Read Acts 26 at Bible Gateway.
Acts 26 chiastic structures:
Act 16:1-23 structure:
1a.1) Act 26:1-7, Paul’s defense: 1) I stand judged 2) Accused by Jews 3) The promise made by God to our fathers;
1a) Act 26:1-3, Paul’s defense of that which the Jews accuse him/ Agrippa an expert re: their customs + questions;
1b) Act 26:4a, My life from my youth, which was spent among my own nation at Jerusalem;
1c) Act 26:4b, All the Jews know;
2c) Act 26:5a, They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify;
2b) Act 26:5b, That according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee;
2a) Act 26:6-7, Now I am judged, accused by the Jews, for the promise made by God to our fathers;
1a) Act 26:6a, And now I stand and am judged;
1b) Act 26:6b, For the hope;
1c) Act 26:6c, Of the promise made by God to our fathers;
2c) Act 26:7a, To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day;
2b) Act 26:7b, Hope to attain;
2a) Act 26:7c, For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews;
1a.2) Act 26:8, Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?;
1b) Act 26:9-12, I thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth;
1a) Act 26:9-10a, In Jerusalem I shut many saints in prison, having received authority from the chief priests;
1b) Act 26:10b, And when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them;
central axis) Act 26:11a, I punished them in every synagogue + compelled them to blaspheme;
2b) Act 26:11b, And being exceedingly enraged against them;
2a) Act 26:11c-12, I persecuted them to foreign cities, journeying to Damascus with authority from the chief priests;
1c) Act 26:13, At midday I saw a light from heaven shining around me + those with me;
1d) Act 26:14a, When we all had fallen to the ground;
1e) Act 26:14b, I heard a voice: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads;’
central axis) Act 26:15a, So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’
2e) Act 26:15b, And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting;’
2d) Act 26:16a, ‘But rise and stand on your feet;’
2c) Act 26:16b, ‘I have appeared to you for this purpose;’
2b) Act 26:16c-20, ‘To minister to Jews + Gentiles what I will reveal to you’/ I was not disobedient (authority from heaven);
2a.1) Act 26:21-22, Paul’s conclusion: 2) The reason the Jews tried to kill me 1) I stand witnessing 3) to the prophets + Moses;
2a.2) Act 26:23, That Messiah would suffer + rise from the dead + proclaim light to Jews and Gentiles.
Act 26:22-29 reverse parallelism:
1a) Act 26:22a, Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small + great;
1b) Act 26:22b, Saying no other things than those which the prophets + Moses said would come—;
1c) Act 26:23 That Messiah would suffer + rise from the dead + proclaim light to Jews and Gentiles;
1d) Act 26:24, Festus: Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!;
2d) Act 26:25, Paul: I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth + reason;
2c) Act 26:26, For the king knows these things; for none of them were done in a corner;
2b) Act 26:27, King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe;
2a) Act 26:28-29, Agrippa: Your witness has nearly persuaded me to become a Christian;
1a) Act 26:28, Agrippa said to Paul: You almost persuade me to become a Christian;
1b) Act 26:29a, Paul: I would to God that not only you;
2b) Act 26:29b, But also all who hear me today;
2a) Act 26:29c, Might become such as I am, except for these chains.
The central axis of Paul’s defense, is the day he met Messiah Yeshua face to face. Paul asks Him the $64,000 question: Who are You, Lord? Answering this question, who God is, and what He has done which proceeds from who He is, ought to be the centerpiece of our witness, just as it was Paul’s.
For further reading:
acts 26, the gospel of grace by faith and works befitting repentance
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