Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 26: BIBLE, New American Standard Bible == BIBLE-CENTER

Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 26

¹ Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense:	1 Act 9:15
² “In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; ³ ^a Or because you are especially expertespecially because you are an expert in all customs and^b Or controversial issuesquestions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.	3 Act 6:14 Act 25:19 Act 26:7
⁴ “So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; ⁵ since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am^c Lit being triedstanding trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; ⁷ the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. ⁸ Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead?	4 Gal 1:13 Php 3:5 5 Act 23:6 Php 3:5 Act 22:3 Act 15:5 6 Act 24:15 Act 28:20 Act 13:32 7 Jam 1:1 Act 24:15 Act 28:20 Act 26:2 8 Act 23:6
⁹ “So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And this is^d Lit alsojust what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the^e Or holy onessaints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. ¹¹ And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to^f Or outlyingforeign cities.	9 Joh 16:2 Ti1 1:13 Joh 15:21 10 Act 8:3 Act 9:13 Act 9:1 Act 22:20 11 Mat 10:17 Act 22:19 Act 9:1 Act 22:5
¹² “^g Lit In which thingsWhile so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, ¹³ at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven,^h Lit above the brightness ofbrighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. ¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in theⁱ I.e. Jewish AramaicHebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?^jIt is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶ But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have^k Two early mss read seen Meseen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; ¹⁷ rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’	12 Act 26:12-18 Act 22:6-11 14 Act 9:7 Act 21:40 16 Eze 2:1 Dan 10:11 Act 22:14 Luk 1:2 Act 22:15 17 Jer 1:8 Jer 1:19 Ch1 16:35 Act 9:15 18 Isa 35:5 Isa 42:7 Isa 42:16 Eph 5:8 Col 1:13 Pe1 2:9 Joh 1:5 Eph 5:8 Col 1:12 Th1 5:5 Pe1 2:9 Mat 4:10 Luk 24:47 Act 2:38 Act 20:32 Act 20:21
¹⁹ “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. ²¹ For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. ²² So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; ²³ ^l Lit whetherthat^m I.e. the Messiahthe Christ wasⁿ Lit subject to sufferingto suffer, and^o Lit whetherthat by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”	20 Act 9:19 Act 9:26-29 Act 22:17-20 Act 9:15 Act 13:46 Act 3:19 Mat 3:8 Luk 3:8 21 Act 21:27 Act 21:30 Act 21:31 22 Luk 16:28 Act 10:43 Act 24:14 23 Mat 26:24 Act 3:18 Co1 15:20 Co1 15:23 Col 1:18 Rev 1:5 Isa 42:6 Isa 49:6 Luk 2:32 Co2 4:4
²⁴ While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind!^p Lit The many lettersYour great learning is^q Lit turning you to madnessdriving you mad.” ²⁵ But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words^r Lit of truth and rationalityof sober truth. ²⁶ For the king^s Or understandsknows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a^t I.e. a hidden or secret placecorner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you^u Lit believedo.” ²⁸ Agrippa replied to Paul, “^v Or With a littleIn a short time you^w Or are trying to convincewill persuade me to^x Lit makebecome a Christian.” ²⁹ And Paul said, “^y Or I would pray toI would wish to God, that whether^z Or with a little or with muchin a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”	24 Joh 7:15 Ti2 3:15 25 Act 23:26 Act 24:3 26 Act 26:3 28 Act 11:26 29 Act 21:33
³⁰ The king stood up and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them, ³¹ and when they had gone aside, they began talking to one another, saying, “This man is not doing anything worthy of death or^aa Lit bondsimprisonment.” ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”	30 Act 25:23 31 Act 23:29 32 Act 28:18 Act 25:11


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