Gary Gleans

                                                                                       Acts 26:1-11 So   Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense: “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today   against all the accusations of the Jews, especially because you are familiar with all the   customs and   controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.  “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  

                                                                             Acts 25:23-27 So on the next day Agrippa 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.   And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish people petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.   But I found that he had done nothing deserving death. And as he himself appealed to the emperor, I decided to go ahead and send him.   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.   For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to indicate the charges against him.”   This passage shows us the hand of God

                                                                             Acts 25:13-22 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.   And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, “There is a man left prisoner by Felix,   and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid out their case against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.   I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone before the accused met the accusers face to face and had opportunity to make his defense concerning the charge laid against him. So when they came together here, I made no delay, but on the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought. When the accusers stood up, they brought no charge in his case of such evils as I supposed. Rather they had certain points of dispute with him about their own religion and about 

                                                                                            Acts 25:1-12 Now three days after Festus had arrived in   the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.   And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews   laid out their case against Paul, and they urged him,   asking as a favor against Paul that he summon him to Jerusalem—because   they were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.   Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there shortly. “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.”  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   the tribunal and ordered Paul to be brought.   When he had arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him

                                                                                       Acts 24:24-27   After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.   And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”   At the same time he hoped that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him.   When two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And desiring to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.   None of us like to feel like our lives are “on hold” or “out of control.”  Imagine how Paul must have felt sitting in prison without being convicted or even really standing trial and without any real resolution in site.  Two years of a holding pattern will put any person’s sanity to the test.  However, this is what God allow

                                                                                       Acts 24:1-23 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus. They laid before the governor their case against Paul. And when he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Since through you we enjoy much peace, and since by your foresight, most excellent Felix, reforms are being made for this nation, in every way and everywhere we accept this with all gratitude. But, to detain you no further, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly. For we have found this man a plague, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. He even tried to profane the temple, but we seized him. By examining him yourself you will be able to find out from him about everything of which we accuse him.” The Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that all these things were so. And when th

                                                                                  Acts 23:23-35 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to   Felix   the governor.”   And he wrote a letter to this effect:   “Claudius Lysias, to   his Excellency the governor Felix,   greetings. This man was seized by the Jews and   was about to be killed by them   when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him,   having learned that he was a Roman citizen. And   desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council.   I found that he was being accused   about questions of their law, but   charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. And when it was disclosed to me   that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once,   orderin

                                                                                  Acts 23:11-24 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.” When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.    Now therefore you, along with the council, give notice to the tribune to bring him down to you, as though you were going to determine his case more exactly. And we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” Now the son of Paul's sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the tribune, for he has something to t

                                                                             Acts 22:30 – 23:10 But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.  And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers,   I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”   And the high priest   Ananias commanded those who stood by him   to strike him on the mouth.   Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you   whitewashed   wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet   contrary to the law you   order me to be struck?”   Those who stood by said, “Would you revile   God's high priest?”   And Paul said,   “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written,   ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”   Now when Paul perceived that one part were

                                                                                  Acts 22:17-29 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’   And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined

                                                                        Acts 21:37 – 22:16 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the tribune, “May I say something to you?” And he said, “Do you know Greek?   Are you not the Egyptian, then, who recently stirred up a revolt and led the four thousand men of the Assassins out into the wilderness?”    Paul replied, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no obscure city. I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.”   And when he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:  “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.” And when they heard that he was addressing them in   the Hebrew language, they became even more quiet. And he said:  “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated   at the feet of   Gamaliel according to the s