Acts

Chapter 26
1~~ Then Agrippa said unto Paul, "It is permitted for YOU to speak for yourself {condescending statement in the Greek}." Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and began to make a legal defense, himself.

2~~"I have concluded myself absolutely, emphatically, without equivocation . . . happy {relaxed mental attitude-grace in his soul}, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before
you . . . concerning all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews."

{Note: No hypocrisy, or phony start or false praise for the king or Festus from Paul.}

3~~"Especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I make a polite request that you listen to me indulgently."

4~~"The Jews 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 according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee."

6~~"And now, in contrast, I stand in the past with the result that I am now speaking and being judged for the hope of the promise made from God unto our fathers."

{Note: Jewish Theology and unconditional promises to Israel - all have promise of eternal Life. Here is the Abrahamic promise.}

7~~ "Unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving day and night . . . the hope . . . to arrive. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews."

{Note: Actually 13 tribes but Joseph had two so 12 is usually used in speaking. Paul says the legalistic unbelieving Jews are still hoping for the Messiah to come.}

8~~"Why should it be judged a thing unbelievable by you, if God should raise the dead . . . and He has {first class condition}?"

9~~"I verily thought with myself, that I should take the responsibility {have a policy} to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth."

{Note: "Jesus of Nazareth was a derogative title or the 'despised title for Jesus'. It implied that he was NOT the Son of David or the Son of God because the Old Testament declared he would come from Bethlehem not Nazareth. Paul uses it on purpose but he is recanting himself as Saul of Tarsus here persecuting Christians.}

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 {Sanhedran}. And when they were put to death, I gave down my pebble against them {voted to kill them}."

{Note: Saul of Tarsus not only had a policy to stamp out Christianity, he ACTED on his policy!}

11~~"And I avenged myself upon them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme {would not kill them if they would renounce Christ}. And being exceedingly mad {psychosis} against them, I kept on persecuting them even unto outside cities."

{Note: This is one of the reasons Paul says he was the GREATEST SINNER of all time. His zeal for stamping out Christianity actually pushed him over the edge and he was off his rocker! The word used here is mad is 'emmainomai' which is the strongest Greek term for actual psychosis - we get 'mania' from it}}

12~~"Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests."

13~~"At midday, O king, I kept on having a panoramic view in the way a light from the ultimate source of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me."

14~~"And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice constantly speaking face to face to me {only Paul heard . . . others heard thunder}, and communicating in the Hebrew dialect, "Saul, Saul, why do you keep on persecuting Me? HARD! {Refers to Saul's scar-tissue of the soul} . . . for you to revolt {unreasonable or stupid resistance} against the spurs {or cattle prod}."

15~~And I said, "Who are you, Lord? And He said, "I am Jesus Whom you keep on persecuting."

16~~"GET UP! STAND UP ON YOUR FEET! For I have been seen {panoramic view} by YOU for this purpose . . . to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto you."

17~~"Rescuing you from the people {the Jews} and from the
Gentiles . . . unto whom {the Gentiles} I now send you."

18~~"To open their eyes {eyes of the soul}, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, for the purpose that they receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith toward Me."

19~~"Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I did not become disobedient unto the heavenly vision."

20~~ "But declared from the ultimate source of Himself first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles . . . that they should repent {change of attitude} and turn toward God, and practice works worthy of repentance."

21~~"For these causes the Jews seized me with violence in the temple, and began an attempt to try to kill me {to begin an action that is never completed - to make a good try}."

22~~"Having therefore obtained assistance from the ultimate source of God {by grace}, I stood at this point with the result that I keep on standing unto this day, making solemn declarations of truth {witnessing} both to small and great {men of little or great human importance} saying no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say are about to happen."

23~~ "That Christ is the subject of suffering {at the cross}, and if first, and He is {1st class condition}, He should be resurrected from the dead {first fruits}, and should proclaim according to a norm or standard {standard is the Old Testament prophesy here} unto the people {Jews}, and to the Gentiles {entire Roman world}."

{Note: By mentioning 'the anointed one' or Christ, Paul is referring to the Messiah of the Old Testament and the crowd will start to agitate. Festus picks up on this.}

24~~And as he {Paul} thus continued to make a defense for himself, Festus uttered a sound {to interrupt Paul - Festus has lost his poise} with a loud voice, "Paul, you are raving MAD!" {People here would be looking up at Festus so he continues} "Much learning does turn you around to madness."

{Note: Name calling here. Satan and his followers will always use name calling to discourage the learning of bible doctrine.}

25~~But he {Paul} said, "I am not raving mad, most noble Festus {shows poise and alertness of mind}. But I declare deep and technical words {doctrines that Festus would not understand but Agrippa would understand because Agrippa is Jewish} and Truth and I do this in soundness of mind."

{Note: By addressing Festus, Paul is really addressing Agrippa and he will now catch on!}

26~~"For the king {Agrippa} has a technical knowledge of these things {Paul is saying if I am mad then SO IS KING AGRIPPA MAD! Beautiful trap by Paul}, face to face with whom I have communicated - speaking with boldness. For none of these things escape without being noticed. For this thing was not done in a corner."

{Note: Idiom. Agrippa has been in the temple and studied the Old Testament Scripture. He understands or should of what Paul speaks.}

27~~"King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I have known for a long time that you believe {in the Old Testament Scriptures}."

{Note: Believing the Old Testament will not save you. It reveals Christ, but only believing in Christ will save you.}

28~~Then Agrippa face to face with Paul said, "With a few words, are you trying to persuade me . . .to make me a Christian?"

29~~Then Paul said {getting in last word gives conclusion to 4th class condition - if you would believe in Christ, I wish you would but you won't}, "I have a strong desire that not only you, but also all that hear me would become {something they are not} with little or much effort to become as I am . . . except these bonds."

{Note: Paul is saying with a Few or a Lot of words, he wishes they would become saved but knows they will not - Agrippa is a genius so two geniuses are sparing words here.}

30~~And when he had thus spoken, the king Jumped UP . . . and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them.

{Note: Protocol here. They all have to get up when the king does - Paul won the war of words!}.

31~~And when they retreated/retired, they kept on discussing face to face with each other saying, "This man does not practice anything worthy of death {Jewish desire} or of imprisonment {Roman's desire}."

32~~Then said Agrippa unto Festus {Mixed up syntax indicates Agrippa was shook up here}, "This man was constantly able to have been freed, if {2nd class condition reversed order first} he had not appealed unto Caesar {but he has}."

{Note: Agrippa and Festus agree Paul is innocent and should be set free, but they do not free him! And, the judges did not accept Christ as their savior so the judges will be judged at the Great White Throne of Christ.}

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