Act 26:6 | KingComments | STEP | Paul tells his life story, what happened to him. He came to Jerusalem quite young. There he excelled in the strictest sect, that of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were already strict, but he put a little more on top of it. His enormous zeal was so striking that all Jews knew about it. He adds that he could call them to testify if they wanted to. He has not been a one-day fly, but he has lived by it consistently. Paul was not just any Pharisee. Opposite Agrippa, who knows the Pharisees, he presents his background as a fanatical Pharisee, so that he will be impressed by the tremendous change that has taken place in him. As a Pharisee, he believed in the fulfillment of the promises made by God to His people in the Old Testament. Those promises were still not fulfilled. Therefore, all “twelve tribes” were still looking forward to that fulfillment. Paul speaks of the twelve tribes. It is clear to him that the ten tribes that are in the scattering will share in the same promises. There is no question of any of these tribes being lost. For faith they are there – Anna, the prophetess, for example, came from Aser ( ) – and in God’s time these tribes will also appear. By the twelve tribes that earnestly serve God night and day, Paul does not mean the unbelieving mass of the people, but the true Israel of God, the Jews who believe in the Messiah Who has come. Precisely the hope that the Jews themselves had as a nation was the basis of the accusation against him. That accusation was made by the unbelieving leaders. They rejected Him with Whom the hope of Israel’s future is indissolubly connected. That hope is the Messiah. That hope the believing Jews found in the coming of the Lord Jesus and that is the reason for the attacks of the unbelieving Jews. The hope of the fulfillment of the promises, is also connected with faith in the resurrection. All believers to whom the promises were made in the Old Testament died without having received the promises. Nevertheless, they will receive what was promised to them in the resurrection. Promises and resurrection belong together. Above all, it is connected to faith in the resurrection of the Messiah, Who was rejected and killed at His coming to fulfill the promises. By talking about the future restoration of Israel, Paul offers his audience a broad perspective. With his words Paul especially wants to reach King Agrippa. To that end he addresses him directly when he says to him: “O King.” Afterward he also has a question for all those present. He asks his audience the penetrating question why they judge the raising of the dead by God to be unbelievable. This makes the resurrection the central theme of Paul’s speech. Whoever believes in God must believe in Him as the God of the resurrection. This is the core of the difference of opinion between the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles on the one hand and the Christians on the other hand.

‏ Acts 26:6

Paul’s Youth as a Jew

Paul tells his life story, what happened to him. He came to Jerusalem quite young. There he excelled in the strictest sect, that of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were already strict, but he put a little more on top of it. His enormous zeal was so striking that all Jews knew about it. He adds that he could call them to testify if they wanted to.

He has not been a one-day fly, but he has lived by it consistently. Paul was not just any Pharisee. Opposite Agrippa, who knows the Pharisees, he presents his background as a fanatical Pharisee, so that he will be impressed by the tremendous change that has taken place in him.

As a Pharisee, he believed in the fulfillment of the promises made by God to His people in the Old Testament. Those promises were still not fulfilled. Therefore, all “twelve tribes” were still looking forward to that fulfillment. Paul speaks of the twelve tribes. It is clear to him that the ten tribes that are in the scattering will share in the same promises.

There is no question of any of these tribes being lost. For faith they are there – Anna, the prophetess, for example, came from Aser (Lk 2:36) – and in God’s time these tribes will also appear. By the twelve tribes that earnestly serve God night and day, Paul does not mean the unbelieving mass of the people, but the true Israel of God, the Jews who believe in the Messiah Who has come.

Precisely the hope that the Jews themselves had as a nation was the basis of the accusation against him. That accusation was made by the unbelieving leaders. They rejected Him with Whom the hope of Israel’s future is indissolubly connected. That hope is the Messiah. That hope the believing Jews found in the coming of the Lord Jesus and that is the reason for the attacks of the unbelieving Jews.

The hope of the fulfillment of the promises, is also connected with faith in the resurrection. All believers to whom the promises were made in the Old Testament died without having received the promises. Nevertheless, they will receive what was promised to them in the resurrection. Promises and resurrection belong together. Above all, it is connected to faith in the resurrection of the Messiah, Who was rejected and killed at His coming to fulfill the promises. By talking about the future restoration of Israel, Paul offers his audience a broad perspective.

With his words Paul especially wants to reach King Agrippa. To that end he addresses him directly when he says to him: “O King.” Afterward he also has a question for all those present. He asks his audience the penetrating question why they judge the raising of the dead by God to be unbelievable. This makes the resurrection the central theme of Paul’s speech. Whoever believes in God must believe in Him as the God of the resurrection. This is the core of the difference of opinion between the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles on the one hand and the Christians on the other hand.