Acts 26:23 Study Bible: how the Messiah would suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles."

◄ Acts 26:23 ►

that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles."

Study Bible

that the Christ
The term "Christ" comes from the Greek "Christos," meaning "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew "Messiah." This title signifies Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies regarding a savior and king. In the Jewish tradition, the Messiah was expected to deliver Israel and establish God's kingdom. Here, Paul emphasizes that Jesus is the promised Messiah, a central tenet of Christian faith.

would suffer
The suffering of Christ is a cornerstone of Christian theology, rooted in prophecies such as Isaiah 53, which speaks of a suffering servant. The Greek word "paschō" indicates enduring pain or hardship. This suffering was necessary for the atonement of sin, highlighting the sacrificial nature of Jesus' mission. Historically, the concept of a suffering Messiah was a stumbling block for many Jews, who anticipated a triumphant political leader.

and as the first to rise from the dead
The phrase "first to rise" uses the Greek "prōtos," meaning first in time or order. This indicates Jesus' resurrection as the firstfruits of those who have died, as explained in 1 Corinthians 15:20. His resurrection is a pivotal event, affirming His divinity and the promise of eternal life for believers. It marks the beginning of a new creation, where death is conquered.

He would proclaim light
"Light" in this context symbolizes truth, revelation, and salvation. The Greek word "phōs" is often used metaphorically in Scripture to represent divine truth and guidance. Jesus, as the Light of the World (John 8:12), brings spiritual illumination, dispelling the darkness of sin and ignorance. This proclamation of light is central to the Gospel message.

to our people
"Our people" refers to the Jewish nation, God's chosen people through whom the Messiah was promised. Paul's mission, as a Jew himself, was initially to bring the message of Jesus to his fellow Jews, fulfilling the covenantal promises made to the patriarchs. This highlights the continuity of God's plan from the Old Testament to the New.

and to the Gentiles
The inclusion of the Gentiles, or non-Jews, signifies the universal scope of the Gospel. The Greek term "ethnē" refers to nations or peoples. This was a radical shift from the Jewish-centric view of God's covenant, emphasizing that salvation through Christ is available to all humanity. It fulfills the promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 12:3).

Persons / Places / Events

1. Paul
The apostle who is giving his defense before King Agrippa, explaining his mission and the message of the Gospel.

2. Christ
Refers to Jesus, the Messiah, who suffered, died, and rose again, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament.

3. King Agrippa
The ruler before whom Paul is making his defense, a significant figure in the Herodian dynasty.

4. Gentiles
Non-Jewish people to whom the message of salvation through Christ is also proclaimed.

5. Resurrection
The event of Jesus rising from the dead, which is central to Christian faith and the message Paul is sharing.

Teaching Points

The Suffering Messiah
Understand that the suffering of Christ was prophesied and necessary for the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan.

Reflect on the significance of Christ's suffering in your personal salvation and how it calls you to a life of gratitude and service.

The Resurrection as the Cornerstone
Recognize the resurrection of Jesus as the cornerstone of Christian faith, providing hope and assurance of eternal life.

Consider how the resurrection empowers you to live a life of victory over sin and death.

Proclaiming Light to All
Embrace the call to share the Gospel with both Jews and Gentiles, recognizing that the message of Christ is for all people.

Evaluate how you can be a light in your community, sharing the hope and truth of the Gospel in your daily interactions.

Fulfillment of Prophecy
Study the Old Testament prophecies to see how they point to Jesus, strengthening your faith in the reliability of Scripture.

Use the fulfillment of prophecy as a tool for evangelism, showing others the divine nature of the Bible.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does understanding the prophecies about the Messiah's suffering enhance your appreciation of Jesus' sacrifice?

2. In what ways can the resurrection of Christ influence your daily life and decisions?

3. How can you actively participate in proclaiming the light of Christ to those around you, both within and outside your cultural context?

4. What Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah have you found most compelling, and how do they strengthen your faith?

5. How can you use the message of Acts 26:23 to encourage someone who is struggling with doubt or unbelief?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Isaiah 53
This passage prophesies the suffering of the Messiah, which Paul refers to in explaining that Christ would suffer.

Psalm 16:10
This verse speaks of God not abandoning His Holy One to decay, which is fulfilled in Christ's resurrection.

Luke 24:46-47
Jesus Himself explains that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in His name to all nations.

1 Corinthians 15:20
Paul describes Christ as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep, emphasizing His resurrection as the first of many.

John 1:4-5
Jesus is described as the light of men, which aligns with Paul's message of Christ proclaiming light to both Jews and Gentiles.

