Acts 26:1-18
A King Hears the Testimony
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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
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Before Agrippa, Paul names the hope at issue: God's promise to his people, including the raising of the dead. He asks why that should be incredible if God is the One doing it. Yet Paul knows firsthand how fiercely a person can oppose Jesus. He once imprisoned believers, supported death sentences, and tried to make them blaspheme.
Jesus met that determined enemy on the road to Damascus. A light brighter than the sun shone around the travelers, and the Lord identified himself as the One Paul was persecuting. The call began with Christ's intervention, not Paul's search for a better assignment.
Jesus appointed him a servant and witness, sending him to people who needed their eyes opened. The purpose was that they would turn from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, receiving forgiveness and an inheritance among those set apart by faith in Jesus.
These are gifts far greater than a change of opinion. Forgiveness answers real guilt; an inheritance means a place among God's people. Paul, who had tried to drive believers into prison, would now announce how sinners could belong to the Lord. His own story displayed the mercy he was sent to proclaim.
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, especially the resurrection promised to the twelve tribes.
2 What had Paul done before meeting Jesus?
AnswerHe had imprisoned many saints, used authority to punish them, and tried to force them to blaspheme while violently opposing Jesus’ name.
3 What did Jesus appoint Paul to be?
AnswerJesus appointed him as a servant and witness to what Paul had seen and to what Jesus would yet show him.
4 What would the Gentiles receive by faith?
AnswerThey would receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Jesus, moving from darkness into God’s light.
What This Means for Us
We should not assume that someone who strongly opposes Jesus is beyond his mercy. Paul had done terrible harm, and Jesus confronted him without pretending it was harmless. We can pray for someone resistant to the gospel and speak truthfully when there is an opportunity. The power to change that person belongs to the Savior who called Paul.
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.