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| 1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: |
Then Agrippa – Herod was a family name. There were several kings over Israel by this name. (1) Herod the Great, who flourished about the time of our Lord's birth. (2) Herod Archelaus, son and successor to Herod the Great--deposed AD 6. (3) Herod Antipas, another son of Herod the Great, the murderer of John the Baptist--deposed AD 40. (4) Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, the murderer of the Apostle James. (5) Herod Agrippa II, the last of the Herods, before whom the Apostle Paul defended himself. R3002:3, 4346:2
King of the country east of the upper Jordan. R1568:6
He was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau. R4346:3
Answered for himself – A fresh opportunity for the preaching of the Gospel before people of prominence was afforded the Apostle. R4501:1, 1569:1
The address was full of logic, eloquence and pathos. R1569:1
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| 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: |
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| 3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. |
To be expert – Paul was very complimentary. He did not bring opposition because of foolishness. Q740:4; R4501:1
With the respect and decorum due to the civil powers, Paul began his address. 1569:1
Patiently – Greek, makrothunia; it means merely long-suffering. R2790:6
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| 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; |
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| 5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. |
Sect – The Greek word is airesis, heresy; but modern English definition has been changed. R1130:6, 3792:3
The true Church is not a sect, but all one in Christ. R1576:3, 413:5
I lived a Pharisee – Paul was zealous toward God long before his conversion from Judaism to Christianity. R1671:6
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| 6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: |
Hope of the promise – "In thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Gen. 28:14) R2245:3, 4451:4, 2854:5, 1435:5*; PT38:2
The divine promise is the foundation upon which the one hope rests. R1435:4*
Unto our fathers – God proposed to adopt the children of Abraham according to the flesh for his children, and the nation of Israel was hoping to attain this glorious station. R3452:1
God's promises to Abraham have not yet been fulfilled. R2854:5
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| 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. |
Unto which promise – This promise held that nation together for all the centuries down to Christ, and still does. R4451:4; PT38:3
That original promise which God made to them. In proportion as they still maintain that hope, they may still expect to come to a realization. R5244:5
"God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath." (Heb. 6:17) R5913:2, 3130:1
Israel did not understand the primarily spiritual part of the promise. R5837:2
Our twelve tribes – Those living in Palestine represented all Israel. B207; R1747:6*
Neither Paul nor the well informed Roman governor had any knowledge of ten tribes being "lost." R2085:5
The promise held the twelve tribes loyal to God and separate form the nations surrounding them. OV9:3; R4451:4; PT38:3
The only object of their national existence. R2245:3
Their ideas had been of an earthly Kingdom. R2082:4
It is probable that the wise men from the East were part of the "twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." (James 1:1) R4098:3
Instantly – Incessantly. R4451:4; PT38:3
Continually hoping for the fulfillment of the Oath-bound Covenant. (Heb. 6:17) R5913:2, 3130:1
Hope to come – The Apostle assures us of their expectant attitude. R3192:1
The hope of Israel centered in God's Oath-bound Covenant to Abraham. (Gen. 22:18) R4501:2, 4451:4; PT38:2; CR48:5
To the promises which God made to our fathers. (Gen. 28:14) R2085:5, 5837:2
The whole twelve tribes of Israel were still waiting for the fulfillment of those promises in the Apostle's day. R2854:6
All true Israelites had this promise distinctly before their minds as their great hope. R2245:3
A promise which all Jews are hoping will have fulfillment. R4501:2
It was the basis of all their hope and faith and trust. R4497:1; PT59:1
Hoping for and "waiting for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:25) through the long-promised R4098:3
They will get those special blessings. God's gifts and callings are sure. (Rom. 11:29-32) R4320:3
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| 8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? |
A thing incredible – This hope has always been deemed a heresy, even by the systems that "allow" a resurrection, while denying it virtually. R822:6*
It seems easier for the great mass of Christendom to believe the doctrine of heathendom, that life is inherent in man, that he cannot die, than to believe the doctrine of the Bible. NS281:3
With men such a thing seems quite impossible. R604:2*
If God has power to create and to destroy, has he not power to restore or re-create that which he destroyed? Surely this is not beyond the scope of divine power. R846:5, 763:3, 604:3*
Raise the dead – Not in any "ray of divinity" inherent in man. R822:6*
Its realization was made sure, in the resurrection of Christ. R751:2, 875:3*
The basis of this hope is Jesus only, who is "The resurrection and the life." (John 11:25) R822:6*
Through the ransom. R875:3*
"If there be no resurrection of the dead; then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." (1 Cor. 15:13, 18) R1259:2, 1018:1*
The root of the blessedness is the resurrection of the dead, the removal of the curse which is resting upon man and his entire environment. R1435:5, 6*
The resurrection is re-standing in man's original state and condition. R1436:1
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| 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
I verily thought – He verily thought he did God's service. R551:1, 5172:6
Paul's heart was right in the matter, even when his head and his hands were in the wrong. R1444:3
Paul was not a bad man, but a good man, laboring under blindness and misapprehension. R2823:3; CR467:1
