Acts 25:23-26:11
#God #People #Time #Place #Obedient faith #Sin #Key Idea
Acts 25:23-26:11 (ESV)
23So on the
next day Agrippa
and Bernice
came with great pomp,
and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the
command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24And Festus
said, “King
Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me,
both in Jerusalem and
here, shouting that he ought
not to live any longer. 25But I found that he had done nothing deserving death.
And as he himself appealed to the
emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him.
Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so
that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not
to indicate the charges against him.”
Paul’s Defense
Before Agrippa
1So Agrippa said to Paul,
“You have permission to speak
for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:
2“I consider myself fortunate
that it is before you, King Agrippa,
I am going to make my defense today
against all the accusations of the Jews, 3especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews.
Therefore I beg you to listen
to me patiently.
4“My manner of
life from my youth, spent
from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem,
is known by all the Jews. 5They have known for a long time,
if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have
lived as a Pharisee. 6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our
fathers, 7to which our twelve
tribes hope to attain, as
they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
9“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10And I did so in Jerusalem.
I not only locked up
many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11And I punished
them often in all the
synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme,
and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign
cities.
Hashtags
#Paul
#Jews – the whole Jewish people
#Festus
#chief priests
#Agrippa the king
#Bernice
#Prominent men
#the emperor
#twelve tribes
#the saints
Places
#Jerusalem
#foreign cities
Topics
# resurrection
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- What is the problem Festus faces? Why doesn't he simply let Paul go? How could Agrippa be in a position to help (26.3)?
- According to Paul, what issue is the real source of his conflict with the Jewish leaders (see 23,6; 24:21; 26.6-8)? Why do you think his adversaries never directly bring this out (see 18:15)? How does his conviction about the Resurrection differ from that of the Pharisees, who in theory believed in a general resurrection as well?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What difference does make to you that Jesus truly rose from the dead? What would be different about your faith if that were not the case?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
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