ACTS 26:1–23
PAUL’S DEFENSE BEFORE AGRIPPA AND HIS WITNESS TO THE RISEN CHRIST
Text – Acts 26:1–23
1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your own defense.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews,
3 especially since you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews.
5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest party of our religion.
6 And now I stand on trial for hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors.
7 Our twelve tribes hope to attain this promise as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope, Your Majesty, I am accused by the Jews.
8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 I myself once thought that I had to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean,
10 and I did so in Jerusalem; I locked up many of the holy ones in prison, and when they were condemned to death I cast my vote against them.
11 I persecuted them often, even in the synagogues, and tried to force them to blaspheme, and in my raging fury against them I even pursued them to foreign cities.
12 In this connection, I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests.
13 At midday, Your Majesty, I saw on the road a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
15 And I said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen and of what you will be shown.
17 I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you,
18 to 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 share among those sanctified by faith in me.’
19 And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision.
20 On the contrary, first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and do works befitting repentance.
21 That is why the Jews seized me when I was in the temple and tried to kill me.
22 But I have enjoyed God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen:
23 that the Messiah must suffer and that, as first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.
Historical and Jewish Context
Formal defenses before rulers were opportunities for public witness. Paul frames his testimony entirely within Israel’s hope, rooted in the promises to the twelve tribes. The resurrection of the dead was a recognized belief within Pharisaic Judaism. The image of “kicking against the goads” comes from agrarian life and Greek literature, signifying resistance to divine guidance. Paul’s mission to the Gentiles fulfills prophetic expectations of light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6).
Catholic Theological Perspective
This passage presents the clearest synthesis of Paul’s theology and mission. Conversion is revealed as obedience to a divine initiative. The risen Christ commissions Paul as both servant and witness. Repentance, forgiveness of sins, sanctification by faith, and the universal scope of salvation stand at the heart of the Gospel. The Resurrection is not an isolated miracle but the fulfillment of Scripture and the foundation of Christian hope.
Parallels in Scripture
Isaiah 42:6–7 – Light to the nations
Isaiah 49:6 – Salvation to the ends of the earth
Acts 9:1–19 – Paul’s conversion
Luke 24:26–27 – Messiah must suffer and rise
Romans 1:16 – Gospel for Jew and Gentile
Key Terms
Hope in the promise – Fulfillment of God’s covenant
Resurrection of the dead – Core Christian faith
Heavenly vision – Divine call
Turn from darkness to light – Conversion
Forgiveness of sins – Fruit of salvation
First to rise – Christ’s primacy
Catholic Liturgical Significance
Acts 26:1–23 is proclaimed during the Easter Season, emphasizing the Resurrection, conversion, and universal mission of the Church.
Conclusion
Acts 26:1–23 shows Paul standing before kings not as a defendant but as a witness. His life, once marked by opposition, now proclaims the fulfillment of God’s promises in the risen Christ, whose light shines for all nations.
Reflection
Do I truly believe in the resurrection of the dead?
How have I responded to God’s call in my own life?
Am I willing to bear witness to Christ before both “small and great”?
Prayer
Risen Lord Jesus, You turned Paul from darkness to light. Strengthen my faith in Your Resurrection, open my eyes to Your call, and give me courage to witness to Your saving truth wherever You send me. Amen.