Acts26

Paul defended himself before King Agrippa, stating that he followed the strictest party in their religion, the Pharisees. He explained that he used to persecute Christians, but then had a vision from Jesus and became a servant and witness for him. Paul preached repentance and turning to God, both to Jews and Gentiles. Festus thought Paul was mad, but Paul insisted he was speaking the truth. King Agrippa said Paul almost persuaded him to become a Christian. Ultimately, it was agreed that Paul had done nothing deserving of death or imprisonment, but he appealed to Caesar. Acts 26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, you have leave to speak on your own behalf. And Paul held up his hand and began his defense. I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that it is before you I am to answer today all the charges made against me by the Jews. The more so, because you are an expert in matters of custom and controversy among the Jews. So I beg you to listen to me patiently. My manner of life for my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem, is common knowledge among the Jews. They have known me for a long time and could testify, if they would, that I followed the strictest party in our religion, living as a Pharisee. And now it is for my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors that I stand here on trial. The promise that our 12 tribes, constant in worship night and day, hope to attain. For that hope, your majesty, I am being put on trial by Jews. In what way is it judged incredible among you that God should raise the dead? As for me, I once thought it was my duty to use every means to oppose the name of Jesus the Nazarene. This I did in Jerusalem. I myself threw many of the saints into prison, acting on authority from the chief priests. And when they were being sentenced to death, I cast my boat against them. In all the synagogues, I often tried to force them to blaspheme by inflicting penalties on them. My fury against them was so extreme that I even pursued them into foreign cities. On such an expedition, I was going to Damascus, armed with full powers and a commission from the chief priests. And in the middle of the day, as I was on my way, your majesty, I saw a light from heaven shining more brilliantly than the sun around me and my fellow travelers. We all fell to the ground. And I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goat. Then I said, who are you, Lord? And the Lord answered, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and stand on your feet for I have appeared to you for this reason, to appoint you as my servant and as a witness of this vision in which you have seen me and of what I shall show you. I shall rescue you from the people and from the nations to whom I send you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to God and receive forgiveness of sins and a share in the inheritance of those who are sanctified by faith in me. After that, King Agrippa. I did not disobey the heavenly vision. On the contrary, I started proclaiming first to the people of Damascus, then to those of Jerusalem and all the Judean territory and also to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God doing deeds worthy of repentance. This was why the Jews laid hands on me in the temple and tried to do away with me. But till this very day, I have received help from God and have stood firm testifying to great and small alike, saying nothing more than what the prophets and Moses himself said would happen, that the Messiah was to suffer and that as the first to rise from the dead, he was to proclaim light both for our people and to the Gentiles. He had reached this point in his defense when Festus shouted out, Paul, you are out of your mind. All that learning is driving you mad. But Paul answered, most excellent Festus, I am not mad. I am speaking words of sober truth. The King understands these matters and to him, I now speak fearlessly. I am confident that nothing of all this comes as a surprise to him. After all, these things were not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe in the prophets? I know you do. At this, Agrippa said to Paul, a little more and you will persuade me to become a Christian. Paul replied, little or much, I would pray to God that not only you, but all who are listening to me today would come to be as I am, except for these bonds. Then the King rose to his feet with the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with him. When they had retired, they talked together and agreed. This man is doing nothing that deserves death or imprisonment. And Agrippa remarked to Festus, the man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.