Blind hatred which led him to persecute inoffensive fellow-creatures, simply because they believed that Jesus died and rose again. R5034:2
Many good people have believed and taught error in all good conscience. A12
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| 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. |
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| 11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. |
I punished them – Paul explained how once he also had opposed Jesus and persecuted his followers. R4501:4, 3197:2
He was an injurer of the saints and a persecutor. R2823:3
He persecuted St. Stephen and others of the early Church. R5172:6
Exceedingly mad – In his religious zeal. R2823:3
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| 12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, |
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| 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. |
A light from heaven – The appearance or manifestation of Jesus. R5035:2, 5579:3, 2318:4
A proof that Jesus was raised from the dead, in glory and honor, and immortality of the divine nature. R5034:4
Paul, who replaced Judas, was thus made a witness of the Lord's glory, after his resurrection and ascension. R1522:2
Brightness of the sun – No Scriptures say that Jesus arose in the flesh. R5222:2
The glory of his presence. R5830:2, 3375:2, 1817:4, 1416:4
Spiritual bodies are truly glorious; yet without a miracle, either by the opening of our eyes to see them, or their appearing in the flesh as men they are invisible. R579:1
The Apostle Paul was the only one of the disciples who saw our Lord "as he is." (1 John 3:2) HG347:3
The Apostle Paul was granted a mere glimpse of the glorious Christ, and the effect was the destruction of his sight. NS459:3; R5416:6, 579:1
Shining round about – Saul himself was evidently the center of the manifestation. R2117:5
Journeyed with me – "The men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man." ( Acts 9:7) R579:1
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| 14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
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Fallen to the earth – Seeing Jesus in his glory, Saul was smitten to the earth and seriously blinded. R5299:2
A voice – Only Saul could distinguish the words, meant for him alone. R2117:6
Why persecutest – Paul's continued weak eyes remained a reminder of his wrong course; and an appreciation of the close relationship between the Church and the Lord. R4433:2
The pricks – One of which was doubtless his remembrance of the beautiful lovelit countenance of Stephen at the time of martyrdom. R2952:5
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| 15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
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I am Jesus – The Church is the mystical Body of Jesus. R5054:4
We now know him as the King of glory (Psa. 24:7-10); the same who was dead, R1693:1
Whom thou persecutest – When Saul was persecuting some of the members of the Church, he was persecuting Jesus. R5213:4
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| 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
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I have appeared – It was necessary that every one of the apostles should be a witness to testify that Jesus not only died, but was risen from the dead. CR467:1
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| 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
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| 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
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Darkness to light – Ignorance to truth. A18, A20
The power of Satan – Whose very existence is now denied by many. F609; R3165:6
Our Lord and the apostles made frequent references to Satan. R3165:6
Forgiveness of sins – The full and complete forgiveness of all those who are truly repentant and who desire to draw nigh to God through Christ. Q832:4
Which are sanctified – These are the sons of God, "the children of God." (Rom. 8:16) R555:5*
Me – Jesus. R555:5*
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| 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: |
Not disobedient – His own willingness. R4356:3
Saul's prompt obedience and instantaneous change of conduct were indicative of a noble character and showed an earnest desire to be active in the service of God. R1444:6
Nor did the zeal of this faithful soldier of the cross abate in the least, until he had finished his course. R1445:1
Let us who have seen in the light of this harvest-time the light of the Lord's presence, be faithful to our privileges and opportunities in letting the light that has shined into our hearts and minds so shine out to others. R2825:6
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| 20 But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. |
The coasts of Judea – Possibly during the two years prior to his first going to Antioch. R3197:3
Then to the Gentiles – Because realizing the change of dispensation by which God's grace was not confined any longer to the Jews only. R3197:3
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| 21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. |
For these causes – They were opposed to Jesus, but specially opposed to the giving of his gospel to the Gentiles--the teaching that the Gentiles might now enjoy equal privileges with the Jews in respect to God's favor. R3197:3
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| 22 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: |
Help of God – The Apostle does not give credit for his deliverance to Lysias, but speaking from the highest standpoint, he gave the credit for his deliverance to the Lord. R3197:3
To small and great – During the two years of the Apostle's imprisonment he had been witnessing to such of the soldiers or servants or commanders of the camp as seemed to have a hearing ear. R3197:4
The prophets and Moses – All his preaching was in harmony with the statements of Moses and the prophets. R2618:4
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| 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. |
Should be the first – Others, indeed, had been awakened from the sleep of death, but none previous to our Lord was raised up out of death completely to the full perfection of life. NS282:6, 284:3, 637:2, 783:2
