Acts 26:1-18
A King Hears the Testimony
1Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today to defend myself against all the accusations of the Jews,
3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.
4Surely all the Jews know how I have lived from my earliest childhood among my own people, and also in Jerusalem.
5They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the strictest sect of our religion.
6And now I stand on trial because of my hope in the promise that God made to our fathers,
7the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. It is because of this hope, O king, that I am accused by the Jews.
8Why would any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them.
11I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
18to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’
Berean Standard Bible
Agrippa permits Paul to speak. Paul describes his Pharisee background and says he stands on trial because of the promise God made to Israel's ancestors. The hope of the twelve tribes is resurrection, so Paul asks why anyone should find it incredible that God raises the dead.
Paul tells how he once persecuted Jesus' followers, then describes the light and voice on the road to Damascus. Jesus appointed him to serve and witness to what he had seen.
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
The commission includes forgiveness and an inheritance for those sanctified by faith in Jesus. Paul's past is not hidden, but neither is it allowed to define the work Christ gave him.
Agrippa gives Paul permission to speak, and Paul begins by acknowledging that the king is familiar with the customs and controversies of his people. Paul says his way of life from youth has been known in Jerusalem and that he is on trial for the hope God made to Israel's ancestors. The twelve tribes hope to see that promise fulfilled as they worship earnestly, so Paul asks why it should be considered incredible that God raises the dead.
Paul confesses that he once thought he had to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He locked up many believers, voted against them when they were condemned, tried to make them blaspheme, and pursued them even into foreign cities. This history keeps his testimony from becoming self-congratulation. He is not describing a minor change of preference but mercy shown to a determined persecutor.
On the road to Damascus, a light brighter than the sun surrounds him and his companions. Jesus identifies himself as the one Paul is persecuting and appoints Paul as a servant and witness. Jesus promises to rescue him from his own people and from the Gentiles and sends him to open their eyes, turn them from darkness to light, and bring forgiveness and an inheritance to those sanctified by faith.
Questions
1 Why did Paul say he was on trial?
AnswerHe was on trial because of the hope in God's promise to Israel's ancestors.
2 What had Paul done before meeting Jesus?
AnswerHe had imprisoned and persecuted believers and opposed Jesus' name.
3 What did Jesus appoint Paul to be?
AnswerJesus appointed him as a servant and a witness.
4 What would the Gentiles receive by faith?
AnswerThey would receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among God's sanctified people.
What This Means for Us
Jesus does not merely remove us from a wrong path; he gives a new purpose. The same grace that forgives our blindness can make us witnesses who help others move from darkness toward light.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for mercy that changes direction and gives purpose. Open our eyes, forgive our sin, and make our lives useful in pointing others to you. Amen.