Paul’s Defense to the Crowd
(Acts 9:1–19; Acts 26:1–23)

1MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my apology which I now offer unto you.

2Then when they heard that he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence: and he said,

3I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed accurately in the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day: 4so much so that I persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women. 5As also the high-priest will bear me witness, and all the body of elders: from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, I went unto Damascus, to bring those who were there in chains unto Jerusalem, that they might be punished.

6But as I went and drew nigh to Damascus, at noon-day, suddenly there shone a great light from heaven around me. 7And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest. 9Now they who were with me saw the light indeed, and were terrified; but the voice of him that spake to me heard they not. 10Then I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, go into Damascus; and there information shall be given thee of all things which are ordained for thee to do. 11Then as I could no longer see through the dazzling brightness of that light, led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.

12And one Ananias, a religious man according to the law, and in high repute with all the Jews dwelling there, 13came to me, and standing by me, said, Brother Saul, recover sight. And the same hour I looked up at him. 14And he said, The God of our fathers hath predestinated thee to know his will, and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. 15For thou shalt be a witness for him to all men, of the things which thou hast seen and heard. 16And now why delay? arise, to be baptised, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

17Now it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance; 18and beheld him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony of me. 19And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and scourging from synagogue to synagogue those who believe on thee: 20and when the blood of Stephen thy martyr was shed, I myself even stood by, and took delight in his execution, and guarded the garments of those who slew him. 21And he said to me, Go: for I will send thee forth to the Gentiles afar off.

Paul the Roman Citizen

22And they gave him audience to this sentence, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. 23So when they began raising a vast clamour, and stripping off their garments, and casting dust into the air, 24the military tribune commanded him to be brought into the fortress, ordering that he should be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what cause they clamoured so loudly against him. 25So as they were tying him up for the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing by him, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned? 26And when the centurion heard this, he came and told the military tribune, saying, Consider what you are going to do: for this man is a Roman citizen. 27Then the tribune came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes. 28And the tribune replied, With a large sum of money I purchased this citizenship. And Paul said, But I enjoy it as my birthright. 29Immediately then they who were about to put him to the question, withdrew from him: and indeed the tribune dreaded the consequences, when he knew that he was a Roman citizen, that he had even gone so far as to bind him.

30So on the morrow, desirous to know of a certainty what it was of which he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the high-priest and all the sanhedrim to appear, and bringing Paul down, set him before them.