Acts 26:1-8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0<\/i>Then Agrippa said to Paul, \u201cYou have permission to speak for yourself.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
So Paul motioned with his hand\u00a0and began his defense:\u00a02\u00a0\u201cKing Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you\u00a0today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,\u00a03\u00a0and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs\u00a0and controversies.\u00a0Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.\u00a0\u00a04\u00a0\u201cThe Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,\u00a0from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.\u00a05\u00a0They have known me for a long time\u00a0and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect\u00a0of our religion, living as a Pharisee.\u00a06\u00a0And now it is because of my hope\u00a0in what God has promised our ancestors\u00a0that I am on trial today.\u00a07\u00a0This is the promise our twelve tribes\u00a0are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.\u00a0King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.\u00a08\u00a0Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>Then Agrippa said to Paul, \u201cYou have permission to speak for yourself.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0So Paul motioned with his hand\u00a0and began his defense.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Maybe, probably in an old movie, you\u2019ve seen an orator give a circular wave of his hand before speaking to his audience.\u00a0\u00a0That is an old tradition dating back to ancient times.\u00a0\u00a0It is a way to start and a gesture of respect.<\/p>\n \u201cKing Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you\u00a0today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0It was customary to acknowledge a, or several, VIP\u2019s in the audience.\u00a0\u00a0Paul is discerning so as to know that though Governor Festus was in charge, it was King Agrippa who was, at that time, the most important person in the attendance.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs\u00a0and controversies.\u00a0Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul was aware that King Agrippa was part Jewish.\u00a0\u00a0It had been a family trait, being part Jewish, to be very interested in all things Jewish.\u00a0\u00a0The Herods knew the Jewish history, the scriptures, what they believed and, importantly, what they disagreed about.\u00a0\u00a0Being well acquainted with Jewish customs and controversies did not make King Agrippa a practicing Jew.\u00a0\u00a0Even today we have many people who study the Christian Bible, and are able to quote it extensively, yet who have never committed to Christianity.\u00a0\u00a0Such was King Agrippa, as we shall see.<\/p>\n Notice that Paul noted to King Agrippa that he, the king, was well aware of the controversies among the Jews.\u00a0\u00a0He will, in his speech, appeal to that knowledge.\u00a0\u00a0For now, Paul asks the King to bear with him as he defends what he believes.\u00a0\u00a0What he believes is really what is on trial.<\/p>\n \u201c\u201cThe Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,\u00a0from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem.\u00a05\u00a0They have known me for a long time\u00a0and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect\u00a0of our religion, living as a Pharisee.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0As Paul had testified to the Jewish leaders about his strict adherence to the same beliefs that they had (Acts 22:3-5<\/b>), which they could not and did not deny because there were too many witnesses to attempt to do so, so he here gave the same testimony before his present audience of almost exclusive Romans.\u00a0\u00a0Yet, Paul remained cognizant that King Agrippa was his target audience.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now it is because of my hope\u00a0in what God has promised our ancestors\u00a0that I am on trial today.\u00a07\u00a0This is the promise our twelve tribes\u00a0are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul asserts that the reason he is on trial is because of the same hope that all Jews have of the promised Messiah.\u00a0\u00a0They all believed that a Messiah was promised to the Jews (and really to the world).\u00a0\u00a0They had many disagreements over the scripture on how God would bring that about.\u00a0\u00a0We might compare that to the different beliefs about the \u201cRapture\u201d of the church, or if there will be a Rapture.\u00a0\u00a0Most will agree that being a Christian is not dependent on what we believe about the Rapture, but on who Jesus was, what He did, and how what He did applies to us, that is essential.\u00a0\u00a0So Jews could argue about when the Messiah would come, and what He would come to do, and yet all know that they were all still Jewish, just with some difference of opinions.<\/p>\n Now we remember that Paul had said to King Agrippa that he (King Agrippa) was \u201cwell acquainted\u201d with the controversies among the Jews.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0So the king was aware of the controversies concerning messianic beliefs, and also about the resurrection of the dead.\u00a0\u00a0Paul was leading his audience, and especially King Agrippa, by stating what the king knew to be true in order to lead him to what Paul would ultimately assert, that the Messiah had come, that He was crucified and had died, that He had risen from the dead and that the name of the risen Messiah is none other than Jesus Christ, whom Paul serves.<\/p>\n The great hope of the Jews was the hope of the Messiah and the job of the Messiah was restoration.\u00a0\u00a0Yet what they didn\u2019t understand was that the restoration was to come in two parts.\u00a0\u00a0The first part was to restore God\u2019s people to Himself and the second part was to come and vanquish the enemies of God. So the Jews waited for a Messiah and Paul believed and taught that the long awaited Messiah had in fact already come and had and does offer grace to all who would come.<\/p>\n Paul acknowledged that the Jews \u201cearnestly serve God day and night<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0He knew them to be earnest.\u00a0\u00a0He knew that though they were earnest they were tragically wrong.\u00a0\u00a0Really, so many people in our day our earnest and they think they know the right way to go, but they are also tragically wrong. (Proverbs 14:12<\/b>) There is only One Way. (1 Timothy 2:5<\/b>)<\/p>\n \u201cKing Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.\u00a08\u00a0Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?<\/i>\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Paul is asserting to the king, who was well aware of the many different doctrinal differences among the Jews, that what he was accused of was yet another doctrinal difference.\u00a0\u00a0Of course this doctrinal difference was not unimportant, but essential to their spiritual lives.<\/p>\n Paul said to all, but the target of his statement was the king, that knowing all that the scripture says about God, why should God resurrecting the dead be something hard to believe?\u00a0\u00a0If someone does not believe that God can raise the dead then the god they believe in is too small.\u00a0\u00a0If that is so, then they really do not understand who God is.\u00a0\u00a0All who really know Him, who press in to know Him, know that for God to resurrect the dead is no harder than the creation of man, or the creation of the universe, or the keeping of it all that together.\u00a0\u00a0The problem is not that man cannot believe in supernatural occurences, it is that man does not truly know and believe in the One True God.\u00a0\u00a0If any of us, believing or not, believe that anything is impossible to God, then we need to reassess who we believe God is and also reassess how much we know of Him and how much we actually personally know Him.\u00a0\u00a0Nothing is impossible for God. (Luke 1:37<\/b>)\u00a0\u00a0Nothing.\u00a0\u00a0God loves us and has promised to look out for us.\u00a0\u00a0What is impossible for God to do for us?\u00a0\u00a0Nothing.\u00a0\u00a0What is it that God has not done to show us His love and faithfulness?\u00a0\u00a0Nothing!\u00a0\u00a0He showed us when He sent Jesus.\u00a0\u00a0There is nothing more to be said or done.\u00a0\u00a0Praise our God who is good and who loves us! Praise God!<\/p>\n P<\/b><\/span>salm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/p>\n Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.<\/p>\n Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; and what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Your God<\/p>\n Numbers 6:24-26<\/b>\u00a0\u201cThe\u00a0Lord\u00a0bless you and keep you; 25\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26\u00a0the\u00a0Lord\u00a0turn His face\u00a0toward you and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Acts 26:1-8\u00a0–\u00a0Then Agrippa said to Paul, \u201cYou have permission to speak for yourself.\u201d So Paul motioned with his hand\u00a0and began his defense:\u00a02\u00a0\u201cKing Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you\u00a0today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,\u00a03\u00a0and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs\u00a0and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,106,94,1874,88,17,2036],"class_list":["post-2123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-luke","tag-micah","tag-numbers","tag-proverbs","tag-psalm","tag-timothy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2123"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2124,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2123\/revisions\/2124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}