Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say.
Acts 22:1 - Christian Standard Bible Anglicised ‘Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defence before you.’ Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition BRETHREN AND fathers, listen to the defense which I now make in your presence. American Standard Version (1901) Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you. Common English Bible “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” Catholic Public Domain Version "Noble brothers and fathers, listen to the explanation that I now give to you." Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you. |
Whenever they bring you before synagogues and rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how you should defend yourselves or what you should say.
‘Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent.
Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defence to the people.
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, ‘Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.’
When Paul realised that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead! ’
When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied, ‘Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defence in what concerns me.
I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defence against the charges.
Then Paul made his defence: ‘Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.’
As he was saying these things in his defence, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, ‘You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.’
After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them, ‘Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
‘Brothers and fathers,’ he replied, ‘listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them
Have you been thinking all along that we were defending ourselves to you? No, in the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up.
For consider how much diligence this very thing #– #this grieving as God wills #– #has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter.
the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment.
Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel.
At my first defence, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.
but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.