Paul reveals a chilling detail: his persecution of Christians wasn't just impulsive rage, but involved casting his vote against them when they were condemned to death. This wasn't a minor disagreement, but a formal, legal approval of their execution, showing his deep complicity in their suffering before his conversion.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul, addressing King Agrippa, recounts his zealous persecution of early Christians in Jerusalem. He admits to imprisoning many believers and even voting for their execution under the authority of the chief priests. This stark confession serves as a dramatic contrast to his later conversion and ministry, highlighting the radical transformation God wrought in him.
Paul doesn't hold back when describing his past actions. He was not a passive observer but an active participant in the early church's suffering.
In Acts 26:10, Paul details his intense involvement in persecuting Christians in Jerusalem. He wasn't just present; he was instrumental.
Active Involvement
Paul refers to those he persecuted as 'saints.' This term reveals a profound truth about God's perspective on His people, even when they were suffering intensely.
It's striking that Paul, in recounting his persecution, calls the believers "saints." This word choice is far from accidental; it speaks volumes about God's view of His people.
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God's Perspective on Believers
Understand the original words
hagios · Greek Noun/Adjective
Believers in Christ; those who are set apart by God for His service and have been sanctified through faith.
archiereus · Greek Noun
Religious leaders in Jerusalem who held ecclesiastical and legal authority over the Jewish people, often involved in the legal proceedings against Christians.
timōreō · Greek Verb
The act of inflicting penalty or retribution for an offense; in a biblical context, it often refers to suffering endured for the sake of faith or, as here, the act of causing such suffering to believers.
blasphēmeō · Greek Verb
To speak irreverently or profanely about God or sacred things; it denotes an act of defiant hostility against the divine or the things of God.
diōkō · Greek Verb
To pursue with hostile intent, harass, or oppress, specifically because of one’s religious convictions or loyalty to Christ.
Paul's statement highlights the severity of his pre-conversion zeal, revealing that the persecution he instigated in Jerusalem involved not just imprisonment but also approvals of death sentences, underscoring the dramatic transformation he underwent.
c. AD 33-35
Stephen's Martyrdom
Stephen, a Hellenistic Jewish disciple, is the first recorded Christian martyr, stoned to death in Jerusalem. Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Pharisee, approves of this act and guards the cloaks of those stoning him.
c. AD 33-35— this verse
Early Church Persecution
Following Stephen's death, Saul becomes a leading persecutor of the early church in Jerusalem, authorized by the chief priests. He actively arrests and imprisons believers.
c. AD 35
Saul's Journey to Damascus
Saul, equipped with authority from the high priests, travels to Damascus to arrest Christians. On the road, he has a dramatic encounter with the resurrected Jesus, leading to his conversion.
c. AD 35 - 45
Saul's Early Ministry and Travel
After his conversion, Saul (now Paul) spends time in Arabia and Damascus before returning to Jerusalem and eventually traveling to Tarsus, Antioch, and on missionary journeys.
This passage directly precedes Paul's actions in Jerusalem, showing his initial zealous persecution of the church which included 'making havoc of the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison'.
1 Timothy 1:13Paul himself reflects on this period, describing himself as 'a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor' who acted 'ignorantly in unbelief,' directly correlating with his confession in Acts 26:10.
Philippians 3:6In this letter, Paul lists his past zeal for the law and his persecution of the church as achievements from a worldly perspective, showing the intensity of his former commitment that is reflected in his description of casting his vote against believers.
Galatians 1:23This verse states that the churches in Judea had only heard 'He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy,' which directly echoes the dramatic transformation from his actions described in Acts 26:10.
gillActs 26:10: "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."
Which thing I also did in Jerusalem,.... The metropolis of Judea, where he had had his education, and was well known; here he consented to the death of Stephen, and held the clothes of the witnesses while they stoned him; and here he haled men and women out of their houses, and committe…
henryActs 26:1-11: "Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:"
26:1-11 Christianity teaches us to give a reason of the hope that is in us, and also to give honour to whom honour is due, without flattery or fear of man. Agrippa was well versed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, therefore could the better judge as to the controversy about Jesus being the Messiah. Surely ministers may expect, when they preach…
Paul reveals a chilling detail: his persecution of Christians wasn't just impulsive rage, but involved casting his vote against them when they were condemned to death. This wasn't a minor disagreement, but a formal, legal approval of their execution, showing his deep complicity in their suffering before his conversion.
Paul, addressing King Agrippa, recounts his zealous persecution of early Christians in Jerusalem. He admits to imprisoning many believers and even voting for their execution under the authority of the chief priests. This stark confession serves as a dramatic contrast to his later conversion and ministry, highlighting the radical transformation God wrought in him.
Paul, addressing King Agrippa, recounts his zealous persecution of early Christians in Jerusalem. He admits to imprisoning many believers and even voting for their execution under the authority of the chief priests. This stark confession serves as a dramatic contrast to his later conversion and ministry, highlighting the radical transformation God wrought in him.
"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…" — Paul reveals a chilling detail: his persecution of Christians wasn't just impulsive rage, but involved casting his vote against them when they were condemned to death. This wasn't a minor disagreemen…
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Last reviewed October 2026
