Atos 26

Atos 26

Barnes wrote, ""Sinners often treat God's messengers kindly, and do much to make them comfortable, and hear them gladly, while they themselves are unwilling to do the thing which is demanded of them--to repent and believe the Gospel. They expect that their kind intentions will be accepted in the place of what God demands--repentance and the forsaking of their sins."" We're not sure how much, if anything, King Agrippa did to make Paul comfortable during the apostle's imprisonment in Caesarea. But he did give Paul a full chance to present his defense and explain the real reason behind his arrest in Jerusalem and the controversy swirling around him. Since Paul was passionate about the Person of Jesus Christ and the gospel ministry, it's not surprising that his defense before Agrippa was delivered with passion. Paul used all of his persuasive powers to present the truth to Agrippa, knowing that this king with a Jewish background was well-versed in ""Jewish customs and controversies"" (Acts 26:3). It is likely that what we have in Acts 26 is a summary of Paul's speech. He set the proceedings in the right framework when he told Agrippa that the heart of the issue was ""what God has promised our fathers"" (Acts 26:6). Later, Paul explained this hope as the death and resurrection of the Messiah (Acts 26:23). Paul took the king step by step through his own Jewish background and upbringing. The apostle mentioned his zeal as a persecutor of Christians (Acts 26:9-11), and his conversion on the Damascus road. With eloquence and conviction, he explained the gospel to Agrippa and those listening as repentance for sin and faith in Jesus. Paul knew that Agrippa was ""familiar with these things"", and so he spoke freely. But the apostle was not content with a solid defense. He wanted Agrippa and the whole audience to believe the gospel. Paul's direct question to the king must have made him squirm a little. Agrippa's edgy retort reveals a man under the searchlight of conviction--maybe the closest the king ever came to believing in Christ. But Paul had done his part in presenting the gospel and asking for a decision. APPLY THE WORD Today's study reminds us that once we have presented Christ and given a person the opportunity to receive Him, the results are God's responsibility. This brings us back to the place of prayer in evangelism. If we have a passion for souls, we will also be passionate in praying for the unsaved friends and relatives on our own list, and for a world of people who need Christ. TODAY IN THE WORD - DEVOTIONAL Does a trial by jury guarantee justice? Not according to Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn: “Juries can be wrong. Dead wrong. Panel members can assemble in a little room after trial and agree as one to illogical, bigoted, emotional or just plain dull-witted conclusions that result in the administration of whimsy, not justice.” Citing dozens of examples, he continues: “Juries can and clearly have been known to acquit the guilty and convict the innocent. Sometimes they are overly skeptical, sometimes they are overly credulous. Sometimes prosecutors, defense attorneys or witnesses misrepresent the facts to them or hide facts from them.” As Paul also found, human justice is an uncertain and often flawed enterprise. No charge was ever proven against the apostle, and in today’s reading Agrippa admitted that they had no reason to hold him except for his appeal to Caesar (Acts 26:32). Acts 24:1-26:32 are full of legal talk about accusations and hearings on guilt and innocence. But the overriding emphasis from Luke’s standpoint and from Paul’s was still the truth and the spread of the Gospel. That’s why the apostle’s defense before Agrippa was much more than just a protest of his innocence of the charges against him. It was a superb summary of the essence of Christianity in which Paul defended two key propositions. First, he reminded the king that faith in a risen, divine Christ is the heart of Christianity (Acts 26:1-8). Paul was on trial because of his belief that God raises the dead, although such a proposition was actually part of the promise that God had made to Israel. Second, Paul maintained that Jesus’ resurrection was attested by his personal encounter with the risen Christ and by the Scriptures themselves (Acts 26:12-23). Paul wasn’t alone in his testimony. Moses and the prophets also said that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead. APPLY THE WORD Today’s text is an example of how a believer can weave Scripture and experience to make a compelling witness. Every time you tell someone about Jesus you are helping to write a new chapter in the unfinished story of the church. Acts 26:2 "In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; BGT Acts 26:2 Περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων σήμερον ἀπολογεῖσθαι NET Acts 26:2 "Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, GNT Acts 26:2 Περὶ πάντων ὧν ἐγκαλοῦμαι ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων, βασιλεῦ Ἀγρίππα, ἥγημαι ἐμαυτὸν μακάριον ἐπὶ σοῦ μέλλων σήμερον ἀπολογεῖσθαι NLT Acts 26:2 "I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, KJV Acts 26:2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: ESV Acts 26:2 "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, CSB Acts 26:2 "I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that today I am going to make a defense before you about everything I am accused of by the Jews, NIV Acts 26:2 "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, NKJ Acts 26:2 "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, NRS Acts 26:2 "I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, YLT Acts 26:2 'Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, king Agrippa, I have thought myself happy, being about to make a defence before thee to-day, NAB Acts 26:2 "I count myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am to defend myself before you today against all the charges made against me by the Jews, NJB Acts 26:2 'I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in that it is before you I am to answer today all the charges made against me by the Jews, GWN Acts 26:2 "King Agrippa, I think I'm fortunate today to stand in front of you and defend myself against every charge that the Jews brought against me. Paul Before Agrippa - Video - 7 minutes Acts 26 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries PAUL'S BLESSED OPPORTUNITY The English word OPPORTUNITY is derived from the Latin phrase "ob portu." In ancient times, before modern harbors, ships had to wait for the timing of the tide before they could make it safely to port. Thus "OB PORTU," described the ship waiting "FOR PORT," ready to seize the moment when it could ride the tide into safe harbor. The captain knew that if he missed the passing tide, the "ob portu," the ship would have to wait for another tide to come in. God gives each of us many "ob portu's", but we must be spiritually wise and Spirit filled in order to see and seize them. As Charles Swindoll said "We are all faced with a series of great opportunities (ob portu's) brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." Shakespeare's famous line from Julius Caesar conveys the same thought: "There is a tide in the affairs of men (an "ob portu"), Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures." And so Paul a man filled with the Spirit of power and discernment recognized that God had given him a once in a lifetime "window of opportunity" before King Agrippa II and so he seized the moment. No wonder he would later write from prison that all believers should be continually (present tense) be "making the most of (Redeeming - KJV) your time (kairos = "opportunity"), because the days are evil. (Eph 5:16). Dear follower of Christ, are you daily filled with the Spirit, so that you too like Paul might recognize those "once in a lifetime" opportunities that God providentially brings across your path? Related Resource: Redeeming the Time Most of the versions have "fortunate" but that reminds me of the Roman goddess "Fortuna" (Greek equivalent) and congers up the thought that Paul was there by "good fortune." It was not by some stroke of fate that Paul was now before Agrippa. Paul was there by good (God's) providence and he considered this as a blessing from God (cf James 1:17+). Why? Because this was what Jesus had promised (Acts 9:15+), prophesying that he would proclaim the Gospel "before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;" and his golden opportunity had arrived and Paul clearly recognized it as such. And so to Paul, this was a blessing from the Lord! Dr J