Acts 26:9-20
9Of course, ▼ I myself was convinced ▼ that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 10And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received ▼▼tn Grk “by receiving authority.” The participle λαβών (labōn) has been taken instrumentally.
from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ▼▼tn Grk “cast down a pebble against them.” L&N 30.103 states, “(an idiom, Grk ‘to bring a pebble against someone,’ a reference to a white or black pebble used in voting for or against someone) to make known one’s choice against someone—‘to vote against.’…‘when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them’ Ac 26:10.”
against them when they were sentenced to death. ▼▼tn Grk “when they were being executed,” but the context supports the sentencing rather than the execution itself (cf. L&N 30.103).
11I punished ▼▼tn Grk “and punishing…I tried.” The participle τιμωρῶν (timōrōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
them often in all the synagogues ▼ and tried to force ▼ them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ▼▼tn Or “was so insanely angry with them.” BDAG 322 s.v. ἐμμαίνομαι states, “to be filled with such anger that one appears to be mad, be enraged…περισσῶς ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς being furiously enraged at them Ac 26:11”; L&N 88.182 s.v. ἐμμαίνομαι, “to be so furiously angry with someone as to be almost out of one’s mind—‘to be enraged, to be infuriated, to be insanely angry’…‘I was so infuriated with them that I even went to foreign cities to persecute them’ Ac 26:11.”
at them, I went to persecute ▼▼tn Or “I pursued them even as far as foreign cities.”
them even in foreign cities. 12 “While doing this very thing, ▼ as I was going ▼▼tn Grk “going.” The participle πορευόμενος (poreuomenos) has been taken temporally.
to Damascus with authority and complete power ▼▼tn L&N 37.40 s.v. ἐπιτροπή states, “the full authority to carry out an assignment or commission—‘authority, complete power.’ πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν μετ᾿ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων ‘going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the high priests’ Ac 26:12. In Ac 26:12 the combination of ἐξουσία and ἐπιτροπή serves to reinforce the sense of complete authority.”
from the chief priests, 13about noon along the road, Your Majesty, ▼▼tn Grk “O King.”
I saw a light from heaven, ▼▼tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around ▼ me and those traveling with me. 14When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ▼ ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ▼▼tn Grk “It is hard for you.”
by kicking against the goads.’ ▼▼tn “Goads” are pointed sticks used to direct a draft animal (an idiom for stubborn resistance). See BDAG 539-40 s.v. κέντρον 2.
▼▼sn Sayings which contain the imagery used here (kicking against the goads) were also found in Greek writings; see Pindar, Pythians 2.94-96; Euripides, Bacchae 795.
15So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ▼▼tn Grk “said.”
‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance ▼▼tn L&N 30.89 has “‘to choose in advance, to select beforehand, to designate in advance.’”
as a servant and witness ▼ to the things ▼ you have seen ▼▼tc ‡ Some mss read “of the things in which you have seen me.” The accusative object με (me, “me”) is found after εἶδές (eides) in B C*vid 614 945 1175 1505 1739 1891 2464 sy sa; it is lacking in P74 א A C2 E Ψ 096 Maj latt bo. The external evidence is relatively evenly divided, though there is a slight preference for the omission. NA28 includes the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
and to the things in which I will appear to you. 17I will rescue ▼ you from your own people ▼▼tn That is, from the Jewish people. Grk “the people”; the words “your own” have been supplied to clarify the meaning.
and from the Gentiles, to whom ▼▼tn The antecedent of the relative pronoun is probably both the Jews (“your own people”) and the Gentiles, indicating the comprehensive commission Paul received.
I am sending you 18to open their eyes so that they turn ▼▼sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.
from darkness to light and from the power ▼ of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ▼▼tn Or “and an inheritance.”
among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ▼ I was not disobedient ▼▼sn I was not disobedient. Paul’s defense is that he merely obeyed the risen Jesus. He was arrested for obeying heavenly direction and preaching the opportunity to turn to God.
to the heavenly ▼ vision, 20but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ▼ and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ▼▼sn That they should repent and turn to God. This is the shortest summary of Paul’s message that he preached.
performing deeds consistent with ▼ repentance.
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