Title Acts-73
Contents
Act 73 06.7.26 in front of Agrippa (Wednesday Prayer Meeting)
Acts 26:1-32
Paul was polite to King Agrippa and began to tell him what had happened.
Paul said that he was accused of “because we hope for what God has promised our ancestors” (v. 7), which is the resurrection of the dead (v. 8).
It means that without the resurrection of Jesus, this problem would not have happened.
Paul was a persecutor of Jesus before preaching the resurrection of Jesus.
I. Paul is saying that he was an active persecutor.
1. Someone didn't do it, but I volunteered.
“I also thought of myself that I must do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth” (verse 9).
“To do these things in Jerusalem, when I had authority from the chief priests, and put many of the saints in prison and put to death, I voted in favor” (verse 10).
2. The persecution did not stop once and continued.
“And he punished them several times in all the synagogues, forcing them to speak blasphemy, and became very angry with them, and went to foreign cities and persecuted them” (verse 11).
3. They went as far as Damascus to persecute.
“For that reason I went to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests” (verse 12).
4. Worked non-stop.
“It was noon, O king, and as I was walking on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining all around me and my companions” (verse 13).
The Jews did not travel at noon. because the weather is hot. It was past noon when Paul met the Lord on the road to Damascus.
Ⅱ.Paul's persecution is said to have been like kicking back thorns.
“When we all fell to the ground, I heard a voice, saying in Hebrew, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick the thorns” (verse 14).
It is a proverb that indicates that those who rebel against the gods in the Greek world will suffer more as if they paw the plowing cow with thorns, and if the cow kicks the back paw, it will only be pierced by thorns.
This expression is only available here.
1. It shows that persecution was also painful for Paul himself.
Persecution with zeal is rather because there is doubt and anxiety in it.
2. It shows that persecution was like an unwinnable battle from the beginning.
3. Persecution indicates that God was a way to subdue him.
“Arise, stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you, that I may make you a servant and a witness in what you have seen me and what I will appear to you” (verse 16).
Ⅲ. It shows that God called Paul the persecutor.
1. It shows that God saved him from both Jews and Gentiles.
“I have saved you from Israel and from the Gentiles, and I have sent you to them” (verse 17).
It is said that God saved Paul to send them to them.
2. It shows that God called Paul to preach the gospel.
“It will open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive the forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the multitudes who are sanctified by faith in me” (verse 18).
What does it mean to be called by God?
1). Open your eyes and go from darkness to light.
“Opening their eyes from darkness to light---”
2). Breaking from the power of Satan and returning to God.
“--to turn from the power of Satan to God---”
3). It is to receive the forgiveness of sins and gain the inheritance of the saints.
“--a remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by believing in me--”
Ⅳ. Paul is explaining to King Agrippa about the gospel preaching he is doing.
1. Paul says that what he is doing is not to disobey God.
“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I did not disobey what was seen in heaven” (verse 19).
2. Paul said, “Repent and turn to God, and do works that are worthy of repentance.”
“First, to those who were in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the land of Judea and to the Gentiles, to repent and turn to God, and to do works worthy of repentance” (verse 20).
1). These are the places where Paul actually preached the gospel in order.
After meeting the Lord, Paul immediately evangelized.
2). What Paul preached is, “Repent and turn to God, and do works that are worthy of repentance.”
3. The words Paul preached are “what the prophets and Moses said that it must come to pass”.
“With the help of God, I stand to this day and testify before men high and low, except for what the prophets and Moses said it must be” (verse 22).
1). This means that it is not unfamiliar because the prophets and Moses also said it.
2). It is that Christ suffered and rose from the dead to bring light to the world.
“that the Christ would suffer, and that he would be the first to rise from the dead to bring light to Israel and to the Gentiles” (verse 23).
V. Shows Paul's reaction to what he said before Agrippa.
1. Festus said that Paul was crazy.
“When Paul made this excuse, Festus cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Paul, you are crazy; your great learning is driving you crazy” (verse 24).
But Paul answered, “I am not crazy, but I speak true and perfect words-(verse 26).
2. King Agrippa said that Paul was trying to make him a Christian with a few words.
“Agrippa said to Paul, “You are persuading me with a few words, that I may become a Christian” (verse 28).
3. Paul said that anyone who listens to him wants to be like me except in bondage like him.
“Paul said, “I speak little, but many, but I want not only you, but also all who listen to me today, to be like me, except in these bounds” (verse 29).
4. The king, the governor, Bernice, and others also said that Paul had done nothing deserving of death or imprisonment.
“They went away and said to one another, ‘This man has no deeds worthy of death or bondage’” (verse 31).
Lessons learned and application
1. We must learn a lesson about persecutors.
1). Even persecutors must believe in the grace of God who calls them to be workers.
2).The persecutor is tormenting others, but must know that he is suffering spiritually.
Therefore, we should have compassion for the persecutors and pray for them.
3). We must believe that preaching the gospel is important enough to use persecutors.
2. Paul shows that he is doing his best to spread the gospel.
Since Paul had already petitioned for Caesar's trial, it may be thought that the trial was not meaningful, but Paul took advantage of the opportunity to preach the gospel.
3. Paul's trial before King Agrippa became a process of reaffirming Paul's innocence.