Acts 26:16-32 ▼

16 But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

17 I'll continue to rescue you from your people and from the gentiles to whom I'm sending you.

18 You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

19 |And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.

20 Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea—and after that the gentiles—to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

21 For this reason the Jewish leaders grabbed me in the Temple and kept trying to kill me.

22 I've had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen—

23 that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead and would bring light both to our people and to the gentiles.|

24 As he continued his defense, Festus shouted, |You're out of your mind, Paul! Too much education is driving you crazy!|

25 But Paul said, |I'm not out of my mind, Your Excellency Festus. I'm reporting what is absolutely true.

26 Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I'm certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn't done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!|

28 Agrippa asked Paul, |Can you so quickly persuade me to become a Christian?|

29 Paul replied, |Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am—except for these chains!|

30 Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up.

31 As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, |This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.|

32 Agrippa told Festus, |This man could have been set free if he hadn't appealed to the emperor.|