1So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: (徒9:15)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, (徒25:7; 徒25:19; 徒26:7)3especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. (徒6:14; 徒18:15)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. (徒24:17; 徒28:19; 加1:13)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. (徒22:3; 徒23:6; 徒24:5; 雅1:26)6And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, (徒13:32)7to 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! (拉6:17; 太19:28; 路22:30; 徒2:33; 徒26:2; 腓3:11; 來10:36; 來11:13; 來11:39; 雅1:1; 启21:12)8Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead? (徒17:3; 林前15:12)9“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (约16:2; 徒3:17; 徒22:8; 提前1:13)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. (徒8:3; 徒9:1; 徒9:14; 徒9:21; 徒22:4; 徒22:20; 徒26:12)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. (徒9:1; 徒13:45; 徒22:5; 徒22:19)
Paul Tells of His Conversion
12“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. (徒9:3; 徒22:6)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,[1] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ (徒21:40; 徒22:2)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, (结2:1; 但10:11; 徒22:14)17delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you (代上16:35; 耶1:8; 耶1:19; 耶15:20; 徒9:15; 徒12:11; 羅11:13; 提前2:7)18to 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.’ (赛35:5; 赛42:7; 路22:53; 徒5:31; 徒15:9; 徒20:32; 林前5:5; 帖后2:13)19“Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, (徒26:13)20but 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. (太3:8; 路3:8; 徒2:38; 徒9:19; 徒9:26; 徒13:46; 徒14:15; 徒22:17)21For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. (徒21:27; 徒21:30; 徒24:18)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: (徒10:43; 徒24:14; 林后1:10; 弗6:13; 來13:5)23that 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.” (路2:32; 路24:26; 约12:34; 徒3:18; 徒26:18; 羅1:4; 林前15:20; 林前15:23; 弗2:17; 西1:18; 來2:10; 启1:5)24And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” (王下9:11; 耶29:26; 可3:21; 约10:20; 徒12:15; 徒17:32; 徒26:8; 林前1:23; 林前2:14; 林前4:10)25But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. (徒24:2; 林后5:13; 彼后1:16)26For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. (徒26:3)27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”28And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?”[2] (徒11:26; 彼前4:16)29And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” (徒21:33; 林前7:7)30Then the king rose, and the governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. (徒23:24)31And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” (徒23:29)32And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” (徒9:15; 徒25:11; 徒28:18; 徒28:19)