My manner of life from my youth, spent from the beginning among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is known by all the Jews. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I have lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Comment: Paul goes into considerable depth in his presentation before Agrippa. Agrippa seems to have known a lot about, and been sympathetic to Judaism. Thus Paul gives his origin in Judaism as a Pharisee and can’t help being a bit provocative with the comment ‘And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?’. He knows his accusers are divided in their attitude to ‘life after death’, but the Resurrection, if true, is what adds ‘guts’ or ‘oomph’, or maybe better ‘truth’, to the message of Jesus and Paul. He explains that he was initially one hundred percent against Jesus and this growing band of, to him at that stage, heretical Jesus followers. He hated and persecuted them.
Prayer: Thank You that You can breathe change into error and wholly bring newness to our thinking and actions.
As I read it! 