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 I am accused by Jews, O king! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
My manner of life from my youth...is known by all the Jews - "He had been brought up among them at Jerusalem as one of that promising and privileged group of young men who studied under Gamaliel, the renowned doctor of Moses' law (acts 22:3). He had 'profited in the Jew's religion above many of [his] equals ... being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of [his] fathers' (Gal 1:14). His accusers well knew, though they would not testify, that from the beginning he had lived a Pharisee, following the teachings and customs of the very strictest sect in Israel (Acts 26:5). And now he stands trial—for what? For repudiating his faith in God's promise to the fathers? No! but for proclaiming the very hope upon which that promise rested (Acts 26:5)." (Stam)
the promise - "I.e., the Messiah (Gen 22:18; 49:10)." (Ryrie)
to which our twelve tribes hope to attain - "This passage shows the fallacy of the theory of 'Anglo-Israelism,' that the ten northern tribes of Israel never rejoined Judah and Benjamin after their exile, but wandered to more distant parts and turned up as the Anglo-Saxon races." (Stam)
God raises the dead - "That Paul preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the heart of the complaint of the Jewish authorities." (Ryrie)
"If the failure to observe dispensational distinctions in the Scriptures has brought harm and loss to the Church, the failure to recognize the unity of God's plan for the ages, and to observe dispensational connections is fraught with peril fully as great ... An example of this is seen in the erroneous contention that Paul here asserts before Agrippa that it is for proclaiming the kingdom of Messiah that he has been accused of the Jews. During Paul's early ministry, it is argued, he preached practically the same message as the twelve, and his special ministry for us did not begin until after Acts 28:28. Strangely, the question why the remaining members of the twelve were not then suffering along with Paul, does not seem to occur to these brethren. But we pose it here. If the Jews were so angry at Paul for proclaiming the kingdom, how is it that the multitudes of those who believed and proclaimed this very message in Jerusalem and Judaea went on unmolested at this time?" The fact is that from the beginning Paul's apostleship and commission had been separate and distinct from that of the twelve or any other—and he says this in Acts and in his early epistles (See Acts 20:24; Eph 3:1-3; Gal 1:11-12; 2:2,7.9; etc.). Now, considering the passage before us, it must be carefully observed that the apostle does not say that he was being judged for proclaiming 'the promise' made to the fathers. To the fulfillment of this promise (the millennial kingdom) the 'twelve tribes' themselves 'hoped to come.' Why, then should they find fault with him for believing and proclaiming it? It was for proclaiming 'the hope of the promise' that he was hated and persecuted. And what was 'the hope of the promise?' It was the resurrection in general, and the resurrection of Christ in particular. The Sadducees—poor apostates!—who had so bitterly opposed him, did not see that the resurrection, and particularly the resurrection of Christ, was the only basis for any expectation of the promised kingdom. Christ alone was—and is—the rightful King, and the thousands of believers gone before could not see that kingdom unless they were raised from the dead. The Pharisees, of course, joined the Sadducees in their persecution of Paul because he had further pointed out how the resurrection of Christ was proof of a finished redemption and of justification by grace without religion or works. But his purpose here was to point out that he had been opposed by the Jews for proclaiming a doctrine which was the very—the only—hope of the fulfillment of a promise to which the twelve tribes themselves hoped to come (Acts 26:6-7). They 'served' God intensely, day and night, offering prayers and sacrifices and oblations, longing for the establishment of the kingdom long promised. But the resurrection, especially the resurrection of Christ, was the hope of that promise and, mark well, the apostle repeats that this is what the Jews opposed (Acts 26:6-7; 23:6; 24:15; 25:18-19; 26:22-23)." (Stam)
My manner of life from my youth...is known by all the Jews - "He had been brought up among them at Jerusalem as one of that promising and privileged group of young men who studied under Gamaliel, the renowned doctor of Moses' law (acts 22:3). He had 'profited in the Jew's religion above many of [his] equals ... being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of [his] fathers' (Gal 1:14). His accusers well knew, though they would not testify, that from the beginning he had lived a Pharisee, following the teachings and customs of the very strictest sect in Israel (Acts 26:5). And now he stands trial—for what? For repudiating his faith in God's promise to the fathers? No! but for proclaiming the very hope upon which that promise rested (Acts 26:5)." (Stam)
the promise - "I.e., the Messiah (Gen 22:18; 49:10)." (Ryrie)
to which our twelve tribes hope to attain - "This passage shows the fallacy of the theory of 'Anglo-Israelism,' that the ten northern tribes of Israel never rejoined Judah and Benjamin after their exile, but wandered to more distant parts and turned up as the Anglo-Saxon races." (Stam)
God raises the dead - "That Paul preached the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the heart of the complaint of the Jewish authorities." (Ryrie)
"If the failure to observe dispensational distinctions in the Scriptures has brought harm and loss to the Church, the failure to recognize the unity of God's plan for the ages, and to observe dispensational connections is fraught with peril fully as great ... An example of this is seen in the erroneous contention that Paul here asserts before Agrippa that it is for proclaiming the kingdom of Messiah that he has been accused of the Jews. During Paul's early ministry, it is argued, he preached practically the same message as the twelve, and his special ministry for us did not begin until after Acts 28:28. Strangely, the question why the remaining members of the twelve were not then suffering along with Paul, does not seem to occur to these brethren. But we pose it here. If the Jews were so angry at Paul for proclaiming the kingdom, how is it that the multitudes of those who believed and proclaimed this very message in Jerusalem and Judaea went on unmolested at this time?" The fact is that from the beginning Paul's apostleship and commission had been separate and distinct from that of the twelve or any other—and he says this in Acts and in his early epistles (See Acts 20:24; Eph 3:1-3; Gal 1:11-12; 2:2,7.9; etc.). Now, considering the passage before us, it must be carefully observed that the apostle does not say that he was being judged for proclaiming 'the promise' made to the fathers. To the fulfillment of this promise (the millennial kingdom) the 'twelve tribes' themselves 'hoped to come.' Why, then should they find fault with him for believing and proclaiming it? It was for proclaiming 'the hope of the promise' that he was hated and persecuted. And what was 'the hope of the promise?' It was the resurrection in general, and the resurrection of Christ in particular. The Sadducees—poor apostates!—who had so bitterly opposed him, did not see that the resurrection, and particularly the resurrection of Christ, was the only basis for any expectation of the promised kingdom. Christ alone was—and is—the rightful King, and the thousands of believers gone before could not see that kingdom unless they were raised from the dead. The Pharisees, of course, joined the Sadducees in their persecution of Paul because he had further pointed out how the resurrection of Christ was proof of a finished redemption and of justification by grace without religion or works. But his purpose here was to point out that he had been opposed by the Jews for proclaiming a doctrine which was the very—the only—hope of the fulfillment of a promise to which the twelve tribes themselves hoped to come (Acts 26:6-7). They 'served' God intensely, day and night, offering prayers and sacrifices and oblations, longing for the establishment of the kingdom long promised. But the resurrection, especially the resurrection of Christ, was the hope of that promise and, mark well, the apostle repeats that this is what the Jews opposed (Acts 26:6-7; 23:6; 24:15; 25:18-19; 26:22-23)." (Stam)
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