascus. I had the permission of the Jewish leaders to go after the believers.
On the way a very bright light brighter than the sun shone down on me and those with me.
We all fell down. I heard a voice say to me in Aramaic language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting (hurting me)? It is hard for you to fight against me.”
Paul said, “I said, who are you, sir?”
The voice said: “I am Jesus the one you are hurting and going against. I have come to show you myself and I want you to be a servant to me. I want you to witness for me. I want you to tell others about what happened here today and about other things I will show you.”
“I will protect you and keep you. I want you to talk to your own people the Jews and to talk to the Gentiles.
I want you to talk to Gentiles. I want you to talk to them so they will see and understand.
I want them to turn from their dark ways and turn from Satan and turn to God and Light. Then they will be forgiven of their sins. They will be given a place among God’s people so they will be set apart by faith in me. They will prove they have changed by the good things they will do.”
Vs. 19-23
Paul said Some of the Jewish leaders arrested me and tried to kill me because I was teaching these things in the temple. But God protected me and so I am here today.
I teach only what the prophets in the Old Testament and Moses said would happen. They said that the Messiah to come would suffer and rise from the dead. And he would be a light to the Jews and the Gentiles.
Vs. 24-32
As Paul was telling all these things Festus said “Paul, all your learning has you talking like a crazy person.”
Paul said “I am not crazy. I am telling you the truth. King Agrippa knows these things are true. He has heard about all of these things.”
Paul said, “King Agrippa, you do believe what the prophets say, don’t you?”
Agrippa stopped him. He said, “Do you think you can make be believe as a Christian so quickly?”
Paul said, “I wish that every one here was a Christian believer as I am.”
After Festus and Agrippa talked about things later Agrippa said Paul has not done anything worthy of death, or to be put into prison. He could have been let go. But since he has already asked to go before Caesar then he will go.
(It makes a person wonder why God let Paul ask to go to Caesar if he could have been let go. But we learn that the years Paul was in Rome he preached to many, many people there before he died. If Paul had never gone to Rome, he would never have preached to any of those people in Italy, and also many of our books in the New Testament would not have been written. Because while Paul was in prison he wrote letters to the churches where he had preached before. Those letters were saved and we have them today to read.)