Act 25-26, 1Cor 4:9-13, 2Cor 11:23-27, Phili 1:29, 2Th 1:5 | ESV | STEP | Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province , he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea .

Acts 25

Paul Appeals to Caesar

1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in ^athe province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews ^blaid out their case against Paul, and they urged him, 3 asking as a favor against Paul ^{▼▼Greek him} that he summon him to Jerusalem—because ^dthey were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4 Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. 5 “So,” said he, “let the men of authority among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

6 After he stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day he took his seat on ^ethe tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought. 7 When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him ^fthat they could not prove. 8 Paul argued in his defense, “Neither ^gagainst ^hthe law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor ⁱagainst Caesar have I committed any offense.” 9 But Festus, ^jwishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and there be tried on these charges before me?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^ktribunal, where I ought to be tried. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you yourself know very well. 11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything for which I deserve to die, I do not seek to escape death. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can give me up to them. ^lI appeal to Caesar.” 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with his council, answered, “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you shall go.”

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, ^m“There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case ⁿagainst him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 16 ^oI answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone ^pbefore the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. 17 ^qSo when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on ^rthe tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. 18 When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. 19 Rather they ^shad certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about ^ta certain Jesus, who was dead, but whom Paul asserted to be alive. 20 Being at a loss how to investigate these questions, I ^uasked whether he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding them. 21 But ^vwhen Paul had appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of ^wthe emperor, I ordered him to be held until I could send him to Caesar.” 22 Then ^xAgrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” said he, “you will hear him.”

23 So on the next day ^yAgrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and they entered the audience hall with the military tribunes and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom ^zthe whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, ^aashouting that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that ^abhe had done nothing deserving death. And ^acas he himself appealed to ^adthe emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him. 26 But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that, after we have examined him, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”

Acts 26

Paul’s Defense Before Agrippa

1 So ^aeAgrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:

2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today ^afagainst all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially because you are familiar with all the ^agcustoms and ^ahcontroversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.

4 ^ai“My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among ^ajmy own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. 5 They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that ^akaccording to the strictest ^alparty of our ^amreligion I have lived as ^ana Pharisee. 6 And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in ^aothe promise made by God to our fathers, 7 ^apto which ^aqour twelve tribes hope to ^arattain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope ^asI am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought ^atincredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

9 ^au“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of ^avJesus of Nazareth. 10 ^awAnd I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority ^axfrom the chief priests, but ^aywhen they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And ^azI punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them ^bablaspheme, and ^bbin raging fury against them I ^bcpersecuted them even to foreign cities.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

12 “In this connection ^bdI journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me ^bein the Hebrew language, ^{▼▼Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)} ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and ^bgstand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, ^bhto appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 ^bidelivering you from your people and from the Gentiles— ^bjto whom I ^bkam sending you 18 ^blto open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from ^bmthe power of Satan to God, that they may receive ^bnforgiveness of sins and ^boa place among those who are sanctified ^bpby faith in me.’

19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to ^bqthe heavenly vision, 20 but declared first ^brto those in Damascus, ^bsthen in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also ^btto the Gentiles, that they should ^burepent and ^bvturn to God, performing deeds ^bwin keeping with their repentance. 21 For this reason ^bxthe Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22 ^byTo this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so ^bzI stand here testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what ^cathe prophets and Moses said would come to pass: 23 ^cbthat the Christ ^ccmust suffer and that, ^cdby being the first ^ceto rise from the dead, ^cfhe would proclaim ^cglight both to our people and to the Gentiles.”

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, ^chyou are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, ^cimost excellent Festus, but I am speaking ^cjtrue and ^ckrational words. 26 For ^clthe king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be ^cma Christian?” ^{▼▼Or In a short time you would persuade me to act like a Christian!} 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day ^comight become such as I am—except for ^cpthese chains.”

30 Then the king rose, and ^cqthe governor and Bernice and those who were sitting with them. 31 And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another, ^cr“This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment.” 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, ^cs“This man could have been set ^ctfree if he had not appealed ^cuto Caesar.”

1 Corinthians 4:9-13

9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, ^cvlike men sentenced to death, because we ^cwhave become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. 10 ^cxWe are fools for Christ’s sake, but ^cyyou are wise in Christ. ^czWe are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour ^dawe hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and ^dbbuffeted and ^dchomeless, 12 and we ^ddlabor, working with our own hands. ^deWhen reviled, we bless; ^dfwhen persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we entreat. ^dgWe have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, ^dhthe refuse of all things.

2 Corinthians 11:23-27

23 Are they ^diservants of Christ? ^djI am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^dkfar more imprisonments, ^dlwith countless beatings, and ^dmoften near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^dnforty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was ^dobeaten with rods. ^dpOnce I was stoned. Three times I ^dqwas shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^drdanger from my own people, ^dsdanger from Gentiles, ^dtdanger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 ^duin toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^dvin hunger and thirst, often without food, ^{▼▼Or often in fasting} in cold and exposure.

Philippians 1:29

29 For ^dxit has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also ^dysuffer for his sake,

2 Thessalonians 1:5

The Judgment at Christ’s Coming

5 This is ^dzevidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be ^eaconsidered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—