Paul defends himself before King Agrippa, stating that the Jews are aware of how devoutly he followed Pharisaic laws and customs from his youth in Jerusalem. However, he explains that the real reason for the accusations against him is because he believes in the coming fulfillment of God's promises to the Israelites, including the resurrection of the dead. Paul admits that in his past life before converting to Christianity, he had violently persecuted Jesus' followers in Jerusalem and foreign cities. Next week the story of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus will be discussed.

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February 13, 2013
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2. The Apostle Paul is brought
before Governor Festus, King
Agrippa, and Agrippa’s wife
and sister -- Bernice.
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3. Acts 26 1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art
permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched
forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2 I think
myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer
for myself this day before thee touching all the
things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3 Espe-
cially because I know thee to be expert in all
customs and questions which are among the Jews:
wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
Complimentary, but honestly so, unlike the
lawyer Tertullus we saw earlier.
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4. Hear me patiently.
Paul was going to lay it all out, since he had someone
who would actually understand his meaning.
4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at
the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem,
know all the Jews;
The Jews know how I grew up;
They saw me in Jerusalem.
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5. 5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they
would testify, that after the most straitest sect of
our religion I lived a Pharisee.
They knew, if they would confess the truth,
that Paul had lived according to the strictest branch
of the Pharisees in his early life.
He had believed in and practiced the strictest
interpretation of the Jewish laws and customs.
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6. Let’s look back to --
Acts 22:3 (TLB) "I am a Jew," he said, "born in
Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, but educated here in
Jerusalem under Gamaliel, at whose feet I learned
to follow our Jewish laws and customs very
carefully. I became very anxious to honor God in
everything I did, just as you have tried to do today.
Back to our text in Acts 26
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7. (TLB) 6 But the real reason behind their
accusations is something else -- it is because I am
looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s Pro-
mise made to our ancestors. 7 The twelve tribes of
Israel strive night and day to attain this same hope I
have! Yet, O King, for me it is a crime, they say!
Exodus 3:6 (TLB) (God told Moses) I am the God
of your fathers -- the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob." …
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8. God had made Promises to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob that were not yet fulfilled.
To fulfill those Promises God would have to
raise them from the dead.
8 Why should it be thought a
thing incredible with you, that
God should raise the dead?
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9. 9Iverily thought with myself, that I ought to do
many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of
Nazareth.
Paul (formerly Saul) had fought hard against
those who believed that Jesus was Messiah.
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10. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of
the saints did I shut up in prison, having received
authority from the chief priests; and when they
were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and
compelled them (tortured them) to blaspheme; and
being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted
them even unto strange cities (cities in foreign
lands).
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11. Next week – Paul’s conversion on the road to
Damascus.
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12. Paul had a very wicked past, although he was
devoutly Jewish in his early life.
He had rejected their Messiah.
He had arrested and helped kill those who had
accepted Jesus, the true Messiah.
And yet God saved him from sin and from hell.
Would you be free from your past and your pride?
There’s Power in the Blood of Jesus.
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