nkjv Acts:26:1-27-28 SEEK
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Then Agrippa said to Paul , "
You are permitted to speak for yourself ."
So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself :
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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 ,
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especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews .
Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently .
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My manner of life from my youth ,
which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem ,
all the Jews know .
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They knew me from the first ,
if they were willing to testify ,
that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee .
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And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers .
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To this promise our twelve tribes ,
earnestly serving God night and day ,
hope to attain .
For this hope '
s sake ,
King Agrippa ,
I am accused by the Jews .
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Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead ?
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Indeed ,
I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth .
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This I also did in Jerusalem ,
and many of the saints I shut up in prison ,
having received authority from the chief priests ;
and when they were put to death ,
I cast my vote against them .
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And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme ;
and being exceedingly enraged against them ,
I persecuted them even to foreign cities .
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While thus occupied ,
as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests ,
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at midday ,
O king ,
along the road I saw a light from heaven ,
brighter than the sun ,
shining around me and those who journeyed with me .
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And when we all had fallen to the ground ,
I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language , "
Saul ,
Saul ,
why are you persecuting Me ?
It is hard for you to kick against the goads .'
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So I said , "
Who are You ,
Lord ?'
And He said , "
I am Jesus ,
whom you are persecuting .
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But rise and stand on your feet ;
for I have appeared to you for this purpose ,
to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you .
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I will deliver you from the Jewish people ,
as well as from the Gentiles ,
to whom I now send you ,
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to open their eyes ,
in order to turn them from darkness to light ,
and from the power of Satan to God ,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me .'
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Therefore ,
King Agrippa ,
I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision ,
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but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem ,
and throughout all the region of Judea ,
and then to the Gentiles ,
that they should repent ,
turn to God ,
and do works befitting repentance .
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For these reasons the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me .
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Therefore ,
having obtained help from God ,
to this day I stand ,
witnessing both to small and great ,
saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come --
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that the Christ would suffer ,
that He would be the first to rise from the dead ,
and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles ."
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Now as he thus made his defense ,
Festus said with a loud voice , "
Paul ,
you are beside yourself !
Much learning is driving you mad !"
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But he said , "
I am not mad ,
most noble Festus ,
but speak the words of truth and reason .
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For the king ,
before whom I also speak freely ,
knows these things ;
for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention ,
since this thing was not done in a corner .
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King Agrippa ,
do you believe the prophets ?
I know that you do believe ."