Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible



Then Paul, fixing a steady gaze on the Sanhedrin, said, "Brethren, it is with a perfectly clear conscience that I have discharged my duties before God up to this day." On hearing this the High Priest Ananias ordered those who were standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. "Before long," exclaimed Paul, "God will strike you, you white-washed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me in accordance with the Law, and do you yourself actually break the Law by ordering me to be struck?" read more.
"Do you rail at God's High Priest?" cried the men who stood by him. "I did not know, brethren," replied Paul, "that he was the High Priest; for it is written, 'Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of Thy people.'" Noticing, however, that the Sanhedrin consisted partly of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees, he called out loudly among them, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees. It is because of my hope of a resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial."

Then, at a sign from the Governor, Paul answered, "Knowing, Sir, that for many years you have administered justice to this nation, I cheerfully make my defence. For you have it in your power to ascertain that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship in Jerusalem; and that neither in the Temple nor in the synagogues, nor anywhere in the city, did they find me disputing with any opponent or collecting a crowd about me. read more.
Nor can they prove the charges which they are now bringing against me. But this I confess to you--that in the way which they style a heresy, I worship the God of our forefathers, believing everything that is taught in the Law or is written in the Prophets, and having a hope directed towards God, which my accusers themselves also entertain, that before long there will be a resurrection both of the righteous and the unrighteous. This too is my own earnest endeavour--always to have a clear conscience in relation to God and man. "Now after an interval of several years I came to bring alms to my nation, and to offer sacrifices. While I was busy about these, they found me in the Temple purified, with no crowd around me and no uproar; but there were certain Jews from the province of Asia. They ought to have been here before you, and to have been my prosecutors, if they have any charge to bring against me. Or let these men themselves say what misdemeanour they found me guilty of when I stood before the Sanhedrin, unless it was in that one expression which I made use of when I shouted out as I stood among them, "'The resurrection of the dead is the thing about which I am on my trial before you to-day.'"

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak about yourself." So Paul, with outstretched arm, proceeded to make his defence. "As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you, who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing. read more.
"The kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews. For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of a Pharisee. And now I stand here impeached because of my hope in the fulfilment of the promise made by God to our forefathers-- the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused by the Jews. Why is it deemed with all of you a thing past belief if God raises the dead to life? "I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene. And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them. In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns. "While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests, and on the journey, at noon, Sir, I saw a light from Heaven--brighter than the brightness of the sun--shining around me and around those who were travelling with me. We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice which said to me in Hebrew, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? You are finding it painful to kick against the ox-goad.' "'Who art Thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied. But rise, and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you My servant and My witness both as to the things you have already seen and as to those in which I will appear to you. I will save you from the Jewish 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 obedience to Satan to God, in order to receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified through faith in Me.' "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; but I proceeded to preach first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God, and live lives consistent with such repentance. "It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me. Having, however, obtained the help which is from God, I have stood firm until now, and have solemnly exhorted rich and poor alike, saying nothing except what the Prophets and Moses predicted as soon to happen, since the Christ was to be a suffering Christ, and by coming back from the dead was then to be the first to proclaim a message of light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous. Verse ConceptsLearning From The PastAbel and Cainevil, origins ofMaliceMurderPast, ThePersecution, Forms OfMartyrdom, Reasons ForWhy People Did ThingsKilling Named IndividualsSiblingsThe DevilDeath Of Loved OneBrothers LovewickednessdeedsSatanic HatredDemonic Influence



Now Saul, whose every breath was a threat of destruction for the disciples of the Lord, Verse ConceptsThreatsThreateningsJudged As Murderersdamascusmotheringbreath


so that the blood of all the Prophets, that is being shed from the creation of the world onwards, may be required from the present generation. Yes, I tell you that, from the blood of Abel down to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the House, it shall all be required from the present generation.

