Kisah Para Rasul 26:1-8

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ¹  said to Paul, “You have permission ²  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ³  and began his defense: ⁴ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ⁵  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 26:3 because you are especially ⁶  familiar with all the customs and controversial issues ⁷  of the Jews. Therefore I ask ⁸  you to listen to me patiently. 26:4 Now all the Jews know the way I lived ⁹  from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people ¹⁰  and in Jerusalem. ¹¹  26:5 They know, ¹²  because they have known ¹³  me from time past, ¹⁴  if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party ¹⁵  of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ¹⁶  26:6 And now I stand here on trial ¹⁷  because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ¹⁸  26:7 a promise ¹⁹  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ²⁰  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ²¹  Your Majesty! ²²  26:8 Why do you people ²³  think ²⁴  it is unbelievable ²⁵  that ²⁶  God raises the dead?

Kisah Para Rasul 26:24-32

26:24 As Paul ²⁷  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ²⁸  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ²⁹  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 26:25 But Paul replied, ³⁰  “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, ³¹  but am speaking ³²  true and rational ³³  words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ³⁴  to him, ³⁵  because I cannot believe ³⁶  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ³⁷  for this was not done in a corner. ³⁸  26:27 Do you believe the prophets, ³⁹  King Agrippa? ⁴⁰  I know that you believe.” 26:28 Agrippa ⁴¹  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ⁴²  26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ⁴³  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ⁴⁴ 

26:30 So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, 26:31 and as they were leaving they said to one another, ⁴⁵  “This man is not doing anything deserving ⁴⁶  death or imprisonment.” 26:32 Agrippa ⁴⁷  said to Festus, ⁴⁸  “This man could have been released ⁴⁹  if he had not appealed to Caesar.” ⁵⁰ 

[26:1]  ¹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ² tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ³ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ⁴ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[26:2]  ⁵ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:3]  ⁶ tn BDAG 613 s.v. μάλιστα 1 states, “μ. γνώστην ὄντα σε since you are outstandingly familiar Ac 26:3.”

[26:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”

[26:3]  ⁸ tn BDAG 218 s.v. δέομαι states, “In our lit. only w. the mng. to ask for something pleadingly, ask, request,” and then in section a.α states, “w. inf. foll.…Ac 26:3.”

[26:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “my manner of life.”

[26:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “nation.”

[26:4]  ¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[26:5]  ¹² tn These words are repeated from v. 4 (“all the Jews know”). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, it was necessary to begin a new sentence at the beginning of v. 5 in the translation, but for this to make sense, the main verb ἵσασι ({isasi) has to be repeated to connect with the ὅτι (Joti) clause (indirect discourse) in v. 5.

[26:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “having known me from time past.” The participle προγινώσκοντες (proginwskonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[26:5]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 866 s.v. προγινώσκω 2 has “Know from time past…προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν Ac 26:5.” L&N 28.6 states, “‘they have already known me beforehand, if they are willing to testify’ Ac 26:5.”

[26:5]  ¹⁵ tn That is, strictest religious party. “Party” alone is used in the translation because “the strictest religious party of our religion” would be redundant.

[26:5]  ¹⁶ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[26:6]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.a.α has “κρίνεσθαι ἐπί τινι be on trial because of a thing Ac 26:6.”

[26:6]  ¹⁸ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[26:7]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “to which [promise] our twelve tribes…” The antecedent of the relative pronoun (the promise in v. 6) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:7]  ²⁰ tn Or “earnestly worship.” The object of this service, God, is omitted but implied: BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω states, “Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7.” Although clear from the context in Greek, “God” must be supplied as the recipient of the service for the modern English reader.

[26:7]  ²¹ tn Grk “I am being accused by the Jews.” The passive construction was simplified by converting it to an active one in the translation.

[26:7]  ²² tn Grk “O King!”

[26:8]  ²³ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate that the second person pronoun (“you”) is plural (others in addition to King Agrippa are being addressed).

[26:8]  ²⁴ tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 3 states, “τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ᾿ ὑμῖν; why do you think it is incredible? Ac 26:8.” The passive construction (“why is it thought unbelievable…”) has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[26:8]  ²⁵ tn Or “incredible.” BDAG 103 s.v. ἄπιστος 1 states, “unbelievable, incredible…τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ᾿ ὑμῖν…; why does it seem incredible to you? Ac 26:8.”