The raising of Jairus' daughter was not a resurrection, nor were any of the other awakenings from death, excepting that of Christ. R2618:2, 3563:4, 1259:1; HG136:1; NS284:3, 637:1, 783:2
"Become the first-fruits of them that slept" (1 Cor. 15:20); "the first-born from the R3563:3, 1259:2, 3174:4; NS637:1
There are to be others who similarly will pass completely out of death conditions into perfect life. R3563:4
Jesus, and all those who are raised to the divine nature, are sharers in the chief, most excellent, or first resurrection. R227:2
To say that Moses appeared in reality on the holy mount would be to deny those Scriptures which state that Jesus was the first to rise from the dead. (Matt. 17:3; 2 Pet. 1:18) R4142:4
Rise from the dead – By the Father's power. (2 Cor. 13:4) R3174:4
The "hope of Israel" was the "resurrection from the dead." ( Acts 23:6) Its realization made sure R751:2*
The whole dispute between himself and the Jews was in respect to whether or not Jesus arose from the dead. R4501:2
The Body, the Church, will not be raised up until its completion in the end of the Gospel age. R3174:4
And should – During the Millennial age. R3197:5
Shew light – "The true light that lighteth every man." (John 1:9) R3197:4
Unto the people – The Jewish people. R3197:4
And to the Gentiles – The Lord is yet to be the true light that will lighten every man, every member of our race. R3197:5
Includes a hope of perfecting for many now ignorant, sinful, unjustified. R1512:1
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| 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. |
Festus – Who had no knowledge of the Jewish hopes and promises. R3197:5
Much learning – A course of previous training is very noticeable in the case of the Apostle Paul. (See Gal. 1:15; Acts 22:3) R1651:4
Doth make thee mad – Your head is turned; you are painting fancy pictures when you tell us of a great God, our Creator, and that he cares for us. Surely this is your own imagination! R3197:5
We are not to expect sympathy from the world. R2616:3
From the worldly standpoint the true follower of Jesus is branded a fanatic, a fool, unbalanced. R4501:5
"We are counted as fools for Christ's sake." (1 Cor. 4:10) A86
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| 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. |
I am not mad – With the eye of faith the Christian sees glory, honor and immortality, (Rom. 2:7) and a share with the Redee R4501:5
From the Christian's standpoint, the worldly are unwise and money-mad. The worldly see merely the earthly things, the transitory. R4501:5
Words of truth and soberness – Truth, rightly divided, and fairly presented, commands the respect even of its opponents. Its symmetry and beauty will irresistibly stamp itself upon the mind. R646:4
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| 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
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The king knoweth – King Agrippa was evidently considerably informed along the lines of the teaching of the Law and the prophets. R3197:5
Not done in a corner – The declaration of the Gospel had created so much commotion amongst the Jews. It was a public matter of general knowledge. R3198:2,4
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| 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. |
Believest thou the prophets? – Paul appealed to Agrippa. Did he not believe the prophecies cited? R4501:5
Anyone believing them to be inspired could not doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. R3198:4
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| 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. |
Agrippa – Herod Agrippa I was the grandson of Herod the Great, the murderer of the babes of Bethlehem. He was nephew of Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist. It was his son, Agrippa II, before whom the famous address was made by St. Paul. R4346:2, 3002:3
He was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau. R4346:3
He saw that God is a God of justice; that Paul was suffering for rightdoing and that he was suffering for wrong-doing. R4993:5
Desiring the good will of the people, even at the cost of principle. R4346:3
Almost – But he did not take the necessary step of fully consecrating his life and its every interest to the Lord and his cause. NS159:1
But how hardly the rich enter into the kingdom! (Mark 10:23) R1569:1
Thou persuadest – To believe the prophets is to believe in Christianity. R1569:4
He had heard the things which led him to appreciate his own fallen condition. R4993:5
Christian – As they were known in early times. R584:3
Having the thought pass before his mind, however, did not make Agrippa a saint. R4993:5
A Christian is a person who believes he is by nature a sinner, that Jesus died for his sins, and that through the atoning blood he has become a new creature in Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:17) OV356:1
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| 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds. |
Hear me this day – As in the words to the thief, "Verily, I say unto thee today." (Luke 23:43) F668, F669; R2011:5*
Such as I am – I wish that all who hear me this day were like me, Christians, consecrated even unto death. R2011:5*
Except these bonds – During the two years of his detention in Caesarea, Paul had enjoyed the greatest liberty to preach the Gospel, all the while under the protection of the government as an imperial prisoner. R1569:4, 4500:3
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| 30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: |
King. . .and Bernice – Who were nominal Jews (really Edomites). R3197:1
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| 31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. |
Nothing worthy of death – The verdict. R646:5
No real charges could be made out. R1569:2
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| 32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar. |
Agrippa – He received and kindly entreated the Christians who fled to him for protection from persecution. R3198:4
Had not appealed – Paul more than once appealed to the law for justice and protection from his enemies. R954:3*
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