Paul Testifies of His Conversion Before a King

Paul Defends Himself

Acts 26

¹Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak to defend yourself.”

Then Paul raised his hand and began to speak. ²He said, “King Agrippa, I am
very happy to stand before you and will answer all the charges the Jewish people
make against me. ³You know so much about all the Jewish customs and the
things the Jews argue about, so please listen to me patiently.

⁴“All the Jewish people know about my whole life, how I lived from the
beginning in my own country and later in Jerusalem. ⁵They have known me for a
long time. If they want to, they can tell you that I was a good Pharisee. And the
Pharisees obey the laws of the Jewish religion more carefully than any other
group. ⁶Now I am on trial because I hope for the promise that God made to our
ancestors. ⁷This is the promise that the twelve tribes of our people hope to
receive as they serve God day and night. My king, the Jews have accused me
because I hope for this same promise! ⁸Why do any of you people think it is
impossible for God to raise people from the dead?

⁹“I, too, thought I ought to do many things against Jesus from Nazareth.
¹⁰And that is what I did in Jerusalem. The leading priests gave me the power to
put many of God’s people in jail, and when they were being killed, I agreed it
was a good thing. ¹¹In every synagogue, I often punished them and tried to make
them speak against Jesus. I was so angry against them I even went to other cities
to find them and punish them.

¹²“One time the leading priests gave me permission and the power to go to
Damascus. ¹³On the way there, at noon, I saw a light from heaven. It was brighter
than the sun and flashed all around me and those who were traveling with me.
¹⁴We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice speaking to me in the Jewish
language, saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are only
hurting yourself by fighting me.’ ¹⁵I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The Lord said, ‘I
am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. ¹⁶Stand up! I have chosen you to be my
servant and my witness—you will tell people the things that you have seen and
the things that I will show you. This is why I have come to you today. ¹⁷I will
keep you safe from your own people and also from those who are not Jewish. I
am sending you to them ¹⁸to open their eyes so that they may turn away from
darkness to the light, away from the power of Satan and to God. Then their sins
can be forgiven, and they can have a place with those people who have been
made holy by believing in me.’

¹⁹“King Agrippa, after I had this vision from heaven, I obeyed it. ²⁰I began
telling people that they should change their hearts and lives and turn to God and
do things to show they really had changed. I told this first to those in Damascus,
then in Jerusalem, and in every part of Judea, and also to those who are not
Jewish. ²¹This is why the Jews took me and were trying to kill me in the Temple.
²²But God has helped me, and so I stand here today, telling all people, small and
great, what I have seen. But I am saying only what Moses and the prophets said
would happen—²³that the Christ would die, and as the first to rise from the dead,
he would bring light to the Jewish and non-Jewish people.”

Paul Tries to Persuade Agrippa

²⁴While Paul was saying these things to defend himself, Festus said loudly,
“Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much study has driven you crazy!”

²⁵Paul said, “Most excellent Festus, I am not crazy. My words are true and
sensible. ²⁶King Agrippa knows about these things, and I can speak freely to him.
I know he has heard about all of these things, because they did not happen off in
a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets wrote? I know you
believe.”

²⁸King Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can persuade me to become a
Christian in such a short time?”

²⁹Paul said, “Whether it is a short or a long time, I pray to God that not only
you but every person listening to me today would be saved and be like me—
except for these chains I have.”

³⁰Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and all the people sitting
with them stood up ³¹and left the room. Talking to each other, they said, “There
is no reason why this man should die or be put in jail.” ³²And Agrippa said to
Festus, “We could let this man go free, but he has asked Caesar to hear his case.”

The Holy Bible, New Century Version

SITUATION

Festus asked Agrippa for advice on Paul's case, When Agrippa asked to hear Paul's case, Paul recounted how Jesus had changed his life.

OBSERVATION

Christ fills a Believer's new life with joy, hope, love, and peace. People still in the "old life" can see the difference but do not always understand it.

INSPIRATION

It is possible for God's people to live in moderation, wisdom, and exuberant joy. We can so conduct ourselves amid a corrupt society and sick culture that we are a credit to our Master....

My walk with God need not in any sense be a spectacular display of special dedication. It need not have any carnival atmosphere about it to be convincing. I don't have to indulge in theatrics to impress either Him or other human beings.

What He desires most is that I walk with Him humbly, quietly, and obediently. The communion between shepherd and sheep is sweet and secure because He knows me and I know Him! (From A Shepherd Looks at the Good Shepherd and His Sheep by Phillip Keller)

APPLICATION

Do you just say, "I believe"? Or, do your actions prove it? Consider volunteering to meet one of your church's needs.

EXPLORATION

Witnessing - Acts 1:8,21-22; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.