Here is a teaching on chapter 26 of the book of Acts. If you want to check out previous Bible studies and chapters going forward, join our group here. Once you get added into that Facebook group, you can go to the "units" tab and you'll see all of the chapters and their study guides as they are being taught.
First I want to say a quick prayer... Lord, I pray that you lift up every single person reading this right now. Please open up our eyes, our ears, our hearts, and our minds to you Lord. Please give us knowledge and understanding to know exactly what it is that we're reading and the wisdom to implement it in our daily lives. Lord, I pray that whatever it is that we're supposed to get out of this Bible study that it is revealed to us and that we receive it. Lord, I also just want to take a moment to pray for all of the people that were affected by the tornadoes in Kentucky where I live and any other places that were affected. Lord, I pray that you just be with all of those people. I pray for protection, healing, guidance, and that you just wrap your arms around all of us and show us so much love. I also pray for courage and strength for the believers in this area to be able to go and help others that were affected, to spread the gospel, and let others know about Jesus. There were people that lost their lives in these tornadoes and the thing that I just kept thinking was I hope each of those people knew you, Lord. I hope they were saved and that none of those people ended up going to hell. It's so important for us to spread the gospel to make sure that people do know about you. So I just pray for strength and courage for us as believers to spread the gospel so that everyone we know and love knows about you God the Father, and you Jesus, and that they may be saved and go to heaven also. Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional love and for your protection. I love you with every ounce of my being. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Acts Chapter 26:
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself."
So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
9 "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
12 "On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? Is it hard for you to kick against the goads?'
15 "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?'
" 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. 16 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
19 "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22 But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- 23 that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles."
24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane."
25 "I am not insane, most excellent Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do."
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
29 Paul replied, "Short time or long-- I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."
30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. 31 They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment."
32 Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."
Alright so I just went ahead and read all of the verses of chapter 26 of the book of Acts, but now I'm gonna discuss all of these verses with you guys here. So Paul tells King Agrippa his story, how he was a strict Pharisee and he was imprisoning people that spoke in the name of Jesus, and then Jesus came to him and changed his heart. We saw all of this in our Bible study in chapter 9 of the book of Acts, where Jesus had come to Paul in Damascus and all that he talks about here with Jesus changing his heart. We also saw in our Bible study from chapter 22 of the book of Acts where Paul had spoken to the crowd about that.
In verse 24 Festus had thought that Paul was going insane and that he was out of his right mind, but Paul knew that king Agrippa was familiar with these things and that he could speak freely to him. We can clearly see based on what he said in verse 28, that king Agrippa wasn't a Christian, but he was still familiar with all of the things that Paul was speaking of here. Then in verse 29, Paul prayed that they all would become Christians.
In verse 32 King Agrippa said to Festus that Paul could have been set free if he didn't appeal to Caesar. So because Paul wanted Caesar to review his case instead of going back to Jerusalem on trial, he couldn't be set free. Now he had to go in front of Caesar to rest his case instead of just being set free. Paul, an innocent man, was put in prison at this point for two years and king Agrippa just verified that he did nothing to be imprisoned. But now instead of him being set free, he has to go on trial in front of Cesar.
Alright, so I want to point out a couple of things here. So Paul went in front of these people and he told his story so that they might believe. The Holy Spirit was still working through Paul while in prison and on trial. All throughout the book of Acts we see where Paul was being guided by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit was working through him. Paul was speaking to the crowds, at the temples, to the Gentiles, and just all of these people and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. A lot of people came to Jesus through Paul's testimony and through him spreading the gospel of Jesus.
Another thing I want to point out is that God will never leave or forsake us. We will suffer hardships in the name of Jesus, but we are never alone. We can see this here all throughout the book of Acts, where God never left or forsaken Paul, and he's never gonna leave or forsake us. No matter what we go through we can always lean on God and rely on Him to give us strength, courage, guidance, and everything that we need to grow through whatever circumstance we're facing and whatever hardship we're facing. Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us and he gave up his life so that we may have eternal life in heaven. The hardships that we face in this world are just temporary and our true home is in heaven where there are no hardships.
Even though we are going to suffer in the name of Jesus, it's so important while we're in this temporary home on earth and in this world that we spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter what. We can have hope in knowing that God is always right here with us, the Holy Spirit will guide us, and we will have everything that we need to face whatever circumstance we're facing. When it's our time to go we will be going to heaven to our true home and that's the most amazing thing. That's not something to fear or something to worry about. We shouldn't do things out of fear of possibly being persecuted or even dying, because death is nothing to fear. When we are Christians and we are saved by Jesus, then we have eternal life in heaven. So when we die we go to heaven and see Jesus and God the Father. There's not going to be any pain, suffering, or hardships in heaven. While we are on this earth we just have to let the Holy Spirit guide us, be fully submitted to the will of God the Father, and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. So that all of the people that we know and come across may know about Jesus and that they have the opportunity to be saved by Jesus also, and have eternal life in heaven also when it's their time to go.
Acts Ch 26 Study Guide
Why did Paul go in front of these people and tell his story?
Was the Holy Spirit still working through Paul while in prison and on trial? How?
Why did Festus think that Paul was going insane?
Will God ever leave or forsake us? Why or why not?
Why will we suffer in the name of Jesus?
As Christians, where is our true home?
What is your biggest takeaway from this Bible study?
So that concludes this Bible study on chapter 26 of the book of Acts. Next week, we are going to go into chapter 27, so make sure you stay tuned for that.
I love you guys so much.
Never forget to choose faith over fear.
-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)
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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
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