Sermons

Patti's Defence Before Agrippa	D. C. Hughes.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before Agrippa	J. Parker, D. D.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before Agrippa	D. Katterns.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before Agrippa	J. Parker, D. D.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul Before Festus and Agrippa	E. Johnson	Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Defence Before Agrippa	D. Thomas, D. D.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Defence Before Agrippa	J. W. Burn.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Sermon Before Agrippa	T. D. Witherspoon, D. D.	Acts 26:1-32
Paul's Stretched-Out Arm	K. Gerok.	Acts 26:1-32
That Many Rest Upon a Strict Way of Religion	A. Burgess.	Acts 26:1-32
The Apostolic Defense in the Presence of Festus and Agrippa	R.A. Redford	Acts 26:1-32
Heavenly Visions and Human Duty	Theodore Hooke.	Acts 26:19-23
Man Dependent Upon God for Natural and Spiritual Life	R. P. Buddicom, M. A.	Acts 26:19-23
Obedience to the Heavenly Vision	A. Barnes, D. D.	Acts 26:19-23
Perseverance	S. Baring Gould.	Acts 26:19-23
Preaching to the Gentiles	S. S. Times	Acts 26:19-23
Repentance Should be Immediate	C. H. Spurgeon.	Acts 26:19-23
The Arguments on Both Sides of the Question Concerning the Validity of a Death Bed Repentance	R. Fiddes, D. D.	Acts 26:19-23
The Gospel Ministry	J. L. F. Russell, M. A.	Acts 26:19-23
The Heavenly Vision	A. Maclaren, D. D.	Acts 26:19-23
The Heavenly Vision	H. S. Lunn.	Acts 26:19-23
The Nature of the Gospel Ministry	J. Parsons.	Acts 26:19-23
The Three Stages of the Spiritual Life	Dean Plumptre.	Acts 26:19-23
Visions of the Soul	T. Monod.	Acts 26:19-23
The Penalty and the Resources of a Devoted Life	W. Clarkson	Acts 26:20-23
A Good Confession	P.C. Barker	Acts 26:22, 23
St. Paul's Message Compared with Prophecy	R. Tuck	Acts 26:22, 23

People

Agrippa, Bernice, Festus, Paul, Saul

Places

Caesarea, Damascus, Jerusalem, Judea

Topics

Announce, Christ, Dead, Gentiles, Jewish, Message, Namely, Nations, Pain, Proclaim, Reason, Resurrection, Rise, Rising, Shew, Suffer, Suffering, Whether

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Acts 26:23

     2206   Jesus, the Christ
     2570   Christ, suffering
     4835   light, spiritual
     8419   enlightenment
     9312   resurrection, significance of Christ's
     9315   resurrection, of believers

Acts 26:15-23

7512 Gentiles, in NT

Acts 26:22-23

     2560   Christ, resurrection
     5564   suffering, of Christ
     8427   evangelism, kinds of

Library

April 20 Evening
Who art thou Lord? I am Jesus.--ACTS 26:15. It is I; be not afraid.--When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee: and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, . . . thy Saviour. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.--Emmanuel, God with us. Thou shalt …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

May 26 Evening
The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.--REV. 21:23. I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.--Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Christ's Remonstrances
'And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why perseoutest thou Me! it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.'--ACTS xxvi. 14. 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?' No. But God can change the skin, because He can change the nature. In this story of the conversion of the Apostle Paul--the most important thing that happened that day--we have an instance how brambles may become vines; tares …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Faith in Christ
'...Faith that is in Me.'--ACTS xxvi. 18. It is commonly said, and so far as the fact is concerned, said truly, that what are called the distinguishing doctrines of Christianity are rather found in the Epistles than in the Gospels. If we wish the clearest statements of the nature and person of Christ, we turn to Paul's Epistle to the Colossians. If we wish the fullest dissertation upon Christ's work as a sacrifice, we go to the Epistle to the Hebrews. If we seek to prove that men are justified by …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'The Heavenly vision'
'Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.' Acts xxvi. 19. This is Paul's account of the decisive moment in his life on which all his own future, and a great deal of the future of Christianity and of the world, hung. The gracious voice had spoken from heaven, and now everything depended on the answer made in the heart of the man lying there blind and amazed. Will he rise melted by love, and softened into submission, or hardened by resistance to the call of the exalted …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'Me a Christian!'
'Then Agrlppa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.'--ACTS xxvi 28. This Agrippa was son of the other Herod of whom we hear in the Acts as a persecutor. This one appears from other sources, to have had the vices but not the force of character of his bad race. He was weak and indolent, a mere hanger-on of Rome, to which he owed his kingdom, and to which he stoutly stuck during all the tragedy of the fall of Jerusalem. In position and in character (largely resulting from the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

'Before Governors and Kings'
'Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20. But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judsea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21. For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Eighteenth Day. Holiness and Faith.
That they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.'--Acts xxvi. 18. The more we study Scripture in the light of the Holy Spirit, or practise the Christian life in His power, the deeper becomes our conviction of the unique and central place faith has in God's plan of salvation. And we learn, too, to see that it is meet and right that it should be so: the very nature of things demands it. Because God is a Spiritual and Invisible Being, every …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Nature of Enthusiasm
"And Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself." Acts 26:24. 1. And so say all the world, the men who know not God, of all that are of Paul's religion: of every one who is so a follower of him as he was of Christ. It is true, there is a sort of religion, nay, and it is called Christianity too, which may be practised without any such Imputation, which is generally allowed to be consistent with common sense, --that is, a religion of form, a round of outward duties, performed in a …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Almost Christian
"Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." Acts 26:28. AND many there are who go thus far: ever since the Christian religion was in the world, there have been many in every age and nation who were almost persuaded to be Christians. But seeing it avails nothing before God to go only thus far, it highly imports us to consider, First. What is implied in being almost, Secondly. What in being altogether, a Christian. I. (I.) 1. Now, in the being almost a Christian is implied, First, heathen honesty. …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

The Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
I intend, this morning, to address myself more particularly to those who fear not the Lord Jesus Christ, but on the contrary, oppose him. I think I may be quite certain that I have none here who go the length of desiring to see the old persecution of the church revived. I do not think there is an Englishman, however much he may hate religion, who would wish to see the stake again in Smithfield, and the burning pile consuming the saints. There may be some who hate them as much, but still not in that …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Acts 26:24-29. Portraits.
[10] "And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. "But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. "For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. "Then Agrippa said …
John Charles Ryle—The Upper Room: Being a Few Truths for the Times

The Publisher to the Reader.
There are no sermons I know of any divine or pastor in this kingdom, that have been more frequently printed, or more universally read and esteemed, than the elegant and judicious discourses of Mr. Binning, which were published after his death, at different times, in four small volumes. As there was a great demand for these valuable writings, about twenty six years ago; so these printed copies of them were compared with his own manuscript copy now in my hand, carefully revised, and then printed, in …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Tillotson -- the Reasonableness of a Resurrection
John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury, renowned as a preacher, was born at Sowerby, in Yorkshire, in 1630, the son of an ardent Independent. After graduating from Clare College, Cambridge, he began to preach in 1661, in connection with the Presbyterian wing of the Church of England. He, however, submitted to the Act of Uniformity the following year, and in 1663 was inducted into the rectory of Veddington, Suffolk. He was also appointed preacher to Lincoln's Inn, was made prebendary of Canterbury …
Various—The World's Great Sermons, Vol. 2

Sanctified by Faith
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."--Heb. 11:6. "That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me."--Acts 26:18. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand."--Rom. 5:1, 2. Faith in the blood …
J. W. Byers—Sanctification

The Advanced Christian Reminded of the Mercies of God, and Exhorted to the Exercise of Habitual Love to Him, and Joy in Him.
1. A holy joy in God, our privilege as well as our duty.--2. The Christian invited to the exercise of it.--3. By the consideration of temporal mercies.--4. And of spiritual favors.--5. By the views of eternal happiness.--6. And of the mercies of God to others, the living and the dead.--7. The chapter closes with an exhortation to this heavenly exercise. And with an example of the genuine workings of this grateful joy in God. 1. I WOULD now suppose my reader to find, on an examination of his spiritual …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Transformed
C. P. C. tr., Emma Frances Bevan, 1899 "I send thee to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me."--Acts xxvi. 18. Dark lay the plain, a tangled wilderness, And dark the mountains in the mists afar-- A land of darkness where no order is, Nor moon, nor star-- There was the line of drear confusion drawn, The stones of emptiness lay …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series)

The Gospel According to Paul
C. P. C. Acts xxvi. 16 From the glory and the gladness, From His secret place; From the rapture of His Presence From the radiance of His Face-- Christ, the Son of God, hath sent me Through the midnight lands; Mine the mighty ordination Of the pierced Hands. Mine the message grand and glorious Strange unsealed surprise-- That the goal is God's Beloved, Christ in Paradise. Hear me, weary men and women, Sinners dead in sin; I am come from heaven to tell you Of the love within; Not alone of God's …
Frances Bevan—Hymns of Ter Steegen, Suso, and Others

Defending Field Preaching
Between four and five we set out from Roughlee. But observing several parties of men upon the hills and suspecting their design, we put on and passed the lane they were making for before they came. One of our brothers, not riding so fast, was intercepted by them. They immediately knocked him down, and how it was that he got from among them he knew not. Before seven we reached Widdop. The news of what had passed at Barrowford made us all friends. The person in whose house Mr. B. preached, sent and …
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Word
The third way to escape the wrath and curse of God, and obtain the benefit of redemption by Christ, is the diligent use of ordinances, in particular, the word, sacraments, and prayer.' I begin with the best of these ordinances. The word . . . which effectually worketh in you that believe.' 1 Thess 2:13. What is meant by the word's working effectually? The word of God is said to work effectually when it has the good effect upon us for which it was appointed by God; when it works powerful illumination …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Paul on his Own Conversion
'And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why perseoutest thou Me? 8. And I answered, Who art Thou, Lord? And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. 10. And I said, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

Saving Faith.
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.--ACTS xvi. 30,31. This is one of the most abused texts in the Bible, and one which, perhaps, has been made to do quite as much work for the devil as for God. Let every saint present, ask in faith for the light of the Holy Ghost, while we try rightly to apply it. Let us enquire:-- 1. Who are to believe? 2. When are they to believe? 3. How are …
Catherine Booth—Godliness

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