Study From the Book of Acts,26

Study From the Book of Acts,26

Today we study the twenty-sixth chapter of the Book of Acts and we choose two biblical principles and their lessons which are useful in Biblical Counselling.

The Jewish historian Josephus described the Pharisees as “a body of Jews with the reputation of excelling the rest of the nation in the observances of religion, and as exact exponents of the laws.” Paul pointed out that he was not some stranger or foreigner trying to start a new religion. He was a Jew, a Pharisee, who lived out his Jewish faith better than most.

Paul was not being judged because he had done something wrong. He had not turned against his own Jewish heritage. Instead, he fervently believed in the promises God had made to the nation of Israel: the promise of a coming Messiah and the reestablishment of the Kingdom of God. Paul did not reject the hope of salvation for Israel. Instead, he saw that hope fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead confirmed to Paul that all believers would be raised from the dead to enjoy the blessings of the promised kingdom of God.

Some have concluded that Paul must have been a member of the Sanhedrin at some time, since he mentioned casting a vote. However, Paul was probably too young to belong to a such body of aged men or elders. Paul may have been the Sanhedrin’s chief prosecutor, urging a verdict of guilty against those Christians he had hunted down in the course of his campaign of persecution. 

The point of “kick against the goads”:  a young ox, when it was first yoked, usually resented the burden   and tried kicking its way out. So, the ox had to learn submission to the yoke in a hard way. Before his encounter with Jesus on the Demarcus Road, Paul was resisting God in a similar manner.

Repentance indicates a complete change in thinking. In Rom.12:2, Paul speaks of the “renewing of your mind.” We do what we think is best, what makes sense to us. Paul was killing Christians because he thought it was correct course of action. Christ’s revelation changed his thoughts, but his preaching the Good News was a visible proof that he had repented of his former ways. Genuine repentance is evidenced by changed behaviour.

Agrippa realized that Paul was doing more than just defending his faith; he was actually trying to persuade Agrippa to become a follower of Jesus Christ. If Agrippa had told those gathered that he did not believe the prophets, he would have angered the Jews. If he had acknowledged that he did believe the prophets, he would have had to give weight to Paul’s words. Agrippa avoided being entered into an embarrassing corner by sidestepping the issue. The interview was becoming too personal for Agrippa’s comfort, so he ended the dialogue.  

Structure:

Verses 1-18: Paul’s early life

Verses 19-23: Paul’s post-conversion life.

Verses 24-32: Agrippa parries Paul’s challenge.

Principle 51: verse 26:9----"Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”

Lesson 51: Paul could understand the animosity of Jewish leaders against him, because only a few short years before he had shared their fierce hatred of Christianity. He knew one could feel in the right while being deeply in the wrong.

Principle 52: verse 26:20: ----” ---that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.”

Lesson 52: A gospel highlighting divine grace and faith in Jesus does not eliminate the need of repentance and godly behaviour. Grace gives us the ability and desire to obey, not the right and safety to disobey.10/08/2025.