Acts 26:32 - Prayer Tents

Paul’s Defense before Agrippa

26And Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and [proceeded] to make his defense:G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G4671G2010G3004G5228G4572G5119G3972G1614G5495G626

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;G2233G1683G3107G935G67G3195G626G4594G1909G4675G4012G3956G3739G1458G5259G2453

3especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among [the] Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.G3122G1492G4571G5607G1109G5037G3956G1485G2532G2213G2596G2453G1352G1189G4675G191G3450G3116

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;G3450G3303G3767G981G1537G3503G3588G1096G575G746G1722G3450G1484G1722G2414G2467G3956G2453

5since they have known about me for a long time previously, if they are willing to testify, that I lived [as] a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion.G4267G3165G509G1437G2309G3140G3754G2596G196G139G2251G2356G2198G5330

6"And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;G2532G3568G2476G2919G1909G1680G1860G1096G5259G2316G4314G3962

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.G1519G3739G2257G1429G1722G1616G3000G2250G2532G3571G1679G2658G4012G3739G1680G935G67G1458G5259G2453

8"Why is it considered incredible among you [people] if God does raise the dead?G5101G2919G571G3844G5213G1487G2316G1453G3498

9"So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.G1473G3303G3767G1380G1683G1163G4238G4183G1727G4314G3686G2424G3480

10"And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them.G3739G4160G2532G4160G1722G2414G2532G4183G40G2623G1473G2623G5438G2983G1849G3844G749G5037G846G337G2702G5586

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 foreign cities.G2532G5097G846G4178G2596G3956G4864G315G987G5037G1693G4057G1693G846G1377G2532G1519G2193G1854G4172

12"While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,G2532G1722G3739G4198G1519G1154G3326G1849G2532G2011G3844G749

13at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me.G2250G3319G935G1492G2596G3598G5457G3771G5228G2987G2246G4034G3165G2532G4198G4862G1698

14"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'G1161G2257G2667G3956G2667G1519G1093G191G5456G2980G4314G3165G2532G3004G1446G1258G4549G4549G5101G1377G3165G4642G4671G2979G4314G2759

15"And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.G1161G1473G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G1377

16'But arise, 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 seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;G235G450G2532G2476G1909G4675G4228G1063G3700G4671G1519G5124G4400G4571G5257G2532G3144G5037G3739G1492G5037G3739G3700G4671

17delivering you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,G1807G4571G1537G2992G2532G1484G1519G3739G3568G649G4571

18to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. 'G455G846G3788G1994G575G4655G1519G5457G2532G1849G4567G1909G2316G846G2983G859G266G2532G2819G1722G37G4102G1519G1691

19"Consequently, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,G3606G935G67G1096G3756G545G3770G3701

20but [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.G235G518G518G4412G1722G1154G2532G2414G5037G1519G3956G5561G2449G2532G1484G3340G2532G1994G1909G2316G4238G2041G514G3341

21"For this reason [some] Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.G1752G5130G2453G4815G3165G1722G2411G3987G1315

22"And 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;G5177G3767G5177G1947G3844G2316G2476G891G5026G2250G3140G5037G3398G2532G3173G3004G3762G1622G3739G5037G4396G2532G3475G2980G3195G1096

23that the Christ was to suffer, [and] that by reason of [His] resurrection from the dead He should be the first to proclaim light both to the [Jewish] people and to the Gentiles. "G1487G5547G3805G1487G4413G386G1537G3498G3195G2605G5457G2992G2532G1484

24And while [Paul] was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! [Your] great learning is driving you mad."G1161G846G5023G626G5347G5346G3173G5456G3972G3105G4183G1121G4062G4571G1519G3130

25But Paul *said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.G1161G5346G3105G3756G3105G2903G5347G235G669G4487G225G2532G4997

26"For the king knows 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 corner.G1063G935G1987G4012G5130G4314G3739G2532G2980G3955G1063G3982G3756G5100G3762G5130G2990G846G1063G5124G2076G3756G4238G1722G1137

27"King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do."G935G67G4100G4396G1492G3754G4100

28And Agrippa [replied] to Paul, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian."G1161G67G5346G4314G3972G1722G3641G3982G3165G1096G5546

29And Paul [said,] "I would to God, that whether in 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."G1161G3972G2036G302G2172G2316G3756G3440G4571G235G2532G3956G191G3450G4594G1096G2532G1722G3641G2532G1722G4183G5108G3697G2504G1510G3924G5130G1199

30And the king arose and the governor and Bernice, and those who were sitting with them,G2532G846G2036G5023G2036G935G450G2532G2232G5037G959G2532G4775G846

31and when they had drawn aside, they [began] talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything worthy of death or imprisonment."G2532G402G2980G4314G240G3004G3754G3778G444G4238G3762G514G2288G2228G1199

32And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."G1161G5346G67G5347G3778G444G1410G630G1508G1941G1508G1941G2541