Acts 26:6-10
 
Acts 26:6 (KJB)
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
 
Paul was being judged by the Jews, not because he had violated the law nor did he do anything wrong against the laws of Rome but he is being judged in view of the fact of the hope made unto the fathers, which would be Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These would include the promise of blessing for the entire world and not just for Israel. (Gen 12:2-3 KJV) And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: {3} And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. The great nation is the entire worldwide body of believers which would come through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how all the families of the world are blessed because there are Christians in every country in the world.
 
Acts 26:7 (KJB)
Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.
 
Instantly - Perseverance, earnestness, and intentness
 
Once God had given them the law at Sinai, they began to learn those laws and obey them with the hope that they would obtain that hope. All the laws and feasts and ceremonies were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah and with that, the redemption of Israel would occur if they kept the laws as God commanded them. The very thing that Paul was being accused of by the Jews, was the very thing that the nation of Israel had striven for down through the ages. They had the Word of God, not only written, but verbally through the prophets which would bring the message of obedience and life. The accusation of the Jews against Paul, did not refer to any crime but was his strong belief in the promise of the fathers.
 
Acts 26:8 (KJB)
Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?
 
Paul then asks a very pointed question to Agrippa concerning why would it be such an incredible thing if God would raise the dead? They read all the miracles which God performed on behalf of Israel such as the ten plagues, the holding back of the Red Sea so they could cross, the killing of the 185,000 Assyrians (2 Ki 19:35 KJV) And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses., and many other things that were written in the Scriptures. Then when Jesus came on the scene, He raised Lazarus in front of many, then after His own resurrection, he was seen by over 500 brethren which would have still been alive since he penned it in 1 Corinthians about 5 years ago. Paul’s point is why would it be so hard for an infinite and all powerful God to raise the dead, seeing He could do all these miracles including creating the world and universe?
 
Acts 26:9 (KJB)
I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
 
Paul was not stating the teaching of the resurrection for the purpose of Agrippa not being able to believe it but here Paul states that he himself did not have an easy time accepting it. This is why he wanted to destroy the church and everything that was associated with Jesus because they were proclaiming that Jesus of Nazareth was resurrected and now alive in Heaven. Paul called Him Jesus of Nazareth because that is how Jesus identified Himself on the Damascus Road plus this would give Agrippa confirmation as to whom they were speaking of and identification would be sure. Paul wanted to destroy every vestige of Christianity.
 
Acts 26:10 (KJB)
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
 
Paul had shown his animosity toward those Christians in Jerusalem. He helped find them and bind them and put them in prison. He did this on authority from the chief priests. He mentions here that those Christians who were sentenced to death, he gave vote in favor of executing them such as he did Stephen when he held the garments of those who stoned him. Paul was probably not a member of the Sanhedrin at that time for if he was, why then did he have to get permission and papers from the chief priests to go to Damascus. The Sanhedrin was the highest ruling body. Paul at that time was a very zealous Jew for the law and customs and saw Christianity as a threat and did what he could to subdue it.

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