Acts 26:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To 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:

NIV: But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen--

NASB: So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place,

CSB: To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place--

NLT: But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen —

KJV: Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

NKJV: 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—

Caesarea Maritima was the Roman capital of Judea and Samaria. Paul is there speaking to Governor Festus, Roman army tribunes, and city leaders about why the Sanhedrin wants him dead. In the past, Paul mentioned it was because he believed in the resurrection of the dead (Acts 24:21). That worked for the previous governor, Felix, because Felix had a good understanding of the Jewish religion and knew that the Pharisees, the most common type of Jewish religious leader, all believed in the resurrection. Festus, however, has only been governor a few weeks and knows little about the Jewish culture or religion, so this defense won't make sense.

To that end, Paul points out that the Sanhedrin also vilifies him for spending so much time with Gentiles. Jesus chose him to spread the offer of forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God to the Gentiles, and that is what Paul has spent the past few decades doing (Acts 26:20–21). In fact, he is with Gentiles so much he was falsely accused of bringing one into the temple, which is why he is in custody now (Acts 21:27–36).

But Paul is not primarily addressing his defense to the Gentiles in the room. He is focused on King Agrippa II (Acts 26:2–3, 19). As the great-grandson of Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1–4), Agrippa is a mixture of Arabian, Edomite (Genesis 36:1), and Jewish, among other ethnicities. He knows the Mosaic law and he believes the prophets of the Old Testament (Acts 26:27). Jesus promised that Paul would evangelize before kings, and Paul is taking advantage of this opportunity (Acts 9:15).

The Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah of the Jews would bring life to the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3; Daniel 7:14). Agrippa knows these prophecies and believes them, although he probably never imagined they would be fulfilled by a carpenter from Nazareth. Still, there's no indication that he acts on this understanding and accepts Jesus as his savior.

Acts 26:12–23 is Paul's testimony to King Agrippa II, Governor Festus, and the leaders of Caesarea Maritima, of how he started following Jesus. The audience wants to determine if Paul broke a law. Paul wants to offer reconciliation with God. Paul describes how he met Jesus on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus and accepted Jesus' commission to spread His offer of forgiveness to Jews and Gentiles. It is for this reason that the Sanhedrin wants him dead, not because he committed a crime. Paul's conversion is recorded in Acts 9:1–19.

Acts 26 records Paul's testimony before the noblemen of Caesarea Maritima, as well as their reactions. He explains that Jewish leaders want him dead because he once persecuted the church, but now believes Jesus rose from the dead and has been spreading that message. Governor Festus thinks Paul has gone mad. King Agrippa II, however, finds his story compelling. They realize that had Paul not appealed to a higher Roman court, they could have let him go.

After being held in custody for two years and, again, hassled by the Sanhedrin who want to kill him, Paul appeals his case to Caesar (Acts 25:7–12). Before he travels to Rome, however, Governor Festus has Paul give his testimony before King Agrippa II and the noblemen of Caesarea Maritima (Act 25:23–27). When Paul is finished, they realize they should have set him free before he appealed to Caesar (Acts 26:30–32). But he must go to Rome, surviving a violent storm and a shipwreck along the way (Acts 27—28).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.