Acts 26:32 - Prayer Tents

Paul Presents His Case to Agrippa

26Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense.G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G4671G2010G3004G5228G4572G5119G3972G1614G5495G626

2"I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, that I can defend myself today against all the accusations of the Jews,G2233G1683G3107G935G67G3195G626G4594G1909G4675G4012G3956G3739G1458G5259G2453

3since you are especially familiar with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen patiently to me.G3122G1492G4571G5607G1109G5037G3956G1485G2532G2213G2596G2453G1352G1189G4675G191G3450G3116

4All the Jews know how I lived from the earliest days of my youth with my own people and in Jerusalem.G3450G3303G3767G981G1537G3503G3588G1096G575G746G1722G3450G1484G1722G2414G2467G3956G2453

5They have known for a long time, if they would but testify to it, that I lived as a Pharisee, adhering to the standards of our strictest religious party.G4267G3165G509G1437G2309G3140G3754G2596G196G139G2251G2356G2198G5330

6"And now I stand here on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors.G2532G3568G2476G2919G1909G1680G1860G1096G5259G2316G4314G3962

7Our twelve tribes, worshiping day and night with intense devotion, hope to attain it. It is because of this hope, O King, that I am accused by the Jews.G1519G3739G2257G1429G1722G1616G3000G2250G2532G3571G1679G2658G4012G3739G1680G935G67G1458G5259G2453

8Why is it thought incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead -G5101G2919G571G3844G5213G1487G2316G1453G3498

9Indeed, I myself thought it my duty to take extreme measures against the name of Jesus from Nazareth.G1473G3303G3767G1380G1683G1163G4238G4183G1727G4314G3686G2424G3480

10That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death.G3739G4160G2532G4160G1722G2414G2532G4183G40G2623G1473G2623G5438G2983G1849G3844G749G5037G846G337G2702G5586

11I would even punish them frequently in every synagogue and try to make them blaspheme. Raging furiously against them, I would hunt them down even in distant cities.G2532G5097G846G4178G2596G3956G4864G315G987G5037G1693G4057G1693G846G1377G2532G1519G2193G1854G4172

12"That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests.G2532G1722G3739G4198G1519G1154G3326G1849G2532G2011G3844G749

13On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.G2250G3319G935G1492G2596G3598G5457G3771G5228G2987G2246G4034G3165G2532G4198G4862G1698

14"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'G1161G2257G2667G3956G2667G1519G1093G191G5456G2980G4314G3165G2532G3004G1446G1258G4549G4549G5101G1377G3165G4642G4671G2979G4314G2759

15"I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' "The Lord answered, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.G1161G1473G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G1377

16But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you.G235G450G2532G2476G1909G4675G4228G1063G3700G4671G1519G5124G4400G4571G5257G2532G3144G5037G3739G1492G5037G3739G3700G4671

17I will continue to rescue you from your people and from the gentiles to whom I am sending you.G1807G4571G1537G2992G2532G1484G1519G3739G3568G649G4571

18You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'G455G846G3788G1994G575G4655G1519G5457G2532G1849G4567G1909G2316G846G2983G859G266G2532G2819G1722G37G4102G1519G1691

19"And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.G3606G935G67G1096G3756G545G3770G3701

20Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea - and after that the gentiles - to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.G235G518G518G4412G1722G1154G2532G2414G5037G1519G3956G5561G2449G2532G1484G3340G2532G1994G1909G2316G4238G2041G514G3341

21For this reason the Jews grabbed me in the temple and kept trying to kill me.G1752G5130G2453G4815G3165G1722G2411G3987G1315

22I have had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen -G5177G3767G5177G1947G3844G2316G2476G891G5026G2250G3140G5037G3398G2532G3173G3004G3762G1622G3739G5037G4396G2532G3475G2980G3195G1096

23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and would bring light both to our people and to the gentiles."G1487G5547G3805G1487G4413G386G1537G3498G3195G2605G5457G2992G2532G1484

24As he continued his defense, Festus shouted, "You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much education is driving you crazy!"G1161G846G5023G626G5347G5346G3173G5456G3972G3105G4183G1121G4062G4571G1519G3130

25But Paul said, "I'm not out of my mind, Your Excellency Festus. I'm reporting what is absolutely true.G1161G5346G3105G3756G3105G2903G5347G235G669G4487G225G2532G4997

26Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn't done in a corner.G1063G935G1987G4012G5130G4314G3739G2532G2980G3955G1063G3982G3756G5100G3762G5130G2990G846G1063G5124G2076G3756G4238G1722G1137

27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!"G935G67G4100G4396G1492G3754G4100

28Agrippa asked Paul, "Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?"2626G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G1722G3641G3982G3165G1096G5546

29Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am - except for these chains!"G1161G3972G2036G302G2172G2316G3756G3440G4571G235G2532G3956G191G3450G4594G1096G2532G1722G3641G2532G1722G4183G5108G3697G2504G1510G3924G5130G1199

30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up.G2532G846G2036G5023G2036G935G450G2532G2232G5037G959G2532G4775G846

31As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."G2532G402G2980G4314G240G3004G3754G3778G444G4238G3762G514G2288G2228G1199

32Agrippa told Festus, "This man could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to the emperor."G1161G5346G67G5347G3778G444G1410G630G1508G1941G1508G1941G2541