Scriptural text: Acts 26:1-11
Lesson Context: The book of Acts relates one of the most significant mindset changes made by an indi- vidual throughout history. That change involved a man named Saul, who was a deadly enemy of Christi- anity at first (Acts 7:60b- 8:3). But after an encounter with the risen Lord, Saul became Christianity’s chief proponent.
l. Paul Begins His Defense (Acts 26:1-8): A. What Agrippa Knew (vv. 1-3).
1. “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and answered for himself.” Paul stood before the man whose great grandfather had tried to kill Jesus as a baby: his grandfather had John the Baptist beheaded; his father martyred the first apostle. James Agrippa’s family made him unlikely to receive Paul warmly.
2. “I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touch- ing all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews.” Though he was a prisoner, Paul was happy to speak before Agrippa. First, be- cause he was pleased to have the evidence of his case examined closely by the highest officials, but also because he was pleased to preach the gospel to kings and rulers.
3. “Especially 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.” Paul acknowledges Agrippa’s familiarity with Jewish matters, as Paul does again in Acts 26:26. Herod’s family was outwardly Jewish. They made a point of following aspects of the Law of Moses. But it was equally obvious they were more interested in being loyal to Rome.
B. What the Jews Knew (vv. 4-5).
“My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.” Paul was born in Tarsus, several hundred miles from Jerusalem. Yet at a relatively young age he came to live at Jerusalem. Not only was Paul a faithful Jew, but was known as a faithful man among the Jews, living according to the strictest sect of the Pharisees.
C. What the Accusation Was (vv. 6-8).
Paul made it clear that in both his heart and mind he remained a faithful Jew. His trust in Jesus was an outgrowth of his trust in the hope of the promise made by God and he argued that for this hope’s sake…I am accused by the Jews.
ll. Paul Summarizes His Error (Acts 26:9-11). A. Opposed the Name (v.
9). “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” Before his conversion, Paul believed he must persecute the followers of Jesus. Some he imprisoned (shut up in prison), some he killed (they were put to death, and some he forced to renounce Jesus (compelled them to blaspheme). Before his conversion, Paul was an angry man. His great rage showed that his relationship with God was not right, despite his diligent religious observance.
V. 11 “And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.” To his horror, Paul had been harming people who were in the right. He was threatening that many could not believe his change of heart at first (Acts 9:26). Paul carried the weight of this sin for the rest of his days (l Corinthians 15:9).
References: David Guzik’s Bible Commentary (Blue Letter), International Sunday School Commentary KJV 2023-2024