[26:8]  ²⁶ tn Grk “if.” The first-class conditional construction, which assumes reality for the sake of argument, has been translated as indirect discourse.

[26:24]  ²⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:24]  ²⁸ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:24]  ²⁹ tn On the term translated “lost your mind” see BDAG 610 s.v. μαίνομαι, which has “you’re out of your mind, you’re raving, said to one whose enthusiasm seems to have outrun better judgment 26:24.”

[26:24]  sn The expression “You have lost your mind” would be said to someone who speaks incredible things, in the opinion of the hearer. Paul’s mention of the resurrection (v. 23) was probably what prompted Festus to say this.

[26:25]  ³⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[26:25]  ³¹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:25]  ³² tn Or “declaring.” BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποφθέγγομαι states, “speak out, declare boldly or loudly…τὶ: σωφροσύνης ῥήματα Ac 26:25.”

[26:25]  ³³ tn BDAG 987 s.v. σωφροσύνη 1 has “gener. soundness of mind, reasonableness, rationality…ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα true and rational words (opp. μαίνομαι) Ac 26:25.”

[26:26]  ³⁴ tn BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1 states, “speak freely, openly, fearlessly…likew. in the ptc. w. a verb of saying foll.…παρρησιασάμενοι εἶπαν 13:46. – 26:26.” This could refer to boldness in speaking here.

[26:26]  ³⁵ tn Grk “to whom I am speaking freely.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“him”) to simplify the translation.

[26:26]  ³⁶ tn Grk “I cannot convince myself.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.a states, “οὐ πείθομαι w. acc. and inf. I cannot believe Ac 26:26” (see also BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω).

[26:26]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω states, “λανθάνειν αὐτὸν τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν I cannot bring myself to believe that any of these things has escaped his notice Ac 26:26.”

[26:26]  ³⁸ tn This term refers to a hidden corner (BDAG 209 s.v. γωνία). Paul’s point is that these events to which he refers were not done in a secret, hidden place, tucked away outside of view. They were done in public for all the world to see.

[26:27]  ³⁹ sn “Do you believe the prophets?” Note how Paul made the issue believing the OT prophets and God’s promise which God fulfilled in Christ. He was pushing King Agrippa toward a decision not for or against Paul’s guilt of any crime, but concerning Paul’s message.

[26:27]  ⁴⁰ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ⁴¹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ⁴² tn Or “In a short time you will make me a Christian.” On the difficulty of the precise nuances of Agrippa’s reply in this passage, see BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b. The idiom is like 1 Kgs 21:7 LXX. The point is that Paul was trying to persuade Agrippa to accept his message. If Agrippa had let Paul persuade him, he would have converted to Christianity.

[26:28]  sn The question “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” was probably a ploy on Agrippa’s part to deflect Paul from his call for a decision. Note also how the tables have turned: Agrippa was brought in to hear Paul’s defense, and now ends up defending himself. The questioner is now being questioned.

[26:29]  ⁴³ tn BDAG 703 s.v. ὀλίγος 2.b.β has “καὶ ἐν ὀλ. καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ whether in a short or a long time vs. 29 (cf. B-D-F §195; GWhitaker, The Words of Agrippa to St. Paul: JTS 15, 1914, 82f; AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 14, ’35, 50; Field, Notes 141-43; s. Rob. 653).”

[26:29]  ⁴⁴ sn Except for these chains. The chains represented Paul’s unjust suffering for the sake of the message. His point was, in effect, “I do not care how long it takes. I only hope you and everyone else hearing this would become believers in Christ, but without my unjust suffering.”

[26:31]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “they spoke to one another saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[26:31]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 93 s.v. ἄξιος 1.b has “θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἄ. nothing deserving death or imprisonment 23:29; 26:31.”

[26:31]  sn Not doing anything deserving death… Here is yet another declaration of Paul’s innocence, but still no release. The portrayal shows how unjust Paul’s confinement was.

[26:32]  ⁴⁷ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:32]  ⁴⁸ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:32]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “set free.”

[26:32]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[26:32]  sn If he had not appealed to Caesar. Ultimately Agrippa and Festus blamed what Paul himself had done in appealing to Caesar for his own continued custody. In terms of Luke’s narrative, this still appears unjust and a denial of responsibility.