Day 97 – Paul's Testimony before Agrippa

Today ‘s reading: Acts 26

Paul, having been accused of Blasphemy and Sedition, makes his defense. It is important to understand when this is happening. This scene is after Paul has completed his missionary journeys. This is after Paul has appealed to Caesar. He is going to Rome where he will ultimately be martyred. Paul is now by far an expert in delivering the gospel to others. This is in effect a summation.

Let’s look at what Paul says. He recounts again that he began by persecuting the Christians and recounts his conversion. However, this time he gives us more detail about what Jesus said to him:

And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and bear witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles–to whom I send you to open their eyes, 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.’

In the previous two times, we have read about Paul’s conversion I made the point that Jesus says, “Why are you persecuting ME”. When Jesus appeared to Paul, He made no distinction between Himself and his followers. In this version of the conversion story, Paul tells us the purpose for which Jesus is appearing to him. Jesus is appointing Paul an Apostle to bear witness, “to the THINGS in which you have seen Me and to THOSE in which I will appear to you.” Notice, Jesus again does not separate himself from his followers OR their actions.

This is the intimate connection Christ has with his followers who make up the Church. This is why Paul wrote in his letters, that the eye cannot say to the hand “I have no need of you”. This is why Paul wrote in his letters that, “it is not I who live but Christ that lives in me.” This is why you cannot have two versions of any doctrine. If the hand separates from the body does it still live? If two people preach different doctrines can Christ live in both and teach two different things?

This union between Christ and the Believer is so close, so intimate, that it mirrors the union of the persons of the Holy Trinity. After conversion, the separation between the believer and the Lord is lost but we do not feel this intimate connection in every minute of every day. However, we know that the Lord’s commitment to us is total, complete and unqualified. Therefore, we also know that it is us who resists or fails to trust the connection. By experience, we know that occasionally we stop resisting and allow the Lord in. For example, anyone who has ever got really bad news knows that in those moments of despair we throw off pretense and rely totally on the Lord (and thus we see why the Lord allows suffering). From this, we can tell that salvation is a process by which over time we learn to rely on the Lord more and more.

Next, we see Christ telling Paul that his mission will be to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Jesus says that this is being done, “that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are SANCTIFIED by faith in me.” Notice, the word used in sanctified, not saved. Personally, I don’t want to overemphasize the difference in the words, they are certainly similar in meaning. However, I do think “sanctified” can be read as the beginning or first step in a process. That what was not holy is being made holy or sanctified. Whereas “saved” implies a finality, that there is nothing left to be done.

Finally, let’s look at Paul says about what he has done since his conversion:

Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those at Damascus, then at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.

So here, in making his defense of his life and actions, Paul is telling the king (and us) that converts, those who are in the process of sanctification, should repent; turn to God and do deeds (WORKS) worthy of their repentance. This is what Paul has been preaching his whole career throughout the world! Thus, we must read all of Paul’s letters in this light. Hence, this passage is sort of an Answer Key, something that shows whether we are interpreting the meaning of Paul’s other writings correctly.

As an aside note that the word “should” modifies the sentence. It states, “… that they should repent and turn to God and perform deeds worthy of their repentance.” The word “should” implies choice, i.e., free will.

Tomorrow: Acts 27:1-26