Obedience to the Heavenly Vision
Acts 26:1-23, ESV
So 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, 3 especially 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, 7 to 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.
12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of
the chief priests. 13At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter
than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14And when
we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew
language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against
the goads.’ 15And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom
you are persecuting. 16But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you
for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you
have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your
people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so
that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that
they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by
faith in me.’
19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but
declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region
of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God,
performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason the Jews
seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22To this day I have had the help that
comes from God, and so I stand here testifying both to small and great, saying
nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 that the
Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would
proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”