Acts 26:10-11
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)
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Paul doesn't just admit to arresting Christians; he confesses to casting his vote for their execution, revealing he was not merely a follower but an active participant in the religious council that condemned them to death. This detail is crucial because it shows the depth of his commitment to persecuting believers, even suggesting he held a position of authority that allowed him to pass judgment.
In this part of his defense before King Agrippa, Paul is recounting his zealous persecution of Christians before his conversion. He admits to actively imprisoning believers in Jerusalem, even voting to condemn them to death, demonstrating the intense opposition he once held against the early church. He’s trying to show Agrippa how dramatically God intervened to change his heart and mission.
Paul doesn't just admit he was present during the persecution of early Christians; he confesses to being a driving force. What does this reveal about his pre-conversion zeal?
As Paul recounts his past, he doesn't shy away from the severity of his actions.
A VOTE FOR DEATH
He states, '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.' This wasn't passive agreement; it was active participation. The phrase 'cast my vote' indicates he was part of the decision-making process that condemned believers to death.
Beyond Stephen
While the Book of Acts specifically records Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 7), Paul's words here imply that Stephen was not the only one. He was involved in the imprisonment and condemnation of many.
Authority and Zeal
Receiving 'authority from the chief priests' gave him the legal standing to act. But it was his intense zeal, even 'madness' as he describes it elsewhere, that fueled his actions, making him a feared persecutor.
Paul refers to the believers he persecuted as 'saints.' Why use such a holy term for those he so fiercely opposed?
The term 'saints' (hagioi in Greek) immediately draws attention.
God's Holy Ones
In the Old Testament, 'holy ones' referred to God's people, set apart for Him. Paul uses this term for the early Christians, acknowledging their identity in Christ even as he persecuted them. It shows he recognized, on some level, that they were God's chosen people.
A Transfer of Identity
This wasn't just a label; it reflected the reality that God was transferring His covenant peoplehood. Those who believed in Jesus were now considered God's 'saints,' inheriting the promises made to Israel.
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.
Paul's powerful testimony before King Agrippa highlights the brutal reality of early Christian persecution, revealing that his own zealous actions, including voting for executions, were directly fueled by his intense opposition to Jesus and his followers.
c. AD 33-36
Stephen's Martyrdom
Stephen, a prominent early Christian leader, was stoned to death in Jerusalem. Saul (later Paul) was present and approved of his death, holding the cloaks of the executioners. This event marked the beginning of intense persecution against the church in Jerusalem.
c. AD 34-36— this verse
Intensified Persecution in Jerusalem
Following Stephen's death, Saul actively persecuted the early followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. He received authority from the chief priests to arrest Christians, imprison them, and even voted for their execution when they were condemned.
c. AD 34-36
Scattering of Believers
As persecution intensified in Jerusalem, many Christians were forced to flee the city, spreading the message of Jesus to other regions like Judea and Samaria.
c. AD 34-36
Saul's Journey to Damascus
Saul, still actively persecuting Christians, received a dramatic commission from the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, leading to his conversion and a radical shift in his life's mission.
This passage directly relates to Paul's earlier persecution of the church in Jerusalem, mentioning him 'entering house after house, seizing both men and women and committing them to prison,' which sets the stage for the actions he describes in Acts 26:10.
Matthew 10:17Jesus warns his disciples they will be 'delivered up to councils' and 'beaten in synagogues,' mirroring the suffering and persecution that Paul admits to inflicting upon the early believers.
1 Timothy 1:13Paul himself reflects on his past, stating 'though formerly I was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent,' which directly aligns with the admission of his aggressive actions against Christians recorded in this verse.
Philippians 3:6Paul describes his former zeal in persecuting the church, noting he was 'as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to the righteousness under the law blameless,' showing the intensity of his commitment to his former actions that he confesses here.
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 doesn't just admit to arresting Christians; he confesses to casting his vote for their execution, revealing he was not merely a follower but an active participant in the religious council that condemned them to death. This detail is crucial because it shows the depth of his commitment to persecuting believers, even suggesting he held a position of authority that allowed him to pass judgment.
In this part of his defense before King Agrippa, Paul is recounting his zealous persecution of Christians before his conversion. He admits to actively imprisoning believers in Jerusalem, even voting to condemn them to death, demonstrating the intense opposition he once held against the early church. He’s trying to show Agrippa how dramatically God intervened to change his heart and mission.
In this part of his defense before King Agrippa, Paul is recounting his zealous persecution of Christians before his conversion. He admits to actively imprisoning believers in Jerusalem, even voting to condemn them to death, demonstrating the intense opposition he once held against the early church. He’s trying to show Agrippa how dramatically God intervened to change his heart and mission.
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A Stark Contrast
Paul's willingness to use this term, even while confessing his violent opposition, highlights the profound paradox of his life. He was fighting against God's declared 'saints,' a struggle that ultimately proved futile against the power of God.
diōkō · Greek Verb
To pursue with hostile intent, harass, or oppress, specifically because of one’s religious convictions or loyalty to Christ.
"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 doesn't just admit to arresting Christians; he confesses to casting his vote for their execution, revealing he was not merely a follower but an active participant in the religious council that…