I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison; Verse ConceptsFollowing Jesus ChristPersecution, Nature OfBindingPrisonersWay, TheKilling DisciplesPersecutionChristians Are Called Followers Of The Way

And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them. Verse ConceptsChief priestsPrisonersPunishment, Legal Aspects OfSaintsShutting SecurelyKilling DisciplesAuthority Delegated To People

Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Can it be denied that I have seen Jesus, our Lord? Are not you yourselves my work in the Lord? Verse ConceptsPaul, Apostle To GentilesOne's DeedsWorking For The Lord

And last of all, as to one of untimely birth, He appeared to me also. Verse ConceptsResurrection Of Christ, AppearancesUntimelinessChrist AppearingEnd Of ActionsAbortion

I am thankful to Him who made me strong--even Christ Jesus our Lord--because He has judged me to be faithful and has put me into His service, though I was previously a blasphemer and a persecutor and had been insolent in outrage. Yet mercy was shown me, because I had acted ignorantly, not having as yet believed;

For you have heard of my early career in Judaism--how I furiously persecuted the Church of God, and made havoc of it; Verse ConceptsPaul, Life OfZeal, Without KnowledgeDestruction Of The ChurchThe Church UniversalChurch Of GodPersecutionchristianitypasttrying

But on the journey, as he was getting near Damascus, suddenly there flashed round him a light from Heaven; and falling to the ground he heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" "Who art thou, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," was the reply. read more.
"But rise and go to the city, and you will be told what you are to do. Meanwhile the men who travelled with Saul were standing dumb with amazement, hearing a sound, but seeing no one. Then he rose from the ground, but when he had opened his eyes, he could not see, and they led him by the arm and brought him to Damascus. And for two days he remained without sight, and did not eat or drink anything. Now in Damascus there was a disciple of the name of Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, "Ananias!" "I am here, Lord," he answered. "Rise," said the Lord, "and go to Straight Street, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man called Saul, from Tarsus, for he is actually praying. He has seen a man called Ananias come and lay his hands upon him so that he may recover his sight." "Lord," answered Ananias, "I have heard about that man from many, and I have heard of the great mischief he has done to Thy people in Jerusalem; and here he is authorized by the High Priests to arrest all who call upon Thy name." "Go," replied the Lord; "he is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name to the Gentiles and to kings and to the descendants of Israel. For I will let him know the great sufferings which he must pass through for My sake." So Ananias went and entered the house; and, laying his two hands upon Saul, said, "Saul, brother, the Lord--even Jesus who appeared to you on your journey--has sent me, that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Instantly there dropped from his eyes what seemed to be scales, and he could see once more. Upon this he rose and received baptism; after which he took food and regained his strength. Then he remained some little time with the disciples in Damascus. And in the synagogues he began at once to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God; and his hearers were all amazed, and began to ask one another, "Is not this the man who in Jerusalem tried to exterminate those who called upon that Name, and came here on purpose to carry them off in chains to the High Priests?" Saul, however, gained more and more influence, and as for the Jews living in Damascus, he bewildered them with his proofs that Jesus is the Christ.

I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison; as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished. "But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me. read more.
I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' "'Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, 'whom you are persecuting.' "Now the men who were with me, though they saw the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me. And I asked, "'What am I to do, Lord?' "And the Lord said to me, "'Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.' "And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus. "And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city, came to me and standing at my side said, "'Brother Saul, recover your sight.' "I instantly regained my sight and looked up at him. Then he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak. For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.' "After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance. I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "'Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.' "'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;

"I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene. And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them. In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns. read more.
"While thus engaged, I was travelling one day to Damascus armed with authority and a commission from the High Priests, and on the journey, at noon, Sir, I saw a light from Heaven--brighter than the brightness of the sun--shining around me and around those who were travelling with me. We all fell to the ground; and I heard a voice which said to me in Hebrew, "'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? You are finding it painful to kick against the ox-goad.' "'Who art Thou, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied.

But the Jews influenced the gentlewomen of rank who worshipped with them, and also the leading men in the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of the district. Verse ConceptsDevout MenIntoleranceInciting To EvilUnbelief, As Response To GodPersecution, OriginPersecution Of The Apostle Paul

"I myself, however, thought it a duty to do many things in hostility to the name of Jesus, the Nazarene. And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them. In all the synagogues also I punished them many a time, and tried to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury I chased them even to foreign towns.