Acts 26:32

But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?”

When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear. So I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

For if I have done wrong and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”

delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?

Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.

He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.

Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;

For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News.

But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”

Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.”

“But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’

Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.

“The lord said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don’t want to be a judge of these matters.”

But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”

But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.

But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.”

but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised—

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope;

I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice.

“The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel shall know: if it was in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don’t save us today),

David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”

if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

that I may see the prosperity of your chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation, that I may glory with your inheritance.

The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.

“Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.

Surely the islands will wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has glorified you.

Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.”

They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.”

and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and behold, having examined him before you, I found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

One of them named Agabus stood up, and indicated by the Spirit that there should be a great famine all over the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius.

But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”

But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you;

When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

“I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, “Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,

But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, “When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will decide your case.”

However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.

But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him,

When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

All the saints greet you, especially those who are of Caesar’s household.

who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and don’t please God, and are contrary to all men,

that each one of you know how to control his own body in sanctification and honor,

For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.