Acts 26
Paul's Defense before
Agrippa |
1 |
Then Agrip'pa said unto Paul, Thou art
permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand,
and answered for himself:
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2 |
I think myself happy, king Agrip'pa,
because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all
the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
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3 |
especially because I know thee to
be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews:
wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
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4 |
My manner of life from my youth, which
was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the
Jews;
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5 |
which knew me from the beginning, if they
would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I
lived a Pharisee. Acts 23.6 · Phil. 3.5
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6 |
And now I stand and am judged for the
hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
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7 |
unto which promise our twelve
tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come.
For which hope's sake, king Agrip'pa, I am accused of the
Jews.
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8 |
Why should it be thought a thing
incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
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9 |
I verily thought with myself, that I
ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth.
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10 |
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and
many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received
authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I
gave my voice against them.
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11 |
And I punished them oft in every
synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being
exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto
strange cities. Acts 8.3 ; 22.4, 5
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Paul Tells of His
Conversion |
Acts 9.1-19 · 2.6-16 |
12 |
Whereupon as I went to Damascus with
authority and commission from the chief priests,
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13 |
at midday, O king, I saw in the way a
light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round
about me and them which journeyed with me.
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14 |
And when we were all fallen to the earth,
I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to
kick against the pricks.
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15 |
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he
said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
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16 |
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I
have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister
and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of
those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
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17 |
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
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18 |
to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and
inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in
me.
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Paul's Witness to Jews
and Gentiles |
19 |
Whereupon, O king Agrip'pa, I was not
disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
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20 |
but showed first unto them of Damascus, Acts
9.20 and at Jerusalem, Acts 9.28, 29 and
throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for
repentance.
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21 |
For these causes the Jews caught me in
the temple, and went about to kill me.
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22 |
Having therefore obtained help of God, I
continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying
none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say
should come:
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23 |
that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and
should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. Is.
42.6 ; 49.6
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Paul Appeals to
Agrippa to Believe |
24 |
And as he thus spake for himself,
Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much
learning doth make thee mad.
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25 |
But he said, I am not mad, most noble
Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
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26 |
For the king knoweth of these things,
before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of
these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a
corner.
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27 |
King Agrip'pa, believest thou the
prophets? I know that thou believest.
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28 |
Then Agrip'pa said unto Paul, Almost thou
persuadest me to be a Christian.
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29 |
And Paul said, I would to God, that not
only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and
altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
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30 |
And when he had thus spoken, the king
rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with
them:
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31 |
and when they were gone aside, they
talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of
death or of bonds.
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32 |
Then said Agrip'pa unto Festus, This man
might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto
Caesar.
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