READING THE BOOK OF ACTS: CHAPTER 26

 READING THE BOOK OF ACTS: CHAPTER 26

Wednesday, March 3, 2023

 INTRODUCING ACTS, CHAPTER 26

After being held in custody for two years and, again, hassled by the Sanhedrin who want to kill him because he teaches that Jesus rose from the grave, Paul appeals his case to Caesar (Acts 25:7–12). Before he travels to Rome, however, Governor Festus has Paul give his testimony before King Agrippa II and the noblemen of Caesarea Maritima (Act 25:23–27). When Paul is finished, they realize they should have set him free before he appealed to Caesar (Acts 26:30–32). But he must go to Rome, surviving a violent storm and a shipwreck along the way (Acts 27—28). (https://www.bibleref.com/Acts/26/Acts-chapter-26.html)

1) Verses 1-10, DESTINY

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: ² “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, ³ and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. ⁴ “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee. ⁶ And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our ancestors that I am on trial today. ⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me. ⁸ Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? ⁹ “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰ And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

NOTATIONS:

• Paul was trained as a Pharasee ever since he was a child. Remember the Pharasee believed in the resurrection of the dead. But, the Sadducees did not.
• Paul was a devout traditional Jew who highly respected the Mosaic law to the point that he hunted down Christians to kill them.
• When Paul was stopped by Christ on his way to Dasmascus, Syria, he was on his way to further persecute Christians who would not recant their belief in the resurrection of Christ.

SECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Who was the king Paul defending himself before? (V.2)

2. What did Paul say was the reason he was on trial? (V.6-7) *

3. Who authorized Paul to put many of the Lord's people in prison? (V.10)

4. In verses 1- 10, Paul talked about how he had been a devout Jew from his childhood into his adult life as a highly learned Pharasee. Why do you think he shared all of this with King Agrippa, the military, and civil leaders of Caesarea?

2) Verses 11-21, JEANNIE

¹¹ Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities. ¹² “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,^[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵ “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. ¹⁷ I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ ¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. ²¹ That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.

NOTATIONS: 

• Jesus appointed Paul as a servant of his kingdom. Jesus said that he would rescue Paul so that he could spread the Goo News of the Gospel to the Gentiles which would rescue them from darkness to light. [Read verse 17-18]
• Paul tries to get them to understand that he was being for BELIEVING in the hope of the prophets and of Moses. [Verses 6-7]

SECTION QUESTIONS:

5. What happened to Paul on his journey to Damascus? (V.12-14)

6. What did Jesus tell Paul in his 'vision from heaven'? (V.15-18)

7. Why did Paul say the Jews seized him in the Temple courts and tried to kill him? (V.19-21) *

3) Verses 22-32, MRS. ELNORA

²² But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” ²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” ²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” ²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” ²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” ³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. ³¹ After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.” ³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

NOTATIONS:  

• Maybe because Festus has only been in the region for a short while, he couldn't phathom the idea of the resurrection of the dead. So, he thinks Paul has gone crazy. 
• Paul makes the assumption that King Arippa may have more understanding or acceptance of what he believes as opposed to Festus. You see how he continues to command the attention of King Agrippa by calling his name? 
• If Paul had not appealed to Caesar, they would have had no choice but to free him because they determined that Paul had done no criminal act. But since he appealed to Caesar, they had to send him to Rome. 

SECTION QUESTIONS:

8. What did the resurrection of Jesus bring His people? (V.23)

9. Why do you think Festus thinks Paul has lost his mind? (V.22-24)

10. What did Paul ask King Arippa? What was the king's reply? (V.27-28)

11. What was the verdict for Paul? (V.31)

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Journal Entry/Share:

(1) What do you think will happen when Paul goes before Caesar in Rome? (2) Do you think you would have appealed to Caesar like Paul did in this account,why or why not?

Prayer Confession: 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Word. We thank you for the minsitry of Paul and all that we have learned as we studied his walk in the ministry. You took someone who was the worst kind of sinner and made him a brave and confident follower of Christ. We thank you for the workings of the Holy Spirit. He builds us up like he did for Paul and reminds us who we really are. Holy Spirit undergirds us with strength and power. Thank you God that in the difficult times as well as in the good we are not alone. You are with us. Sanctify us; consecrate us so that you can use us for your service. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.